Mystery Tackle Box Review – A Closer Look

Many things on the water are mysteries that anglers have to figure out. With that, the one item that everybody says shouldn’t be a mystery is your tackle. Fishing tackle is important to choose carefully because there are so many factors to consider when choosing a lure. Every lure has its place where it wins and loses. In this Mystery Tackle Box review, we take a look at one of these subscription services because it promises to deliver a special box of baits to your house for a monthly small phenomenal fee.  At first glance, many may look at that service and turn a blind eye. What is the point?

Fishing lure subscription services are generally new to the market and the Youtube explosion of the Googan Squad is taking the internet fishing niche by storm. Honestly, I believe the promise of using certain branded lures and certain models does catch more fish to an extent.  There is merit to certain people telling you to fish with the right lures. There is another point entirely if said lures are grossly charged when you can easily pick up all of the baits at a local tackle store.  We are going to be going over what you get when you choose to purchase a Mystery Tackle Box as well as our final thoughts on this Googan Squad lure subscription service.

Benefits Of Mystery Tackle Box

The main benefit of Mystery Tackle Box is the signature baits on the inside as well as having them already purchased and shipped to you. Most of the gear inside these boxes is either Googan-branded equipment or similar.  Trust me when I say this. there is nothing wrong with that. Jon, Mike, Alex, and the rest of the gang are great at catching bass. and they don’t endorse products they wouldn’t use themselves. Just search up any video of theirs on Youtube and you will see them catching big fish in every other video.

It is a great service if you have the money because some people don’t know what lures to get and won’t take the time. others will see it as valuable because some of the gear that you receive is not easy to find elsewhere. I do notice that the Googans enjoy being “different” in their approach to bass fishing and while fishing in general. While the squad certainly does use some of the same gear that everybody ties on, they also use their own stuff which makes me trust in their equipment.

What makes this one different from others on the market?

Karl VonDibble does have a few competitors on the market too. There are similar subscription services on the market like Lucky Tackle Box, Coastal Fishing, Postfly, Warriors Tackle Supply, and The Sportman’s Box. Well, what makes Karl different from the others? All of the companies that employ the people who work on them have a passion for fishing but that isn’t what is different. All of these boxes are for different people, different applications on the water, and ultimately, different budgets.

The primary difference between this one and the rest is brand, price, and supplier preferences. Lucky Tackle Box is made up of baits that are preferred by industry leaders and carry a huge price tag.  The rest are similar, offering different prices for saltwater fishing, fly fishing, and multi-species fishing.  The Mystery Tackle Box excels at being put together and endorsed by fishing Youtubers and thus, demands a smaller price tag to receive comparable gear. Karl VonDibble is also hilarious.

How To Use Mystery tackle Box

How you use Mystery Tackle Box has a lot to do with which one you get. Every box is special and every single one has something different inside. You will never receive the same item twice. Because of this, it is almost impossible to explain how to use absolutely everything inside. They have different boxes of different values for different species including bass, panfish, and saltwater. It’s always better to make sure you look up tutorials to make sure that you are using the gear inside correctly. To order a box, you can go to the official website, select a box, select a plan, add it to the cart, and then put in your credit card information.

That is the first way. The second way to obtain a box is to pick one up at a local retailer. Quite a few places have them on the shelves of the fishing section. Places like Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other big market giants have certain models of the boxes in stock, albeit for a heavily “competitive” price tag.  The third way to get these baits and this is my favorite method, is to buy Googan baits at Bass Pro Shops or another supplier that stocks them directly and specifically. This way lets you choose which baits to get.

Product Description and Features

Regular Series

  • About $25 of gear
  • Bass
  • Inshore Saltwater
  • Panfish and Trout
  • Walleye
  • 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month plans available
  • The 3 and 6-month plans include free Googan Squad Sunglasses
  • The 12-month plan includes a free Googan Squad Rod
  • Free Shipping

Pro Series

  • About $25 of gear
  • Bass
  • Mutil-Species
  • Inshore Saltwater
  • Panfish and Trout
  • Walleye
  • 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month plans available
  • The 3-month plan includes free Googan Squad Sunglasses
  • The 3 and 6-month plans include a free Googan Squad Rod
  • Free Shipping

Elite SeriES

  • About $60 of gear
  • Bass
  • Mutil-species
  • Inshore Saltwater
  • The 3-month plan includes free Googan Squad Sunglasses
  • The 3 and 6-month plans include a free Googan Squad Rod

Who is the Product for?

