One more tip needed

Sorry to post so much right away, but I am pretty new to many of the
hot soft plastics out there, and the new shop... and our bass pro
catalog seems to be filled with choices that I was never able to order
before.

If you all could pick your top 3 favorite soft plastics for next
spring what would it be? Make and model?

We are practically interrogating all our bass customers for some help
in ordering plastics next spring, and i don't want to just fill the
shelves with cheap junk. I have one or two customers will to help so
far, but I would like a little education before relying on a couple of
guys.

I like the looks of some of the yamamoto samples i have seen, but also
heard they fall apart easily after just a few pitches or a couple of
fish. Have heard good stuff about wacky rigging Yums, but only from
one or two guys.

Any help in the bass field would be appreciated. Can anyone suggest a
good site or two to help educate me? Over the past few years i have
all but set aside my baitcaster for my flyrod.
Would like to pick it back up next year.

Lloyd M
http://www.mainetackle.com

Interesting to go into a business you know so little about.

My three for spring would be 5" Senko, Zoom Trick Worm and Zoom 6"
Lizard

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

On Oct 17, 8:30 am, Ronnie wrote:
Interesting to go into a business you know so little about.

My three for spring would be 5" Senko, Zoom Trick Worm and Zoom 6"
Lizard

Ronnie


Ronnie,
I does seem strange,
The truth is Pro bass fishing is just something I never really
considered much. Before getting into this new shop. We were a fly shop
primarily. I am pretty good with stick baits, popper fishing and the
like. I can pick and suggest fly patterns nd presentations all day
long.... usually.
My use of soft plastics up to this point was really by chance and
almost never really planned. I have always been fishing... ever since
I was old enough to hold a stick. My dad taught me plenty about
fishing in the brooks and rivers with worms, how to tie flies.... but
neither of us got into using plastics for some reason.

Our old shop was small and our locals at the old location really
didn't have the money to invest in bass boats, $300 + bait casters, or
$20 packs of yamamotos. they were primarily economy bait fishermen.
The new shop location is a whole new story though, and we have found
ourselves at a loss to support the local bass fishermen and I feel
like we might miss out and disappoint some of these guys if we don't
carry what is needed. However, now with the boats getting stored for
winter, we haven't been seeing many of the bass guys in the shop.

Thanks for your favorites, I have added them to my running list. We do
have a bunch of the 5" senkos in, but none of the trick worms.

To fix this, myself and my business partner have a spot reserved with
a pro bass guide next spring so we can learn more about fishing with
plastics. I have done some reading up on fishing drop shot, and wacky
rigs. I practice pitching, flipping and the like in the shop when I
get a chance.

I have always enjoyed bass fishing.... but historically fall back on
my 3" black and gold floating rapala, or a popper to catch them. This
spring we will be leaving the hardbaits at home purposefully to learn
more about plastics. (not to mention watchng Bill Dance on OLN)

Do you have a color preference on those patterns for spring bass?

What you really need to do is talk to some local fishermen and see
what they use - I suspect my picks here in Georgia might not be the
best baits there. Are there any local bass clubs in your area?
Asking for club members advice might get you in good with them.

My local bait store will special order anything I want - and he
usually orders a dozen extra to stock. That stuff usually sells -
doesn't hurt when I mention it in my local newspaper column.

Good luck with your new store.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Buying habits strongly reflect regional preferences. Few anglers are really
analytical thinkers -- may 15% at most. For the most part, fishermen keep
their ears and eyes open to learn what other people are using to catch fish
and then buy those lures for themselves. They are trend followers.

For that reason, when a particular soft plastic bait, spinnerbait, jig or
crankbait is reported to have caught a big fish or many fish, that
particular lure is swept off the racks by eager buyers. You will do well to
recruit some of the leading guides and tournament anglers in your area --
the trend-setters, innovators, and early adopters -- as your store's
Prostaff. Provide them with discounts on their purchases, perhaps, or
provide some other incentive. In return, they can advise you on what is
"hot" locally. They may also be trend-setters, although that is a difficult
thing to predict.

I suggest you buy a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's books _The Tipping Point -
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference_ and _Blink - The Power of
Thinking Without Thinking_.

I could name some excellent soft plastics that I am confident would catch as
many or more bass than any soft plastic in the tackle shops around you. If
you stock them and your customers buy and use them, they would be delighted.
For example, GoTo Baits (http://gotobaits.com/) offer soft plastics with
excellent quality, better than average productivity, much better durability,
and vastly better value than Yamamoto or other big-name brands. But if you
were to buy them and put them on your racks, since they have no name
recognition in your local market, they might just gather dust.

If you, your clerks, and your Prostaff use and promote them as
high-performance, high-value lures that local bass haven't grown accustomed
to, and that will give the few anglers who know about them an edge, then you
can drive sales. And the fact that you would carry something that few other
shops in your region do would be a good marketing point.

