Old Vs New

[logan9209]

I am posting this hoping that it doesn't get locked or worse get a warning. Having said that it is not my intention to upset anyone and I know that the moderators are decent people who will make a fair assessment concerning this post.

Huge advancements have been made in the last 10 years of fishing that not only help us catch more fish but are better for the environment. However, let's not just throw away techniques and lures just because they are "old". Sometimes on heavy pressured waters, it's good to bring out the old because bass haven't been seeing that lately. They've been getting a heavy dose of all the new stuff and that raises the pressure.

Fishing in some ways has gotten as bad as fashion. Grant it, I would never ever ever wear plaid or bell bottoms, but something you wore that just came out in 2011 all of a sudden is out of fashion in 2012. Personally I don't care about that stuff. I've still wear a hat I bought back in 2005. Point is that we tend let our tongue hang out over every new lure or rig that comes along and let the old lures and rigs fall to the way side.

There's nothing wrong with the new stuff. I'm itching to get a hold of every Rage Tail product coming out (and all the ones that have already came out). But, I seen a vid of Jimmy Houston fishing one spot with Charlie Parker in 1986 on YouTube. He was using a Mann's 10" worm (I have no idea what kind). Within an 9 minute period he landed 4 5-6# and 1 4#. If they worked 10 years ago, they will work now.

On the flip side, I wouldn't mind getting a hold of a Pennacle Vision Slyder baitcaisting reel or the equivalent. It would be cool to be able to thumb a dial to crawl a worm or lizard across the bottom rather than having to try the same thing with a reel handle that brings in 25-30" every full turn. I wouldn't mind having a rod that has all the benefits of graphite plus the benefits of fiberglass. I wouldn't mind having some of the new line hybrids on the market.

Just like lures and equipments, I love watching Kevin Van Dam and Mike Iaconelli fish, but I also enjoy watching Jimmy Houston. They all three are very knowledgeable and all three are very passionate about bass fishing. However, each have discovered things that work for them. Things that include or derive from old techniques.

Now, I have no idea how long the t-rig or c-rig have been around (Glenn could probably tell you), but technically they could be considered old news. Does that mean they stopped working? Nope. We've just found better modifications to it. Really most of your rigs that seem new have actually been around, but only just became popular because someone used it to win a major tournament.

Back in late March to mid May, I found really quickly that I could take 3 or 4 different colored lizards and fish the same spots every day or every other day at the most and catch the same bedded bass. I ended up with 45 bass in April (which is big numbers for me) and most of them were repeat customers. However, if you took a black trick worm and fish the same spots every day for a month eventually they will stop hitting it (except for an occasional brave bass). What am I saying? Bass will either be lure educated or just plain tired of them. Part of the reason that new lures work great for a while is because the bass haven't seen them as much. Yet, the same could be said about old lures.

So don't be afraid to pull out your old lures that you'd but all forgotten about or that old technique that you let slip because you were busy learning new ones. They may be old, but they can still kick some bass. Remember, the A-bomb will still jack you up and that's old.

[SirSnookalot]

Point is that we tend let our tongue hang out over every new lure or rig that comes along and let the old lures and rigs fall to the way side.

Not me.......I fish the same stuff in the same places and catch fish, providing they are in the mood. All that I have bought is replacement flukes, they don't last. I've been using the same banged up hard lures for years, if they catch fish I don't have the need to buy, I hate going into to tackle stores, lol.

[Lund Explorer]

In my own experience, it isn't so much a case of me giving up on an old style lure. Its the company making them when they either quit producing them or worse yet changing it.

For example: When did Heddon quit making wooden topwaters in favor of plastic? Can anybody really say that the plastic version is better? Cheaper? I know they fish differently.

[Nitrofreak]

To me the old way's are still the best ways, sure my equiptment is updated, but my tackle is still t-rigged worms for the most part, I don't think many of us give up on what we know works from days or even years or in some cases even decades past, but that does not mean we don't give the new stuff a chance to perform when the old stuff isn't working.

When the fish are pressured and the fishing is tuff, the old ways still get the job done, but you must be open minded and be able to change when the circumstances call for it, and some of that requires new technology and new ways of thought, it is you the fishermen that has to put that together, it's the way it was then and it's the way it is now.

When Tom mann came out with the jelly worm way back when, it was new ways of thinking and new technology that put the jelly worm on the map, same goes for today.

By the way nice job on the post Logan !!!

