The makings of a "Hype bait"

[TheWatchMker]

Tbh all baits work to one degree or another.

i think newer hype baits take a few guys to catch big and then just have cool ass looking bait and a sexy paint job and bam. Everyone wants one. 
 

also I think swimbaits has changed as a game. 
 

Used to be dudes were after 1 bite day. That one monster and the rest was bi-catch. 
 

now we see a million smaller swimbaits because guys just like how they look and wanna get bit on them. 
 

nothing wrong with that, it’s a ton of fun but just different from OG swimbaits mindset and I think with that comes the hype

[BigBaitThirty]

Definitely a great question that merits discussion.

Exclusivity plays a significant role for sure. Many of the elements have been brushed up on or touched base on… I enjoy reading & hearing fellow members I respect chime in with their thoughts.

As I write this I’m already struggling to weigh in candidly as it is not my interest to offend or stir up unnecessary drama.

It’s fascinating really. It’s both simple and deep all at once. The psychology aspect is real… In fact much of the perspectives shared thus far hold merit.

I don’t think there is some nefarious hype man element or paid sponsorships though. I think time is kind to those who are consistent like Pizz… 

There are those that seem to have started off in the stratosphere of it all while others fade away into the ether, while others remain staples… The simplest baits sell faster than those of superior action and craftsmanship sometimes. 

There are different types of hype and then there’s the aspects of loyalty and sentiment & familiarity. Productivity with  a bait plays a role in confidence with ones self and for others watching and curious about. Confidence is contagious But as mentioned, not all those at a fever pitch have an actual co-sign which isn’t bad in my humble opinion as I don’t go through life personally looking for another mans stamp of approval. Not that it doesn’t hold merit or have its place I don’t pretend to know it all and ask questions all the time, but I find moreover I seek to learn things firsthand for myself, I can’t grow blindly adopting another’s perspective. Having said that if someone I respect shares their perspective I listen, and will likely keep it in mind. Particularly if they have more experience. I geek out on fishing so the nerdier the better, I say… I stay a perpetual student of the game on purpose, and involuntary actually “the more you know the more you know you don’t know ish” sorta thing.

back on topic:

…The simplest baits sell faster than those of superior action and craftsmanship sometimes. Sometimes their price point exceeds and defies logic…

There are baits and makers and the brand and reputation that influence as well 3:16 is an interesting example. Not all people like Mickey but in regards to bait making I think we can all agree he kills it. His quality and craftsmanship overall are bar-none consistently. Some of his work (much) could qualify as hype baits in some perspectives. He does RR but he could release a new concept and I think the market’s reaction would likely be the same. In fact he once released a bait no one had ever even seen or heard about or remotely laid eyes on and sold out a preorder before buying it was even an option because people were so committed to acquiring it. Armageddons use to fetch a G or more on EBay…

But I bet I could barely swap a 3:16 for an illude even at comparable price points right now.

There’s the staples & the perceived staples and the gotta have it syndrome the cool factor, the actual X factor and the perceived X factor…

I trip on what blows up all the time I sold a G2 shell cracker for 3x onetime… 

I will say originality is lost concept nowadays every other softbait has a hud tail… I guess it’s flattery at this point like the proliferation of boot-tails the flood gates are definitely open on that not sure how they bypass the patent. I met an old member here that got sued for copyright infringement with his chatter bait endeavor cost him over $200,000 I think he said. They are no more.

 I’m a Hippocrate when I want a Hawghunter Shad though lol

 Every other rat looks like Johnny’s which looks like…

Hard not to like the Phoney Shad…

to be fair I don’t think he was trying to copy the bait as much as he was the Shad. And I believe there is evidence to support that but I digress. Both guys are good dudes I’ve spoke at length to both. I was initially torn as well. I support both.

My mini Novel aside 

I guess no two hype cases are exactly alike. They often defy logic & expectations and sometimes they cash out. There are staples at the wayside that should have never been discarded or overlooked but hey if it makes them easier to get who’s complaining. 
 

In regards to 3:16 having brought them up earlier in my example, as far as price tag I’m happy Mickey for one gets closer to the aftermarket prices in his own pocket for once. It’s gotta be crazy to see your hard worked 2&3X like that and see none of it. On the other hand the hype and hysteria has perhaps prolonged his brands relevance in conjunction with their consistent quality. And truth be told his intentional exclusivity is his own doing. Consistent bait releases are a new aspect GenZ can enjoy.

I don’t get upset with exclusivity honestly the “rarer” the better. There are only so many waterways and the less inundated the better I say. Obviously technique dedication and timing are paramount factors.

In all reality that Slammer fish could have been on a Wake Jr. but not necessarily and that’s what keeps the game fun and all on our toes with our wallets out.

