Mystery Tackle Box vs Lucky Tackle Box

These surprise boxes have anglers up in arms wondering what the big al-lure is and why they keep seeing ads for them everywhere.

You’re not alone, we were a bit more than curious, too! It’s why we set out to understand exactly what these “subscription boxes” are, what’s included, and why so many people can’t seem to stop talking about them.

If you enjoy that extra bit of surprise because life is like a box of fishing lures (Sorry, Forrest, Momma was wrong.) which should you go with, MTB or LTB?

We can’t make that decision for you but, what we can do, is give you what you need to make the decision yourself — and relay a few of our experiences with each as we go.

For old dogs and old salts, these boxes are a great way to get you out of your comfort zone, testing gear that you wouldn’t normally test, and see what the industry has been up to.

How much is Mystery Tackle vs How much does Lucky Tackle Box cost?

(November Update) During the second half of 2018, both Lucky Tackle Box and Mystery Tackle Box improved their pricing structure to match what anglers actually need. They’ve both increased in price for beginner’s boxes, raising the price from $16.99 to $26.99 per month.

MTB (Mystery Tackle Box) also changed their beginner series boxes to cost $59.97 (for 3 months) compared to $19.99 on a per-month basis. The beginner series of boxes are very planned out so you receive gear in a certain order, making the 3-month option a great solution

Not to mention the pricing hasn’t increased — only went from per-month, to a 3-month package, so you know you’re being taken care of!

In our humble opinion, if you’re just getting started and want to get a lay-of-the-land, starting out with the Mystery Tackle Box Beginner’s Series is your best bet.

Mystery Tackle Box Pricing

As we’re writing this, MTB has four options you can pick from:

• Regular ($16.99 per month)
• Pro ($26.99 per month)
• Elite ($39.99 per month)
• Beginner Series ($59.97 for 3 months)

Lucky Tackle Box Pricing

LTB has three different options to choose from, with each exponentially increasing the value you get from the subscription price you’re paying:

• Regular ($16.99 per month)
• XL ($26.99 per month)
• Tournament ($46 per month)

We’ve run the numbers and it bakes out to around a 35% increase in value, based on what you’re paying for the box, itself.

For instance, paying $16.99 for the Regular box will get you around $26 worth of tackle. The XL box, at $26.99 per month delivers around $40 worth of tackle, and the Tournament box, at $46 per month, comes in around $85.

It’s easy to see that the higher-end boxes deliver far more value but the Regular box is definitely no slouch.

Mystery Tackle Box Subscription

We’ve covered, in-depth, what all we’ve gotten in our MTB deliveries. You can read the review by hopping over to our mystery tackle box review. The details of each plan are laid out so you get a better idea.

Generally, most mystery boxes are going to contain a hook, a shaker worm, a bait, a 6th Sense Provoke, a hollow topwater frog, and a spinnerbait. Aside from these, you also get a monthly sticker and the reader’s digest to keep your mind sharp.

If you look at the value of the items above, it rounds out to somewhere between $45 and $50 total. For the $19.99 box, that’s quite a bit of value. Far higher than what we’ve seen with the LTB pricing, but we’re not complaining about them, either.

Right now, MTB is widely regarded as the best-you-can-buy simply because they’re providing high-quality gear, at affordable prices, fishing guidelines for beginners and rookies, and they take care of their customers after the fact.

When it comes to bang-for-your-buck, the Beginner’s Series subscription boxes are the best value you can get through MTB. The content and tackle is laid out according to a set plan so you can advance your skills as you receive each month’s box.

Here’s how the content is laid out right now…

• Month 1: This is when you get your “Intro to Fishing” tackle, line, lures, soft baits, and reader’s digest. It will have you finding fish faster and enjoying your time on the water, so you spend more time planning your next trip and less time sitting at home.
• Month 2: The second month is when you get taken into “Beyond the Basics”. MTB includes a few hard baits so you get the hang of getting them where fish hide, and mimicking the action of actual baitfish. Hard lures are some of the funnest fishing you can do when you do it right!
• Month 3: MTB takes the time to introduce you to rigging and how potent it can be in the right situations. The third month includes crankbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits, and information on how different rigs work in different situations. Bigger fish love big rigs!

Mystery Tackle Box Coupon Code

Looking to save even more money? We’ve got you covered.

