brent19 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm looking for a company that sells the knock-off RC 2.5'S. I know of Predator Baits, and Acadamy Sports. I can't find blanks on Acadamy sports website ,just painted ones. I have tryed the preadator baits knock-off's. There are some on ebay that i would like to find out where they are getting them. I don't resale i just want to paint some for myself. If anyone who's where to get a great replica of it please let me know. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm looking for a company that sells the knock-off RC 2.5'S. I know of Predator Baits, and Acadamy Sports. I can't find blanks on Acadamy sports website ,just painted ones. I have tryed the preadator baits knock-off's. There are some on ebay that i would like to find out where they are getting them. I don't resale i just want to paint some for myself. If anyone who's where to get a great replica of it please let me know. Thanks Bryan from http://bustinbassbaits.com/index.html has them made for him. He also has them on e-bay http://stores.ebay.com/Bustin-Bass-Baits?_rdc=1 He has several other high quality KO's as well. Nice guy quick ship and easy to deal with. Especially helpful to the newbie painter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Bryan from http://bustinbassbaits.com/index.html has them made for him. He also has them on e-bay http://stores.ebay.com/Bustin-Bass-Baits?_rdc=1 He has several other high quality KO's as well. Nice guy quick ship and easy to deal with. Especially helpful to the newbie painter. The prices on Ebay are getting too high! I can buy H2O baits painted with hooks for about the same price. Just take the hooks off, scuff the paint and go for it. Plus the guys around here trust the H2O baits more than knock offs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 The prices on Ebay are getting too high! I can buy H2O baits painted with hooks for about the same price. Just take the hooks off, scuff the paint and go for it. Plus the guys around here trust the H2O baits more than knock offs. Where can you buy H2O baits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse1378 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Where can you buy H2O baits? H2O is available at Academy Sports and Outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Where can you buy H2O baits? You'll have to go to an Academy store. They don't sell them online. At least they didn't the last time I checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 You'll have to go to an Academy store. They don't sell them online. At least they didn't the last time I checked. Ya I have been looking. Ebay is about the only place that has em(for a mark up of course). Owell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISHUNTER Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Ya I have been looking. Ebay is about the only place that has em(for a mark up of course). Owell! Guys, we will be selling our H20 Xpress baits online starting next month. We are in the final stages of testing to make sure there are no bugs in the system before we go live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Guys, we will be selling our H20 Xpress baits online starting next month. We are in the final stages of testing to make sure there are no bugs in the system before we go live. Are you talking about the unpainted blanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse1378 Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Guys, we will be selling our H20 Xpress baits online starting next month. We are in the final stages of testing to make sure there are no bugs in the system before we go live. make sure you post when they will be available online and a link to the site. i dont have an academy close to me. will you be selling blanks as well as full cranks or just the fully finished baits.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 make sure you post when they will be available online and a link to the site. I know it is inconvenient, but no one is permitted to link to their own business. This is a fairly common rule on most member sites. Without this rule, TU would become one big advertising campaign. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Guys, we will be selling our H20 Xpress baits online starting next month. We are in the final stages of testing to make sure there are no bugs in the system before we go live. this is great news! as shown by the interest here (me included!), you would probably be very well off to offer blank baits as well as finished ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I know it is inconvenient, but no one is permitted to link to their own business. This is a fairly common rule on most member sites. Without this rule, TU would become one big advertising campaign. Dave Dave, I bet he's an employee of Academy Sports, a chain of big sports stores in the South and Southwest U.S., not someone who has a financial interest in an Academy website (which I for one would also like to see online!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyfisherman Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 I can't wait. Blank bodies would be great to see but I will still order lots of lures. Dave, I bet he's an employee of Academy Sports, a chain of big sports stores in the South and Southwest U.S., not someone who has a financial interest in an Academy website (which I for one would also like to see online!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Dave, I bet he's an employee of Academy Sports, a chain of big sports stores in the South and Southwest U.S., not someone who has a financial interest in an Academy website (which I for one would also like to see online!). Ah! fair enough. I guess I should have done a bit of research before stepping in. Thanks for the heads up Bob. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISHUNTER Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Ah! fair enough. I guess I should have done a bit of research before stepping in. Thanks for the heads up Bob. Dave Yes, I work for Academy designing and developing the H20 series. Not here to advertise. I enjoy painting baits at the home and this website is top notch at sharing techniques, designs etc...I have no where near the tools,printing and painting capabilites that our factory uses. I'm in the same boat you guys are when it comes to doing this at the house. That being said to answer a few questions. Unfortunitly for many brand protection reasons we wouldn't be able to sell our blanks online. We are set to go live late next month. I will post the date when it happens. Just google" Academy"...and our website will be numero uno. Thanks for the positive comments on our baits and feel free to shoot me a message anytime if you have any questions about anything H20 Xpress. I frequent this site daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Yes, I work for Academy designing and developing the H20 series. Not here to advertise. I enjoy painting baits at the home and this website is top notch at sharing techniques, designs etc...I have no where near the