I go in a lot of small mom & pop tackle shops, and I can tell immediately
which ones stock products desired by tournament anglers and people looking
for an edge on the water. The shop owners stock plenty of the big name
brands, but they also lay in some "special" lines for their regulars and
visitors in the know. And that's how they position them, too.... If someone
walks in and knows exactly what they want and see it on the Zoom or Berkley
wall, then everyone is happy.... But if someone comes in and asks for
advice, the clerk or shop owner can say "here's what most people are
throwing, but the secret weapon of some of our best anglers is this right
here...."

Even though I've seen that pitch fifty times, it still works on me when I
walk into a tackle shop by an unfamiliar lake. It did two weeks ago on
Guntersville. I went in to buy some plastic frogs (having unwisely used up
all my Watermelon Red GoTo Bait frogs in practice), and I found some that
resembled the patterns I wanted. The shop owner commented that those were
indeed popular, but that he and his son (who guide on the lake) preferred
another brand. Guess which ones I walked out of the store with?

So.... here is what I think bass anglers will expect you to carry your
sto

5" and 7" stick baits like the Yamamoto Senko
Frogs
3-inch Teaser Tubes
3", 3-1/2" to 3-3/4", and 4" Tubes
4", 7", 10" Worms
Finesse worms
Drop-shot baits, like the Wiggle lure*
Crawfish (large and small)
Jerk baits/shad bait like the Zoom Fluke
2-1/2" and 3-1/2" fat, curly-tail grubs
4-inch craw worms
Creature baits like Water Wizards, lizards, Brush Hogs, Sweet Beaver

Some national names you will want to consider: Lunker City, Zoom, Yamamoto..
most of the ones you can find on the BPS Website.

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe
--
Secret Weapon Lures
Tackle systems engineered for innovative anglers
--------------------------------------------------------:~ 0")))
Subscribe to our mail list for intel briefings and
chances to win free tackle every month at
http://secretweaponlures.com
Better designs = better performance = better results


"Sprattoo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Sorry to post so much right away, but I am pretty new to many of the
hot soft plastics out there, and the new shop... and our bass pro
catalog seems to be filled with choices that I was never able to order
before.

If you all could pick your top 3 favorite soft plastics for next
spring what would it be? Make and model?

We are practically interrogating all our bass customers for some help
in ordering plastics next spring, and i don't want to just fill the
shelves with cheap junk. I have one or two customers will to help so
far, but I would like a little education before relying on a couple of
guys.

I like the looks of some of the yamamoto samples i have seen, but also
heard they fall apart easily after just a few pitches or a couple of
fish. Have heard good stuff about wacky rigging Yums, but only from
one or two guys.

Any help in the bass field would be appreciated. Can anyone suggest a
good site or two to help educate me? Over the past few years i have
all but set aside my baitcaster for my flyrod.
Would like to pick it back up next year.

Lloyd M
http://www.mainetackle.com

Joe Haubenreich wrote:

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe


Man,, Thanks Joe, that was one heck of nice thing

--
SpecTastic Wiggle Rig,
Fishing lure remote control
See lure video you won't believe
http://ezknot.com/videos.html

On Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:50:52 -0500, Rodney Long
wrote:

Joe Haubenreich wrote:

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe


Man,, Thanks Joe, that was one heck of nice thing

Lloyd

You asked about soft plastics, and Joe told you soft plastics - and
good stuff too - but -----

something he only mentioned in passing was spinner baits......

and what his post didn't have is his normal sig lines - telling
the reader that he affilated with Secret Weapon (he is the head
cheese) - they make spinner baits and buzz baits - good ones.

See this URL: www.secretweaponlures.com

Many (most?) of the regulars on this group throw SW's - including
myself. They are the only ones I buy now - and those that I have that
aren't I've modified to use the SW blade system.

Get your self and your customers some SW's - you won't be sorry.

Jim

On Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:35:47 -0500, Jim Laumann
wrote:

On Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:50:52 -0500, Rodney Long
wrote:

Joe Haubenreich wrote:

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe


Man,, Thanks Joe, that was one heck of nice thing

Lloyd

You asked about soft plastics, and Joe told you soft plastics - and
good stuff too - but -----

something he only mentioned in passing was spinner baits......

and what his post didn't have is his normal sig lines -

I didn't read far enough - it did have his sig line...duh!!

Jim

On Oct 17, 4:00 pm, "Joe Haubenreich"
wrote:
Buying habits strongly reflect regional preferences. Few anglers are really
analytical thinkers -- may 15% at most. For the most part, fishermen keep
their ears and eyes open to learn what other people are using to catch fish
and then buy those lures for themselves. They are trend followers.

