Trout Magnet Boat Box

I've had this kit for almost a year now and I'm thinking about asking for my money back on it. All this time I haven't caught a single trout with it yet, just boat loads of crappie, sun fish, blue gills, the occasional large mouth bass, some small mouth bass, and catfish. I suspect that the problem is that the trout just don't have time to find it, it seems as soon as I cast it out, some other species hits it before the trout can find it.1 star removed because the box is deforming, I can't even close mine now.

BackgroundI fish for trout 90% of the time. I usually fish on smaller mountain rivers and streams. I love to find sections in rivers and streams that are hard to access and are off the beaten path. This type of fishing requires extremely specialized gear. I have a sensitive, fast-action, ultra-light setup that cost around $300. When I'm on these smaller mountain streams, I use 4 lb test Nanofil with about 3 feet of 2 lb fluorocarbon leader.I decided to go with Trout Magnet, primarily, because of all of the reviews and raves I've heard and read. I purchased the larger "Boat Box" because, on Amazon, it was priced only a few dollars more than, but offered 2x as much as, the smaller sized option and I assumed I would love this product like everyone else.Product ReviewAfter several uses of this product, I have a few points of frustration but, first, here's the good:1) If the conditions are right, these lures work surprisingly well. They were getting as many BITES as my "go to" Rapala and were on par with seasonal insects/worms. I only tried three different colors but white seemed to be the best color so I stuck with it.2) This kit has everything you need to keep you going for months, potentially years (assuming they don't dry out).3) The 11 color options were probably unnecessary but cool. I like the variety of heads as well as tails.4) The setup is simple and surprisingly fun. I really like the convenience of the adjustable float.5) The company's website offers good instructional videos and fishing tips.The bad:1) These lures/jigs are NOT versatile. The only conditions in which I could get any action were on slow moving sections of the stream. I could not get any action without using the float nor could I get any action if the float moved (from line drag) or bobbed on rapids. This was very problematic for me because the only places in mountain streams that allow for these kind of conditions are beaver dams. Maybe on slower-moving shallow rivers the Trout Magnet would be awesome, but for me the conditions were rarely right.2) Strikes rarely resulted in hooks. I don't know if my technique was wrong for this system but I could only land 1 out of every 10 bites. I've not had this problem with any other lures or baits. It seems like the fish only nibble on these rather than fully take it. 90% of the time I pull the jig out of the trout's mouth. When I give the trout more time to take the bait, it spits it out. I am aware that the minnows really like this jig (I see them follow it and try to take it) so it is possible that the fish that I am missing are too small to take the bait. I did catch a couple of 3 inchers with this.3) I tried several different colors during a weekend on a mountain reservoir. After several hours of jigging and spinning, I caught one 3 inch rainbow and nothing else. I caught several larger trouts (8" to 18")on a Rapala.The ugly:1) When I say ugly, I mean really UGLY. The biggest problem I had with the "Boat Box" is the cheap box this system comes in. I didn't realize how pathetic this box was until it was too late. At first it was just a minor annoyance when some of the pieces would fall out of the side or mix in with other colors, but then when I pulled the box out of my bag and the whole top came off, all 372 micro pieces fell out onto the grass and into fine dirt I was standing on. It took me over an hour to collect these grime covered pieces. The oil they coat these things with attract dust and dirt better than it attracts fish. Now I have a Boat Box full of mixed colors and dirt.Recommendations1) Don't get the Boat Box.2) If you decide to get the Boat Box, make sure you wrap it with bands, attach some other fastener, or use your own container.3) Try it out before you by a kit. This system is certainly not a replace-all system nor is is a primary solution like many people suggest. Make sure your fishing conditions support the limits of this system.4) Make sure you use thin fishing line. Even with my 4 lb Nanofil and 7' pole, casting was very limited.If you have experience with the Trout Magnet system and have some suggestions that might address some of the problems I have had, please post a comment here. I will update my review if I can find workarounds.

It works wonders the box it been great not breaking like what others say and when they ship it it has tape on it so the jigs don't fall out I recommend this for trout 100% the jig heads could be a little heavier however they work just fine I've caught about 20 trout with these and a smallmouth bass GREAT DEAL BUY IT

The packaging is pure s***, when it got to my house I opened the amazons box to see that trout magnets box was open al all the contents were all over and mixed up inside. The latch on the trout magnet box is trash and super flimsy plastic. I'm heading to Captiva Fl to do some fishing and will rate the product at that time. Bug my 1st impression is NOT GOOD.

The box came as everyone previously reported... trout magnet parts outside of the box when I received it. One of the floats looks to have been melted... overall it is a good kit. The plastic storage box it comes in is of lesser quality... may upgrade to a better one in the future...

Haven't used this kit yet, but have used trout magnet for steelhead in lake Erie. Hooked up twice in 30 minutes. Can't wait to try them on the little guys this spring.

so far not much luck

good bargain cheaper than buying single packs Good verity of colors too. This would make a great gift for any fisherman