People have been selling fishing lures forever so trying to tell you who those are made for is redundant. We have already covered why Karl VonDibble and his creators make loads of cash. It’s because the gear works. As for the subscription box, it is for absolutely anybody who doesn’t want to go out and get all the baits by themselves. The lures inside are discounted in the sense that you cannot buy the gear for less money elsewhere. You will be spending less than all the gear cost but you do have to settle on certain branding.

I bought a box from Walmart one time and received a Strike King Red Eye Shad inside the box so it’s not like the tackle is exclusively Googan brand although some certainly are. Some of the boxes certainly do include industry-leading tackle from names like Strike King, Rebel, Kopper, and Rapala. In other words, these boxes are great if you only have a certain amount of money to spend and prefer to save money on multiple trips to the convenience store. You have to love fishing though. I would advise weekend anglers to stay away from it because they usually do not go fishing enough to justify purchasing baits that are all different. They usually are not rehearsed enough to be familiar with certain rigs, setups, or even retrieves that they will receive.

What I like about the Product

The first thing I love about Mystery Tackle Box is stated in the name. What you get is a mystery. If you are anything like me, I like to fish, and opening a box of baits that is different every time is like a kid opening a present on Christmas morning. The surprise is usually the most exciting part. You have a chance to get a lot of good lures and hooks that you can use to catch fish. If you cannot use them, they are indeed ever so collectible. In comparison to other lure subscription services, these are put together by Youtubers turned businessmen instead of an executive in an office wearing a suit and tie spitting orders at unhappy employees.

I am proud to support not only smaller companies but those with value in the fishing community. The Googan Squad has millions of subscribers because they give great tips and suggestions, and they really do know how to fish. I trust them and the gear they throw because we can see the seeds of their labor bear fruit on screen with our own eyes when they catch monstrous bass on the daily. I also love that the box is cheaper than other options. I like the ability to choose a budget, choose a species, and the ability to pick them up at stores.

I also love that if you pay for the plans that include it, you also get a Googan rod for free. Check out my Googan rod review where I review this rod in detail.

What I don’t like about the Product

There are a couple of things that are to be desired too. Just as it can be fun and exciting to tear open a mystery present for something you want, you can just as easily become very depressed at the result, especially if you paid for it. The mystery aspect of the subscription box is a blessing and a curse. I can compare it to opening a pack of trading cards. While you do have a chance to receive a whole lot of great gear, you may also end up purchasing a whole box and only be able to use one bobber or a single hook.

I know that sounds extreme and it does, but in the last box I received, I found some senko style baits inside, EWG hooks, a jig, craw trailers, and a lipless crankbait. That is not everything. Those are great choices for bass. I had a few more goodies that I could use but the waters that I fish makes using those harder. I like to fish in very heavily pressured water because I believe it makes me better. Because of this, I like throwing ultralight instead. All of the fish in my local waters have seen all of those lures before.

In addition to that, there have been complaints that many people received duplicates of boxes. So it would seem that they actually do give you more than one of the same item in certain cases. Complaints received are that of the contents being duplicates of previous lures, marked down excess items, and overstock. In addition, the shipping can also be a pain. I think it would be better if you were allowed to see exactly what is in a box and be able to modify those with alternative lures before you purchase it.

Final Thoughts

To sum up my Mystery Tackle Box review, it’s a subscription service shrouded in mystery. There have been complaints about the box as well as many positive reviews.  I love all tackles so it doesn’t bother me what they send. The problem is that not everybody has money to throw away and if you are one of those who doesn’t, it might be better to purchase your baits directly. There are other alternatives to this particular service but this one is by far the cheapest, likely because it seems they hand out bargain bin gear. Don’t get me wrong. For what it is and the audience it was made for which are the people who don’t want to get out and shop themselves due to a budget constraint, it is awesome.

You don’t know what you are going to get because it seems they are very inconsistent in the way they put the boxes together. I do know one thing. I love the Googan Squad and a lot of their items. I just don’t think they should have let Karl VonDibble in the packing department. What are your thoughts on the Mystery Tackle Box? Leave a comment down below so we can hear your thoughts!

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