Welcome to my mystery tackle box review? In this post, we are going to answer such question as: Is this the best fishing tackle box subscription? What are the differences between the regular MTB vs the MTB Pro? How long are the subscriptions?
Lastly, we are going to show you step by step how to set up your subscription today.
So let’s get started…
Table of Contents
A Look At Mystery Tackle Box – An Honest Review
To begin, let’s take a look at an active subscription. Below is exactly what I got in my Feburary Bass MTB 2018 Box
What is in the box?
The first thing you will always receive in your box is the Dibble Digest. This free booklet is not only going to include some great fishing tips, but sometimes MTB will even run a special contest where you can win prizes just by uploading your impressions of the subscription on Social Media.
On the backside of the Dibble digest, you will find something that looks like the above picture. It is going to inform you on what is included in the box for your specified fish for that month, including what lures you are going to find inside. Next to each lure are symbols indicating whether they are a new lure or an MTB exclusive. It will also indicate whether or not there is a video on youtube featuring each lure. These videos can be helpful as they offer some tips on how to use them. For the month of February 2018, it appears that all of them have a video featured on youtube. Lastly, in the bottom right hand corner is a unique url where you can find out more information on each individual lure.
With that being said, let’s take a look at what you would typically receive in an MTB box.
Lucky John Vikara – This is a lipless crankbait that is designed to go to depths of 12-15 feet depending on your choice of fishing line. However, this is not your ordinary lipless crankbait, this is actually a Japanese-made crankbait featuring a unique, but odd shape. Known for having a huge bump on its head, it helps mimic that perfect, irresistible wobble, making it great for ripping along grass weed lines. Retail Price $9.99
Westin Hypoteez Swimbait – This is a 3.5 inch swimbait with an ultra realistic look to it. As you can see in the picture above, it is a jointed swimbait with a large paddle tail. This unique design gives it a much more pronounced swimming action, making it like no other. Retail Price: $8.99
BioSpawn ExoStick – As the name implies, this is a stick bait with an exoskeleton design and an ever so slightly narrowing tail. By design, it will drop faster than other comparable lures and generate a lot of motion in the water. Simply carolina rig it, texas rig it or drop shot it and you are bound to catch a toad in no time. Retail $5.99
Karl’s Stash Power Spinner – Next up, is a spinner to accompany your stick bait, it is called the Karl’s Stash Power Spinner. I received a single willow blade and a single colorado blade. Basically it has a small corkscrew on the end that will allow you to screw it into your favorite stickbait, such as the BioSpawn ExoStick. More flash will undoubtedly result in more fish. Retail $2.50
Stickies. Lastly, a set of hooks were sent to me-perfect for any drop shot rig or wacky worming. Retail $3.50
Mystery Tackle Box Regular vs Mystery Tackle Box Pro
Now that we have taken a look at the regular box, what did the Pro box have to offer for the same month?
Lucky John Vikara: see above for details. Retail: $9.99
BioSpawn ExoStick: see above for details. Retail: $5.99
Karl’s Stash Power Spinner: see above for details. Retail: $2.50
Stickies: see above for details. Retail: $3.50
Venom Mad Tom: Next up is a unique looking creature bait. Simply cast up into structure and drag it across the bottom of the water. A great way to entice those big bass to come out and play. It comes with 3 bodies and one jig head. Retail $4.99
Stan Sloan’s Zorro Baits Swim Jig: A great way to get some attention is a with a big old swim jig. Simply cast it into the water, give it some twerks, and make that skirt flutter. A side tip: Add a big trailer to your jig to enhance the presentation. Retail:$4.99
V & M Wild Thang Beaver Style Bait. Another creature type bait to be fished by itself or in combination with other techniques (such as jigging). Retail Price $4.99
Boyd Ducker Popper. When the bass are feeding on topwater there is no better way to draw attention than with a popper. Cast it out and let it pop! Retail Price $6.99
Total price 43.94 for only $25
Great deal, right?! Well now think about this: If you subscribe for 1 year to the pro package and you get $40 worth of baits every month, in a year you will receive $480 worth of lures for only $300!
So, MTB regular vs MTB pro, which one is better?
Well as you can see from the review above, you basically get double the lures with the pro option. With that being said, I personally would recommend the MTB pro package for the hard-core angler looking to try out new baits, or with a fondness for adding to his or her current collection. If you are more of a casual angler, or perhaps on a budget, the MTB regular package might be the best one for you. However, if you are like me and try to fish at every opportunity possible, I would recommend the pro, as a handful of new lures will surely keep you satisfied for a few weeks until the next new box comes in.
My Thoughts… Is The Mystery Tackle Box Worth It?
