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Mystery Tackle Box Review

Mystery Tackle Box Review

Pricing

The Mystery Tackle Box is a subscription plan that is available in three flavors.

There is a Regular plan for $14.99/month, a Pro plan for $24.99/month, and a Local plan for $29.99 per month.

In the following Mystery Tackle Box review, we are going to be dissecting the Regular plan for $14.99/month to see if, indeed, there is value.

One of the cool things about the plans is that for the Regular and Pro plans you have a choice of selecting the species for each box you get.  You can change your selection anytime during your subscription if you want to mix it up and you can cancel your plan at any time as well.

In our case, we selected the Inshore Saltwater package, other options include Bass, Ice Fishing (brrr), Walleye, Panfish, Catfish, and Trout.

The Bottom Line

  • This is definitely worth the subscription price and you can cancel at any time.
  • It is fun to receive new lures you have never used each month.
  • You will expand your fishing capabilities by trying new types of lures.
  • You can switch up your subscription at any time.
  • Makes a great gift for yourself or a good fishing friend.

Shipping

I ordered the box on 11/7/17, it shipped the same day by DHL and arrived on 11/13/17, which equals 3-4 business days due to our having a weekend in there, so far so good.

What’s Inside

The outside is a brown box with their logo on it.

When I opened the box, I was greeted by a Welcome Aboard message.  Inside the Welcome Aboard message is information about the subscription such as how you can add items to your next box and not pay to ship.

There is also a YouTube channel to instruct you on how to use the baits in your box each month, and there are contests each month where you can win free tackle, swag, and other gear.

Included is a monthly newsletter called “Dibble” that tells me what is inside the box this month and the retail value of it.  For me, my $14.99 yielded a retail value of $32.86 — not bad.

There were a few interesting things in here as well, such as an article on what gear ratios really mean and how that would apply to your fishing style.

On the last page was the description of this month’s contest and how to enter to have a chance at $100 in account credit.

Then, of course, there needs to be a sticker.

This is because, apparently, the people at MTB know how much we, fishermen and fisherwomen love our stickers.

The Gear

Ok, we established that according to MTB, there is $32.86 worth of gear in my box.  Let’s dig in and see just what it is that was sent to me.

Gulp Shrimp

Value $6.99

The first item in the tackle box is a 6-count package of Berkley 3″ Gulp Shrimp in a New Penny color.

I am a fan of the Gulp shrimp and have had much success using them for redfish and snook here in my local flats just outside of Cape Coral, FL.  I use a variety of colors, but New Penny is a color that has proven to perform well for me over the years.

When rigging the shrimp you want to use a jighead typically in the 1/4 oz. – 1/6 oz. range.  I hold the shrimp with the hook next to it so I can see where the hook will come out on the body and mark that with my thumb.  Next, I place the hook into the nose of the shrimp, being careful to make sure I get it centered.

Next, just push the shrimp down on the hook and bring the hook out of the shrimp’s body on the top of the body where you had marked it previously, you’re done!

Zman Power Finesse Shroomz – Jigheads

Value – $4.99

I have never used this brand of jigheads before, so I look forward to it.  The package includes a three-count of 1/6 oz. jigheads in a chartreuse color, which is my favorite for where I fish.

I like the fact that the head is very rounded, hence the “Shroomz” name as it looks like the head of a mushroom.  The keeper, which is the part that keeps the bait on the jighead is almost a second hook, and I am confident that the bait is not going to be slipping off of the hook.

The hook itself is made of black nickel and is large and very sharp.  I can see how this will easily penetrate the mouth of a nice big snook.  Time to go check it out.

Hoax Fish – Scam Shad

Value $3.59

This is an interesting little critter called the Scam Shad that came in a 3 count of 4.5″ in what is called Blue Nado for the color.  I can assume from the name that this is supposed to imitate a small shad or other baitfish.

To me, this bait looks more like a baby squid so I think that I will try it both inshore and offshore.  I am going to be headed out into the gulf in a few days and I want to see what happens if I jig with this for snapper.

This is a non-scented bait with the familiar rubber smell of soft plastic toys as a kid.  I think that I will be adding a bit of scent to it to take that “new bait” smell off of it.

According to the manufacturer, this soft plastic jerk bait will create a very stable back-and-forth gliding motion similar to that created when you walk the dog with a surface lure.  The bait is designed to imitate a wounded baitfish and can be used both near the surface and down deep.

Shrimp Tease

Value $5.49

From Creme Lure is a 2 count package of what is called a Shrimp Tease with Tail Swimming Action.

Of all the lures in my box, this is the one that caught my attention the most.  If you have fished artificial shrimp before, you will know that they are all retrieved in a forward motion, meaning that you are imitating the shrimp swimming forward.

This is fine but what makes this shrimp unique is that you retrieve it in a backward motion and that it has a chartreuse-colored paddle tail.   This shrimp is designed to mimic a panicked shrimp when it sees a predator fish.

The paddle tail causes the shrimp to jump or dart backward like a live shrimp does when it senses danger.  It is also recommended to use a popping cork with a quick jerk, then stop jerk then stop action.

I can’t wait to get this out on the water over the weekend.

Biovex – Metal Scout Long

Value $11.80

Each month there is one premium lure in the mix and this month it is the Biovex Metal Scout Long.  This lure weighs in at 1.3 oz and is approximately 4.5″ long with 3 #8 treble hooks.

This is a very well made solid metal lure that is designed to imitate a dying baitfish.  The front half of the lure carries all the weight, so when you retrieve the lure with a long pull on the rod and then give it some slack, the front of the lure dives down.

If you use a slow consistent retrieve rate, there is a very almost violent shaking action that is created – mimicking a dying baitfish.  The degree of shake that is created is based on the retrieve rate.

In Conclusion

I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with the content of my first Mystery Tackle Box.  Overall I really like the idea of getting a package each month with new and cool lures to try.  I mean it is almost like Christmas once a month.

I like the fact that I can switch my species up whenever I want by just going to my online account. I also like the fact that I can cancel at any time if I choose to.

For the fisherman or fisherwoman who is looking to try new lures and wants to learn about new ways to fish, I think that the value is definitely here and I will be keeping my subscription intact for the foreseeable future.

If you are looking for a gift for someone, I think that this would be amazing and they would remember you each month when they got their Mystery Tackle Box.

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