For that reason, when a particular soft plastic bait, spinnerbait, jig or
crankbait is reported to have caught a big fish or many fish, that
particular lure is swept off the racks by eager buyers. You will do well to
recruit some of the leading guides and tournament anglers in your area --
the trend-setters, innovators, and early adopters -- as your store's
Prostaff. Provide them with discounts on their purchases, perhaps, or
provide some other incentive. In return, they can advise you on what is
"hot" locally. They may also be trend-setters, although that is a difficult
thing to predict.

I suggest you buy a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's books _The Tipping Point -
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference_ and _Blink - The Power of
Thinking Without Thinking_.

I could name some excellent soft plastics that I am confident would catch as
many or more bass than any soft plastic in the tackle shops around you. If
you stock them and your customers buy and use them, they would be delighted.
For example, GoTo Baits (http://gotobaits.com/) offer soft plastics with
excellent quality, better than average productivity, much better durability,
and vastly better value than Yamamoto or other big-name brands. But if you
were to buy them and put them on your racks, since they have no name
recognition in your local market, they might just gather dust.

If you, your clerks, and your Prostaff use and promote them as
high-performance, high-value lures that local bass haven't grown accustomed
to, and that will give the few anglers who know about them an edge, then you
can drive sales. And the fact that you would carry something that few other
shops in your region do would be a good marketing point.

I go in a lot of small mom & pop tackle shops, and I can tell immediately
which ones stock products desired by tournament anglers and people looking
for an edge on the water. The shop owners stock plenty of the big name
brands, but they also lay in some "special" lines for their regulars and
visitors in the know. And that's how they position them, too.... If someone
walks in and knows exactly what they want and see it on the Zoom or Berkley
wall, then everyone is happy.... But if someone comes in and asks for
advice, the clerk or shop owner can say "here's what most people are
throwing, but the secret weapon of some of our best anglers is this right
here...."

Even though I've seen that pitch fifty times, it still works on me when I
walk into a tackle shop by an unfamiliar lake. It did two weeks ago on
Guntersville. I went in to buy some plastic frogs (having unwisely used up
all my Watermelon Red GoTo Bait frogs in practice), and I found some that
resembled the patterns I wanted. The shop owner commented that those were
indeed popular, but that he and his son (who guide on the lake) preferred
another brand. Guess which ones I walked out of the store with?

So.... here is what I think bass anglers will expect you to carry your
sto

5" and 7" stick baits like the Yamamoto Senko
Frogs
3-inch Teaser Tubes
3", 3-1/2" to 3-3/4", and 4" Tubes
4", 7", 10" Worms
Finesse worms
Drop-shot baits, like the Wiggle lure*
Crawfish (large and small)
Jerk baits/shad bait like the Zoom Fluke
2-1/2" and 3-1/2" fat, curly-tail grubs
4-inch craw worms
Creature baits like Water Wizards, lizards, Brush Hogs, Sweet Beaver

Some national names you will want to consider: Lunker City, Zoom, Yamamoto..
most of the ones you can find on the BPS Website.

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe
--
Secret Weapon Lures
Tackle systems engineered for innovative anglers
--------------------------------------------------------:~ 0")))
Subscribe to our mail list for intel briefings and
chances to win free tackle every month athttp://secretweaponlures.com
Better designs = better performance = better results

"Sprattoo" wrote in message

oups.com...
Sorry to post so much right away, but I am pretty new to many of the
hot soft plastics out there, and the new shop... and our bass pro
catalog seems to be filled with choices that I was never able to order
before.

If you all could pick your top 3 favorite soft plastics for next
spring what would it be? Make and model?

We are practically interrogating all our bass customers for some help
in ordering plastics next spring, and i don't want to just fill the
shelves with cheap junk. I have one or two customers will to help so
far, but I would like a little education before relying on a couple of
guys.

I like the looks of some of the yamamoto samples i have seen, but also
heard they fall apart easily after just a few pitches or a couple of
fish. Have heard good stuff about wacky rigging Yums, but only from
one or two guys.

Any help in the bass field would be appreciated. Can anyone suggest a
good site or two to help educate me? Over the past few years i have
all but set aside my baitcaster for my flyrod.
Would like to pick it back up next year.

Lloyd Mhttp://www.mainetackle.com

Glad mentioned Goto Baits. I was going to sugegst maybe asking Randy
to do a line of private label for you.

On Oct 17, 8:49 pm, Bob La Londe wrote:
On Oct 17, 4:00 pm, "Joe Haubenreich"



wrote:
Buying habits strongly reflect regional preferences. Few anglers are really
analytical thinkers -- may 15% at most. For the most part, fishermen keep
their ears and eyes open to learn what other people are using to catch fish
and then buy those lures for themselves. They are trend followers.