Click the link below and then enter the CODE: SAVE5MTB (For new members — only — you can get your first box for $4.99 ($12 off the normal price) by using the coupon code SAVE5MTB and clicking the link below.)

Your coupon will be automatically applied when you checkout.

Mystery Tackle Box Beginner Series Unboxing 2018

Want to see what comes in a box before yours shows up? Check out the video below!

Lucky Tackle Box Monthly Subscription

We have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Lucky Tackle Box subscription. Even though they usually include more gear than the MTB boxes do, there’s a caveat…

…most of the gear is discontinued, so finding replacements is… impossible.

 

That means if you get sent a lure that you love, you either get to make your own molds of it and start up a company selling them yourself, or you get to scour eBay and Amazon for old listings.

Either way, though, you still can’t deny the amount of value that each LTB delivers.

Each Lucky Tackle Box typically includes a jig head, a swimbait, a randomized hard lure, a hook, a double hook jig, a Buddha Bait, and some other inserts. If you looked at the price alone, you’re getting around $40 worth of tackle in a $15 box.

That’s a hard deal to beat, if you can get over falling in love with discontinued lures.

(Don’t worry, we did, and we have faith you can, too!)

The quality is there with LTB boxes, too. Just because you’re getting 3 times the value doesn’t mean they’ve skimped on quality. LTB is making it up to us through nostalgia, which can come with a small price.

If you’re on the fence, we say go for it, and give it a few months. You can quickly stock up the box with new gear when you do, and it saves you trips to the big box stores where the receipts always add up.

Lucky Tackle Box Coupon Code:

Want a free lure thrown into your box? Use coupon CODE: FREELURE.

Want to save even more money on your first box? Use coupon CODE: SAVE5.

Still unsure? Check out this unboxing for the XL Box in September of 2018!

September 2018 LTB XL Unboxing

Surprise Tackle Box Subscription Species Options

In general, each box is going to come with gear that’s fairly well-suited to most waters you can find yourself fishing in.

That means what they send will get bit, by something, if you wiggle it right. If you prefer fishing for a certain species, though…? Each company offers unique options.

Again, as we’re writing this, we’re leaning more towards the Mystery Tackle Box vs the Lucky Tackle Box, primarily because MTB provides 6 very clear offerings for different species.

LTB does offer a variety, with their focus being on bigger market segments, such as a box filled with tackle for bass, a box for saltwater fish, a box for multiple different species, and a box for fly fishermen, so they don’t feel left out.

The LTB multi-species isn’t a bad deal if you’re in an area where you have a bunch of different species you can target on your trips, but it can take longer to get the specialized gear you’re looking for.

With MTB, it’s pretty clear what you’re getting based on how they’ve labeled each of their species-specific subscription offers.  If you’re a tried-and-true species-specific angler, and MTB has a box with your favorite fish in mind, you really can’t go wrong.

When compared to LTB, MTB takes this category, too.

What Do Customers Say About MTB and LTB?

We don’t think you should just take our word for it, we’re only one customer out of thousands.

Something else to consider before you buy is how many angry customers each company has and we’ve figured out that the ratio of happy campers to upset complainers is pretty good for both Mystery Tackle Box and Lucky Tackle Box.

With MTB, a few customers have reported there’s a slight chance you will get repeats on your subscriptions, with a few pieces you’ve already received, but this could be due to some anglers preferring those baits or lures, with MTB making sure they stay stocked.

With the boxes that we’ve ordered from both companies, the baits and lures have changed from month to month so the complaints that we’ve seen about repeated gear may have been from long-term subscribers (years, or more), or from earlier on in the company’s histories.

Pricewise, you’re going to be hard pressed to pick a winner. We’ve watched their pricing strategies fluctuate with time, both competing with each other to stay ahead of the curve, and the value they deliver has only gotten better.

We couldn’t find any customer complaints to sway our opinion one way or the other, either.

So Which Should You Subscribe To?

We’re apologizing to you in advance for breaking it to you… it’s hard to pick. Plain and simple.

Choosing in the battle of Mystery Tackle Box vs Lucky Tackle Box is going to come down to you, the areas you fish, the species you fish for, and whether or not you have a love of those nostalgic baits you can’t quite get your hands on anymore.

We couldn’t pick, so we got both.

If you’re super-picky about what you get, wanting to make sure you can always get more of it, the Mystery Tackle Box is a better option. However, if you’re looking for ultra-specific species boxes, Lucky Tackle Box has more offers than MTB does.