 

 

[BigBaitThirty]

I’d like to add what many of us may already know that the Slammer fish could of been a Wake Jr & visa versa…

Wake for wake… Yes

at times this may be true

but not always or necessarily often.

their are in fact X factors so to speak…

Retrieve, profile, inherent action & secondary action, colorway variation aside,

landing/splash sound, intrusiveness /presence, loud vs quite,  rate of stall, versatility…

variable upon variable we can technically only guess at.

Did we match the hatch or meal they are keyed in on or successfully artificially influence raw predation.

I’m just chiming not to patronize but to maybe clarify something I potentially over simplified trying to end my initial novel…

On the contrary to my initial statement I think the stealth and more subtle presence of a Slammer for instance is it’s niche whereby I think the Wake Jrs sound particularly the click clack of the lexan polycarbonate tail against its resin shoulders is what sets it apart and gets it noticed or calls them up differently. When to opt for one over the other is negotiable and perhaps simply subjective but for me it’s often a combination of a gut feeling and what feels appropriate for the circumstances.

I also brought this up to think out loud perhaps because my brother loves his slammer I gave him and it’s done well for him but he also slays on his WakeJune but when he’d initially fish his Slam over the June after I added it to his arsenal I was a lil offended Perhaps projecting perceptions of bait superiority… Anyhow that’s what begged the question… could that giant fish he just caught been on his 3:16 or something else in that moment and window in time?

Amid our candid inquisitions we seek to set all bait bias aside in the interest of science & often humbly settle on who knows. Very scientific lol Truth be told an open question can be more potent and powerful then an one answered incorrectly with an careless and unexamined assumption.

The reality is variation in retrieve could of done it. Could of been bait placement and the the time of day…

variety is important. But perhaps we over emphasize on how important. Billion dollar bass industry, walls upon walls of concept variation in every size color and scent or stretch…

Thousand dollar collections from some of the most talented builders in the game. We’re like those stock piling weapons & ammunition for a war that may never come…

I personally have too many baits I was hyped about. Fortunately the enthusiasm never wavered.                  I’ve been homeless in the past and braved the elements for longer then I care to admit… could of sold a small handful of gems and paid first and last somewhere probably in less then the course of a day… and wouldn’t do it. A victim of my own obsession. I valued my hard won collection of awesomeness too much… for me they represented possibility. They represented moments charged with irreplaceable value, The hunt… All of it. The new apartment a month or two sooner was known and unexciting by comparison. Sick? Perhaps. I’m resilient. Homelessness and the accompanying judgment & shame didn’t bother me as much as the potential fish I’d miss selling off some of my ish. I opted to work the night shift and save. I actually remember buying Swimbaits in my tent. That’s a little sick. Talk about dedication. I use to walk to a park on the other side of town to work on lures before work undisturbed.          It wasn’t glamorous but it wasn’t all bad either. Did a lot of fishing and saw many a sunsets.

Life is about perspective, and mine is that my fortune even in the absence of all our creature comforts we all readily take for granted, is quite simply immeasurable. My health and mental acuity and inherent kindness and positive disposition keeps me rich beyond anything I can acquire.

 

[BigOPigSlayer]

 

 

[Process77]

IMO as a product designer ( not of baits ) people in general want things that have a good aesthetic or just look cool. You add scarcity and influential people into the mix and you got a recipe for hype. But a DRT has a cool factor that a baitsanity just doesn’t. I’m not saying one works better then the other, but one definitely looks cooler. Some baits are made to catch the fisherman not necessarily the fish. For me if a bait looks good and it produces I want more, but also I’d throw a dried dog turd if it gets bit.  
    
I’m with @tblando most of all I want to see more swim videos, I get bummed when I see a good looking bait and can hardly find an online footprint. I want to see things in action, not beauty shots. 

P.S Not hating on any baits, bait makers, flippers, collectors, or dudes that just like buying into the hype.

 

[Mossypumpkin]

I think a hype bait is very often a bait that fluctuates drastically in market value. If bait x is selling on the market for $100 now, $300 next and then $75 the year after…..you witnessed the rollercoaster of a hype bait. Yes, there’s inflation. Some baits will just go up, but they’ll stay there. Doesn’t mean these baits fluctuate in fish catching ability, just that the perception of that has changed. That’s a good amount of what drives market value. You’ve never seen hudds selling for $100 or slammers for $200 or bullshads, etc. And ultimately what drives prices is extremely simple: people want what they can’t get. Availability and perceived catching ability. I want what other people have(or don’t have), and everyone is trying to get this bait, so it must catch giant fish. Like Justin said, keep buying em up. It keeps the prices down on hudds, slammers, bullshads and the other unhyped baits for the rest of us.