For that reason, when a particular soft plastic bait, spinnerbait, jig or
crankbait is reported to have caught a big fish or many fish, that
particular lure is swept off the racks by eager buyers. You will do well to
recruit some of the leading guides and tournament anglers in your area --
the trend-setters, innovators, and early adopters -- as your store's
Prostaff. Provide them with discounts on their purchases, perhaps, or
provide some other incentive. In return, they can advise you on what is
"hot" locally. They may also be trend-setters, although that is a difficult
thing to predict.

I suggest you buy a copy of Malcolm Gladwell's books _The Tipping Point -
How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference_ and _Blink - The Power of
Thinking Without Thinking_.

I could name some excellent soft plastics that I am confident would catch as
many or more bass than any soft plastic in the tackle shops around you. If
you stock them and your customers buy and use them, they would be delighted.
For example, GoTo Baits (http://gotobaits.com/) offer soft plastics with
excellent quality, better than average productivity, much better durability,
and vastly better value than Yamamoto or other big-name brands. But if you
were to buy them and put them on your racks, since they have no name
recognition in your local market, they might just gather dust.

If you, your clerks, and your Prostaff use and promote them as
high-performance, high-value lures that local bass haven't grown accustomed
to, and that will give the few anglers who know about them an edge, then you
can drive sales. And the fact that you would carry something that few other
shops in your region do would be a good marketing point.

I go in a lot of small mom & pop tackle shops, and I can tell immediately
which ones stock products desired by tournament anglers and people looking
for an edge on the water. The shop owners stock plenty of the big name
brands, but they also lay in some "special" lines for their regulars and
visitors in the know. And that's how they position them, too.... If someone
walks in and knows exactly what they want and see it on the Zoom or Berkley
wall, then everyone is happy.... But if someone comes in and asks for
advice, the clerk or shop owner can say "here's what most people are
throwing, but the secret weapon of some of our best anglers is this right
here...."

Even though I've seen that pitch fifty times, it still works on me when I
walk into a tackle shop by an unfamiliar lake. It did two weeks ago on
Guntersville. I went in to buy some plastic frogs (having unwisely used up
all my Watermelon Red GoTo Bait frogs in practice), and I found some that
resembled the patterns I wanted. The shop owner commented that those were
indeed popular, but that he and his son (who guide on the lake) preferred
another brand. Guess which ones I walked out of the store with?

So.... here is what I think bass anglers will expect you to carry your
sto

5" and 7" stick baits like the Yamamoto Senko
Frogs
3-inch Teaser Tubes
3", 3-1/2" to 3-3/4", and 4" Tubes
4", 7", 10" Worms
Finesse worms
Drop-shot baits, like the Wiggle lure*
Crawfish (large and small)
Jerk baits/shad bait like the Zoom Fluke
2-1/2" and 3-1/2" fat, curly-tail grubs
4-inch craw worms
Creature baits like Water Wizards, lizards, Brush Hogs, Sweet Beaver

Some national names you will want to consider: Lunker City, Zoom, Yamamoto..
most of the ones you can find on the BPS Website.

*Consider stocking the entire SpecTastic line of products, too.... your
customers will thank you for it.

Joe
--
Secret Weapon Lures
Tackle systems engineered for innovative anglers
--------------------------------------------------------:~ 0")))
Subscribe to our mail list for intel briefings and
chances to win free tackle every month athttp://secretweaponlures.com
Better designs = better performance = better results

"Sprattoo" wrote in message

roups.com...
Sorry to post so much right away, but I am pretty new to many of the
hot soft plastics out there, and the new shop... and our bass pro
catalog seems to be filled with choices that I was never able to order
before.

If you all could pick your top 3 favorite soft plastics for next
spring what would it be? Make and model?

We are practically interrogating all our bass customers for some help
in ordering plastics next spring, and i don't want to just fill the
shelves with cheap junk. I have one or two customers will to help so
far, but I would like a little education before relying on a couple of
guys.

I like the looks of some of the yamamoto samples i have seen, but also
heard they fall apart easily after just a few pitches or a couple of
fish. Have heard good stuff about wacky rigging Yums, but only from
one or two guys.

Any help in the bass field would be appreciated. Can anyone suggest a
good site or two to help educate me? Over the past few years i have
all but set aside my baitcaster for my flyrod.
Would like to pick it back up next year.

Lloyd Mhttp://www.mainetackle.com

Glad mentioned Goto Baits. I was going to sugegst maybe asking Randy
to do a line of private label for you.

Just as an update to everyone from this thread.....
We have picked up one more local bass guy to help with spring
selection, and I hopefully have some SW 's on the way to the house...
with a catalog.
Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts on this. I have printed
all responses and have taped it to the inside of our orders drawer for
the next Bass order.