So, is the mystery tackle box work it? Yes, Absolutely! As you can see, I only spent $15 (MTB regular subscription), but I was sent lures that normally would have cost me at least $30. That is a crazy good deal! I basically got everything at half price. Plus, many of these baits I had never even heard of before, so that was definitely an added bonus as well. BUT, that’s not all, to top it all off, it was delivered right to my doorstep. How can you beat that?!
So now that you know why I was so impressed with the MTB service, here are 7 reasons why every angler needs to pick up an MTB subscription today!
Free Shipping. Not only was the subscription sent right to my door, but the best part is that it was free.
Set it and forget it. Another feature about the MTB subscription is that you can set it and forget it. Once you go through the process of selecting which subscription you want, all the hard work is done. You can just sit back, relax and wait for it to come to you in the mail. The only time you would even need to go back online is if you needed to adjust your order for some reason, or to pause it (more on that below).
Timely Shipping. Oh, one more thing on shipping-I was also really impressed with how timely the shipping was. For example, I placed my order on a Tuesday and on Saturday it was at my doorstep. After your initial box is delivered, you can expect to receive the mystery box at the same time as other subscribers each month.
Lures/Lure Quality. Another thing that really impressed me about the MTB box was not only the amount of lures you get, but the quality of each lure. Before signing up for the subscription, I read a lot of reviews online that talked about the company possibly sending out samples in place of real lures. However, after receiving the subscription, I was genuinely impressed with the quality and even quantity. For example, this month the BioSpawn ExoStick was sent to me and I felt like I got just enough to try them out and get a good idea for how they work.
Changes. Another great feature is that you can change the box at anytime. So, if you are tired of catching red fish you can change it over to bass. Or, if you want to change the type of fishing, from fly-fishing to salt-water, you can do that too. This is a great bonus for me since I like to fish for a variety and not be stuck to one group.
Change of Season. This benefit may go unnoticed by some, but it definitely hit a cord with me. This box set not only allows you to change the type of fish, like we talked about above, but each lure is sent to you with the current fishing season in mind. Lures based on the season?! Yes, please!
You can stop at anytime. I would like to be honest with you, when I heard the word “subscription”, I was turned off a bit. I don’t like to feel committed to something that I don’t even know much about, so it made me a bit nervous to say the least. The truth is, What if I didn’t like the service?, What if I was disappointed in the product? What if I decided to cancel the subscription? Would it be a huge hassle that would make me regret I ever even subscribed in the first place? Well fortunately I didn’t let all the “what-if’s” get to me and decided to sign up. Am I glad I did? Definitely! All of my uncertainties went away once that first box arrived at my home. And, if anything ever changes, it is very easy to cancel, pause or restart my order. I can do it all at home from the comfort of my couch, so if you have any of these hesitations too, you can feel at ease. It was worth it.
So, now that we know what to expect with this subscription, let’s go over a step by step process on how to go about your first MTB order.
1.First, begin by clicking the link here, Mystery Tackle Box Chose a Plan which will bring you to the homepage, which looks something like this:
As you can see in the left hand corner there are 4 tabs, Plans, Gifts, Shop, and Content. By clicking the Shop tab, you will find a bunch of other cool fishing items. For example, you can order specialty boxes, like the Fantastic Plastics Box, which is a special box of a variety of plastics for catching fish, or you can order the JDM Box, lures produced in Japan etc…
Under the Gifts tab you have the option to purchase a subscription as a gift for a friend. You can choose to purchase the Regular box or the Pro option. Both are available in 3, 6, or 12 month options.
Lastly, the content tab will bring you to their blog which offers a lot of useful content about lures and how to fish them.
In order to arrange an MTB subscription for yourself, you will want to click on the Plans tab. Once you click the tab you will be brought to this page:
As you can see there are two plan options:
Regular $14.99 a month. This box contains lures that are worth close to $25 dollars total if bought separately. You also have the option to choose/change the species anytime throughout your subscription.
Pro Box $24.99 a month. This box contains lures that are in the ballpark of $40 dollars. Currently, the only species available for this box are Bass, Walleye or Inshore Only.
Elite $39.99 a month. Brand new for Mystery Tackle Box is the Elite Box. This fishing subscription cost $40 a month and it contains about $60 worth of Lures. Keep in mind that at the writing of this post, only the bass species is available.
Beginner Series 3 Months @19.99 a month. Just below the Elite Box you will see the Beginner box series, a series specifically designed for the beginner angler. When you click on it, you can decide between the 3 month subscription or the 12 month subscription. Keep in mind that you can’t select the series, but you will receive tackle for bass and panfish.
