WE’RE BACK
I haven’t done a Mystery Tackle Box review in while, simply because I wasn’t impressed with the products I was getting. Well, I finally decided to resume my subscription, and this is the first month back. I was a skeptic with resuming my subscription, will it have paid off? Keep reading to find out.
As always, the products will be reviewed based on how well I think they’ll do. Summer time bass fishing in Arizona is generally awful (that’s a compliment), so real-world testing of these baits won’t really be accurate until I wait for the temperatures to cool down slightly – not kidding, some of these water temps are hitting near 100F.
Specifically, baits will be rated on quality, color, and overall usability. I’m going to be detailing each one of these categories for each bait. I’m also going to give a real price estimate from Tackle Warehouse, not what the box says the bait is worth. Of course is the bait can’t be found elsewhere than the given price will be used. A rating out of 5 stars will also be given, which will be averaged at the end of the review. Let’s begin.
Karl’s Amazing Baits Golden Boy - $6.99 ★★★★
The Golden Boy is a shallow running crankbait (3-5 feet) that is an exclusive to MTB. Distributed by Catch Co. (the same company that makes MTB and Karl’s), the Golden Boy is sort of your typical squarebill crankbait, weighing in at 1/3oz and 2.25” in length. The bait itself is in a “Moonlight Shad”, which I actually really like. The bait does have 2 rattles that provide for a very subtle rattling, perfect for more finesse applications. If we are being honest, the hooks aren’t that sharp, but they’re also not the dullest I’ve ever felt. I do appreciate the split ring on the front of the bait.
Overall, this bait gets 4 out of 5 stars from me – it would have been higher if the price point was better. I can get a high quality 6th Sense bait for the same price, or perhaps even cheaper.
Fanatik Larva - $5.99 ★★★★
The Fanatik Larva is an interesting bait. Coming in at 4.5” in length and a deep purple color (Purple Nebula), this soft bait is sure to catch some fish. This bait, in my opinion, is what MTB is all about. This is a bait that I would never purchase if I saw it in stores. However, now that I have it in hand, I’m sure that I’ll be able to slay some mondos with it – this dragonfly-larva-bait is going to catch big fish. Versatile in possible fishing methods, this bait can be thrown using a Texas Rig, Carolina rig, jig head, drop shot, or worm hook. Downside – these things are expensive. At $1.20 per bait, there would be no way that I could afford to buy these on an often basis.
Overall, I give these 4 out of 5 stars, mostly because of the price.
Heavy Metal Finesse Tungsten Football Jig - $5.49 ★★★★1/2
FINALLY, SOMETHING TUNGSTEN FROM MTB!
These are the kind of items that I enjoy getting my Mystery Tackle Box, simply because I usually would not purchase tungsten due to its price. Heavy Metal Tungsten is an offshoot of Catch Co, as many of the brands are within Mystery Tackle Box. This jig features a 3/8 oz. football-shaped head with a black and blue skirt that is wire-tied on. What I like about tungsten is that it’s more dense than lead, so an overall smaller head can be used with the same amount of weight. This is perfect for finesse-style fishing, which is what I mostly do. I should also mention that the hook on this jig is very sharp. The weed guard is a tad long, but nothing some scissors can’t fix. My only complaint about this jig is where the eye on the hook is located. On a good jig, the eye should not be perpendicular with the hook point, but angled away from it instead. This will effect hookup percentages – how much exactly? I’m not sure, but you will miss a few fish with this style of eye placement, due to the fact that it just gets in the way during a hookset.
Overall, my only complaint about this jig is the eye placement, and I give an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Big Bite Baits Trick Stick $2.99 ★★★★★
I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again; I think Big Bite Baits is a highly underrated bait company. I’ve seen huge success in my own ventures with Big Bite Baits soft plastics, and they’re very reasonably priced. This bag of soft plastics contains the “Trick Stick”, essentially a 5” stick bait that is black in color with a blue tip; simple, but effective. I do wish that they were a tad smaller for my finesse fishing style, but I can make do. I will mention that MTB quoted this bait at $4.49, while Tackle Warehouse is selling the same bait for $2.99.
Overall, I give the Big Bite Baits Trick Stick 5 out of 5 stars.
Karl’s Stash Nail Weight $1.29 ★★★★
If you have read an MTB on JTTT before than you’ll know that I love terminal tackle, whether its hooks, weights, or anything else. I honestly have never used a nail weight before, but they are for use on a stick bait to initiate a different style of sinking. It’s been said that the different style can be effective on pressured bass, but I do not have experience with this. I have no complaints with these weights, but I will say that I would never pay $0.43 per nail weight – I can purchase a couple hundred nails for a few dollars, and the result would be nearly the same. Similarly, I can buy lead nail weights on Tackle Warehouse for about $0.27 a piece, a significant decrease in price per each.
Overall, I give the nail weights 4 out of 5 stars due to the high price point.
I should also mention that this box came with “The Catalog”, a small promotional magazine featuring some baits on shopkarls.com. This is a neat touch that I haven’t received before. Also, there was a letter from Catch Co. founder and CEO Ross Gordon, thanking the customers for their involvement with the subscription service. As always, the “Dibble” was also within the box.
The overall average score of this box came to 4.3 out of 5 stars; this is a pretty high score for me, as I’m critical. The overall actual price of the box came to $22.75, while the stated price was $24.29. I will mention that it was difficult to compare pricing with some of MTB’s own items, especially the Golden Boy; as said, I can purchase a 6th Sense squarebill for about the same price as the Golden Boy. I was actually surprised at how good this box was, increasing my likelihood for another month’s subscription.
Have some comments, concerns, compliments, or requests? Feel free to comment below or email me. As always, thanks for reading.
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