[OkobojiEagle]

Logan... I absolutely love Charlie Parker's jazz. He played a wonderful sax, but sadly, he died in 1955.

oe

[*Hootie]

Logan... I absolutely love Charlie Parker's jazz. He played a wonderful sax, but sadly, he died in 1955.

oe

I thought he did Christmas specials. No wait, that was Charlie Brown. LOL

Hootie

[A-Jay]

For me it's about balancing the old with the new.

No need to discard baits or techniques that I like and that are effective.

However, there have been some technical improvement in all facets of fishing that I have embraced.

Electronics, Braided line and Tunsten weights to name just a few, have been seamlessly incorporated into the way I fish and have improved the entire experience.

This does not mean that each time I chose to adopted a new / additional type of lure, line, some terminal tackle or even a rod & reel, that I must discard something. That being said, I probably will not be rigging with lead weights again soon but I'm back to fishing a few Fiberglass rods (with braided line of course). It does appear that some things may be placed "on the shelf" for a bit. But it is pleasant and satisfying to pull down an item, blow off the dust and relive the past, as it were.

A-Jay

[B@ssCrzy]

I think there is a good balance for both the old and new. To me part of the fun of fishing is going to a new lake or pond breaking out a new lure/technique and learning how to catch fish on it. It adds another level of excitement. Plus I like to collect lures and new baits anyway so the bait monkey really likes me. Last night I broke out a pop-r for the first time...which to some may not be new, but to me it was. It was a blast. Caught two nice size fish. Now could I have stuck with my carolina rigged lizard and still caught those fish...probably. But for me the excitement was learning how to do something new and being successful at it. It's part of the challenge that I enjoy.

[logan9209]

Logan... I absolutely love Charlie Parker's jazz. He played a wonderful sax, but sadly, he died in 1955.

oe

Where did I get Charlie Parker at? I've never even heard of him. It was Charlie Polk. I felt sorry for the guy. He didn't get to talk much and he couldn't seem to land anything. Anyways, here's the vid for it. Jimmy doesn't look much different then from now.

http://youtu.be/xi6JWIx0wXM

[J Francho]

Part of what makes fishing fun is learning new things. If I had to do the same thing to catch fish as I did in 1986, I'd stick a fork in my ear. Seriously. Keep in mind, "new" is a relative term. A Mann's Jelly Worm, Texas rigged with a bullet weight might be a new thing to some. Nothing wrong in that. Keep learning, keep trying new stuff.

[GoneFishi'n]

I have a book with tons of articles put together. Jimmy Houston, Bill Dance, and the rest I don't remember. But I started talking to my dad about this book and he knew every single one of them. The book even though it's old gives so much information you will think your in a classroom. But the thing is that this book teaches everything that you need to know about structure, what the bottom will look like, and much more. The point I am trying to make here if you follow these tips they give you, you will catch fish. And this is information from the late 60's to late 70's. I know that might not seem like a long time but i'm only 16. It talks about how Jimmy Houston used to be about the only one fishing the banks when everybody was out in the deep water. But he said once his competitors started to find out why he was doing so good, he said it got challenging from there. Old information works, might not sound or seem like it would but it does. I have some of my dads model A's, but I don't want to throw them out worrying that it will get hung up. But then again a lot of the stuff you guys have been teaching me or helping me out about has been catching me some fish. I also still have some of my dads jelly worms, can't wait to use those this weekend!

[Nitrofreak]

Where did I get Charlie Parker at? I've never even heard of him. It was Charlie Polk.

Charlie Parker was a sax player from way back, what OkobojEagle was refering to was that he loves his music, his music lives on but the artist is gone, just like you referred too not letting the old stuff be forgotten.

[dcorp]

I laughed when I read this in the OP

"There's nothing wrong with the new stuff. I'm itching to get a hold of every Rage Tail product coming out (and all the ones that have already came out). But, I seen a vid of Jimmy Houston fishing one spot with Charlie Parker in 1986 on YouTube. He was using a Mann's 10" worm (I have no idea what kind). Within an 9 minute period he landed 4 5-6# and 1 4#. If they worked 10 years ago, they will work now."

The biggest bass I ever hooked was on a 10" black Manns Jelly worm and yes it was probably 10-12 years ago. Bass was probably between 12-15lbs. The funny thing is I dont fish them anymore because I am using the "new" stuff, lol. I probably still have them stored away in a old tacklebox. I think reading this thread has me motivated to pull them out.

[jwhowells]

This thread reminded me of how cool it was reading "Roland Martin's 101 Bass-Catching Secrets." In it he talks about how cutting edge things like plastic worms, rapalas and spinnerbaits were.