MTB Gift Certificate. Lastly, you have the option of gift certificates. This allows you to purchase a subscription for a friend as a gift, (mentioned above). They come out as actual printable gift certificates. The person that receives the gift can then go online to complete their order. The basic regular box plan starts at $43.50 which is a 3 month subscription.
How does the gift subscription work?
Ok, so for a little more information, when you purchase the MTB as a gift, you will receive a printable gift certificate you can give the fortunate fisherman. They will then go to the site to begin their subscription. They will enter in the species type and shipping address. Since the certificate will be for a designated amount, (unlike the regular subscription which automatically renews), the gift subscription will only last for as long as the subscription price is covered. This is a great option for your fishing friends that may be new to the sport, or may just want to try out a few new products before making a more long-term commitment.
For example, if you buy a 3 month gift subscription for your husband, it will automatically expire after the third month’s box is sent to him.
Ok, so now that we got that down, let’s see how to do this. For demonstration purposes, we are going to select the basic regular plan, this will bring you to the species selection page below:
At this point you can choose the species that you would like to receive lures for, based on the following categories:
Bass: Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass
Inshore Saltwater: Redfish, Speckled Trout, Snook and Flounder
Ice Fishing: Ice fishing boxes are only available for the months of November to February
Walleye: Walleye and Sauger
Panfish: Crappie, Bluegill, and Perch
Catfish: Blue, Channel and Flathead Catfish
Trout: Rainbow, brown, Brook and Cutthroad Trout. Keep in mind that this is going to be spinning tackle.
(Of course, I personally chose the Bass species regular box.)
Next, we have to choose the subscription duration.
Next, you will need to choose your plan. You have four options. The longer the subscription, the more money you will save.
There are 4 plans available both in the regular box and/or the pro box.
Monthly plan. This is the most expensive plan.
3 Month Plan. The 3 month plan automatically renews every three months at $43.50 each time. When you purchase this plan you will pay $43.50 upfront, but since it is a longer subscription, you will pay 50 cents less each month. That means if you purchase the 3 month plan 4 times a year, you will save $6.
6 Month Plan. Like the 3 month plan, this subscription will automatically renew after its duration of 6 months. By choosing a longer commitment plan, you will save .75 cents each month and $9 on the year.
12 Month Plan. This is the most affordable option, but you will have to commit to a year and pay $165 upfront. On the plus side, you will save $1.25 a month and $15 dollars a year! So if you think about it, that is one free Mystery Tackle Box. You basically are buying 12 boxes for the price of 11. What a deal!
Well, doing the math it seems quite obvious that the 12 month plan is the best deal, so why don’t we get started by choosing our plan today? Mystery Tackle Box Chose a Plan
After choosing the duration of your subscription you will be brought to the add-on page. Here you can add on additional fishing gear. The best part is that there is free shipping, no need to go down to the local fishing shop, just have MTB send it to your mailbox.
The last and final step is the checkout. Here you will be asked to supply your payment method, shipping and billing address.
Keep in mind that after the duration of your subscription, the amount of your plan will automatically be deducted from your payment method.
Congratulations! At this point you will have successfully purchased MTB, one of the best fishing tackle subscriptions boxes available. I can ensure you that you won’t be disappointed!
If you live in the continental United States you can expect to see your first box in the next 7-10 business days. And for our Canadians friends, it could take up to 2-3 weeks to receive your box.
But, before we go, Let’s take a look at some questions people have about their subscription boxes.
How do I change by address?
So, let’s say that shortly after purchasing your subscription you move to another state, or another area of the country (hello Canada!) how can you go about changing my address? Simply go to your dashboard and next to your current shipping address is an UPDATE tab. Click on it and easily change your mailing address.
Keep in mind that you will have to change your shipping address before the last day of the month. For example, if you are moving out April 15th, you will have up until March 31st to make the appropiate change. If you made the changes on April 1st, you address change won’t go into effect until the May Box.
Can I change the Species Type?
Yes, simply log into your account and access your dashboard. Next to your active subscription is a SWITCH tab. This will allow you to change your box. Keep it mind that all changes need to be done before the last day of the month to go into effect the following month.
I don’t do a lot of ice fishing, can I pause my subscription for a few months?
Yes, simply go to your dashboard and toward the bottom you will see the tab PAUSE SHIPPING. Once you click the tab you will have the option to choose when you would like to continue again.
Can I stop my subscription?
Yes, you can. Once again, located in your dashboard toward the bottom is the STOP tab. By clicking on it, you can stop your subscription. Keep in mind that there are no refunds. So you will continue to receive boxes until your subscription has expired. For example, If you purchased the 12 month plan and after 6 months you decide to discontinue it, you will continue to receive boxes in the mail until the 12 months are up.
Did you find my mystery tackle box review helpful? What are you thoughts about the monthly MTB subscription? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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