tools,printing and painting capabilites that our factory uses. I'm in the same boat you guys are when it comes to doing this at the house. That being said to answer a few questions. Unfortunitly for many brand protection reasons we wouldn't be able to sell our blanks online. We are set to go live late next month. I will post the date when it happens. Just google" Academy"...and our website will be numero uno. Thanks for the positive comments on our baits and feel free to shoot me a message anytime if you have any questions about anything H20 Xpress. I frequent this site daily. Will they be offering sale items on line or just retail? I picked up a couple of 6 packs of baits at Xmas time for $10 ea. Don't mind repainting at that price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Yes, I work for Academy designing and developing the H20 series. Not here to advertise. I enjoy painting baits at the home and this website is top notch at sharing techniques, designs etc...I have no where near the tools,printing and painting capabilites that our factory uses. I'm in the same boat you guys are when it comes to doing this at the house. That being said to answer a few questions. Unfortunitly for many brand protection reasons we wouldn't be able to sell our blanks online. We are set to go live late next month. I will post the date when it happens. Just google" Academy"...and our website will be numero uno. Thanks for the positive comments on our baits and feel free to shoot me a message anytime if you have any questions about anything H20 Xpress. I frequent this site daily. That's great news. I've heard nothing but good things about your baits, and I'd love to be able to buy some online. I'm looking forward to you posting when the site is up and running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 The prices on Ebay are getting too high! I can buy H2O baits painted with hooks for about the same price. Just take the hooks off, scuff the paint and go for it. Plus the guys around here trust the H2O baits more than knock offs. Why would you say that people trust one more over another? Both Predator and Bustin have excellent reputations and baits. From what I can tell, H2O baits are no different than theirs. They just come painted. A knock is a knock off is a knock off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 152nd, I've never thrown an Academy H2O bait but see lots of posts on bass fishing sites by guys who use and like them. It's all about fish catching and not about looks, in my opinion. I've tried a BUNCH of different knock-offs over the years. Personally, I've never found a "named knock-off" of an expensive Japanese bait that was anything like the original in terms of performance or fishing results. They won't fish the same because they have none of the original's internal design. They are sold to catch fishermen. As someone who cares a lot about bait performance, that's disappointing to me. I don't lump all unfinished plastic baits into that pile - not all of them are made and sold purely as knock-offs. If a guy buys any unpainted bait and likes its looks and catches fish with it, no harm, no foul. But I've become very skeptical about "named knock-offs". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Why would you say that people trust one more over another? Both Predator and Bustin have excellent reputations and baits. From what I can tell, H2O baits are no different than theirs. They just come painted. A knock is a knock off is a knock off. I can only speak for my business here. We have an Academy Sports here and it is much easier to sell a known product over an unknown. Plus I can tell you from experience the H20 always runs true and I can't say that about the others I've tried. I still buy from the little guys because you can't beat the prices but for a tourney guy that wants the sure thing I will use the H20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Are the H20 baits knockoffs? I thought they were lures built specifically for Academy Outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 I guess you have to ask "What's really a knockoff?". To a degree, the SECOND guy who built a crankbait after the very first one was carved was a knockoff artist. Looking at the H2O baits, they roughly resemble some baits like RC 1.5's or Bandit 200's - but not so closely that it offends what most would consider "fair play" or copyright laws. To me, knockoffs usually have 2 characteristics. First, they very closely copy the exterior of a popular, more expensive bait. If the seller also mentions the popular bait in advertising, it's a slam dunk. I copy baits that I admire all the time and try to do very good copies - size, shape, weight, action, paint, you name it. But I don't sell them and the methods and materials I use are quite different from the manufactured bait. They'd go broke building them like I do. I'd die of old age trying to build them like they do. Would I buy and fish a knockoff that sells for 1/5th the price of my favorite Lucky Craft models? You bet! But only if it has the quality and catches fish like the original. Ah, there's the rub! They never do, and JMHO, anyone who thinks they do just never owned and fished one of the originals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 I guess you have to ask "What's really a knockoff?". To a degree, the SECOND guy who built a crankbait after the very first one was carved was a knockoff artist. Looking at the H2O baits, they roughly resemble some baits like RC 1.5's or Bandit 200's - but not so closely that it offends what most would consider "fair play" or copyright laws. To me, knockoffs usually have 2 characteristics. First, they very closely copy the exterior of a popular, more expensive bait. If the seller also mentions the popular bait in advertising, it's a slam dunk. I copy baits that I admire all the time and try to do very good copies - size, shape, weight, action, paint, you name it. But I don't sell them and the methods and materials I use are quite different from the manufactured bait. They'd go broke building them like I do. I'd die of old age trying to build them like they do. Would I buy and fish a knockoff that sells for 1/5th the price of my favorite Lucky Craft models? You bet! But only if it has the quality and catches fish like the original. Ah, there's the rub! They never do, and JMHO, anyone who thinks they do just never owned and fished one of the originals. BobP, That's a great point. There is a big difference between wanting to paint a bait for yourself, and painting them for sale. Any manuf. would be flattered to have you repaint their lure for yourself. Their lawyers would get involved if you're painting knockoffs for sale, and calling them by the original's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Are the H20 baits knockoffs? I thought they were lures built specifically for Academy Outdoors. They don't call them copies or knock offs, I think we call them that. Some models do look some what like some others but it's hard not to considering all the bait companies out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
