If I could figure out how to put this into a "poll" form I would. [smilie=bangtard.gif]
So,.. realistically, the waters I normally fish, I say about 30 would do it.
I said 20 in a reply to a different post but thats a bit low. And even at 30 that would be a little tight with limited color selection.
"jasonvkop" said:
[quote="Jim tenHaaf"]If you think about all the combinations you might need with color, depth, speed, and size, there's quite a bit.
But it's all about speed and depth control, remember??
Bah. You could use JUST the crappie loor, if you fish only moonrise/moonset/when Jupiter is in the Seventh House:
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"Will Schultz" said:
To me this depends on how many lakes you fish. I have 15-20 lures for each lake I fish that consistently catch fish. Some of these lures overlap but many do not overlap. If I only fished two lakes I could get away with 50 lures easily.
As the MMA class is approaching the 2011 fishing season I see a class project within Will's comment. New potential members may only have the ability to fish a couple lakes near their home on a limited lure budget. We could set up a 'member' thread listing lakes and collective comments on the proven lures&colors for specific lakes. Lakes that MMA members have fished for years will have the basic lure list ready to go. Our newer developing muskie lakes will have a flex list as members learn the quirks of that lake's fishery. At the end of the 2011 season MMA will have a start for the first edition "MMA Lure Guide for Michigan Muskie Lakes", $10 at the show booth. Potential new MMA members now have a lure reference guide to start fishing their home range of lakes with money saved to join MMA.
Hamilton I really like that idea-
Kid I get hot on about 20 to 30 lures a year some I own already others I pick up although "musky" lures (not mepps 5's and other smallish baits) I probably own around 400 and I have 90 ready to hit ebay and have probably rotated another 200 or so over the years. 
Yes I have issues….lol
Kevin
"vano397" said:
I promised Myself after I got a big enough tackle box to hold lures that I would stop when I got it full… Then I realized the first 15-20 lures I bought were probably not the best choices, so I am using that as an excuse to buy another box!
4 years ago, Matt (my brother) and I started sharing a Plano Box. The big one with blue lid. Now, I have 1 of those full, plus 9 Plano 3730 boxes, plus a big styrofoam cooler box, plus a shelf in my garage, plus a cardboard beer box, a few on my workbench waiting to be fixed,…. What fun, eh? [smilie=biggrin.gif]
The biggest issue I run into isn't the number of lures that I own, but rather how many do I actually take with me when I go fishing. My experiences have been the more baits I bring, the more I change lures. So, I stole an idea and altered it from the bass world. I only bring lures with me I have great confidence in. I have dubbed this box my 100 percent confidence box. Since reducing my choices and making well informed decisions before I go out, I have dramatically improved my performance. I typically only bring 10 lures. While my total lure count is probably 40ish, not counting duplicates. If I really like a lure, I will have more than one of that lure in the same color.
If I want to try a new lure, I will only bring it and maybe a throw back lure. During the summer three years ago, there were multiple times when I would go out and only bring 2 or 3 lures. Literally forcing myself to learn these baits extremely well. Basically, by fishing waters that have similar make-ups, selecting intelligently, I have been able to force myself to change lures less frequently, keeping my lines in the water more, increasing odds more in my favor and maybe most importantly fishing with confidence.
But none of this would be possible if guys like all you didn't share. The information you all share is much appreciated. Even from TenHaaf.
"Mark D. Platt" said:
…..If I want to try a new lure, I will only bring it and maybe a throw back lure. During the summer three years ago, there were multiple times when I would go out and only bring 2 or 3 lures. Literally forcing myself to learn these baits extremely well…..
You invest gas cost and travel time restricting yourself to only a specific lure or two? That requires a self discipline determination most fishers do not have.
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