I have journeyed down the high-end hardbait road, meaning crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters costing $15 to $20 apiece. This high road reached a point where all I threw were Lucky Craft hard baits and a few other high dollar dolls almost exclusively, and I believed it was the best thing to do at that time.

Keep in mind, the high-end bait boom here only started about six years ago when Lucky Craft began to market its hardbaits in the USA. In that timeframe, I went from no high-end baits to being one of the first in the country to use some of them, and that built to a peak of almost exclusively using high-end hardbaits. It was a worthy experience while it lasted, but I have slowly descended off that "high end only" trend.

I have come back down to a more moderate and meaningful approach today. I think I had to go there first to be able to say, "Hey these lower priced baits lack some of the technical precision and realistic good looks and the feeling of luxury, but fish whack them just the same."

A few years ago I would not have said that, I was totally sold on the high-end baits. Once I got to master them all, I began to mix back in a few lower-priced baits. Reason is, guys fishing tournaments against me were doing at least as well as I was. They were using economical baits like Super Spooks, Normans, Bandits, and you know what? You can get most of them on sale under $5. So I had to see if the high-end baits I had gotten hung up on were all that high and mighty any more? I can't say I look at the high-end baits through rose-colored glasses today. Some of the more economical baits,  work just as good!