A Kids Lure

[Mobasser]

Talking with a co-worker recently about bass fishing, I told him I was going to pick up a few Beetle Spins, and make some for this spring. His reply: " oh I'd never throw that old thing, it's just a kids lure". He felt the same way about the Jitterbug, saying few serious bass fisherman would use such a simple beginners bait. I also told him I liked a Blakemore Road runner in larger sizes, that I've caught a few decent size fish on the old underpin jig. I think many fisherman have become caught up in the newest fads, and think that they are above throwing some of the older baits. This same guy will fish bass jigs all day, but a leadhead jig is one of the oldest, and simplest of all baits. Modern jigs are souped up versions of an old standby. I'll never stop throwing these "simple kids lures". They simply work too well. I've caught too many fish on them over the years to give up on them. Kids baits! I think not. Do you know any fisherman who feel this way? What are some opinions on this?

[smalljaw67]

I have bent beetle spin wire forms in heavier wire diameters for a lot of tournament anglers. I know of a couple guides on Smith Mountain lake that use them on a regular basis when the bite is tough. There are two parts to bass fishing, the first is fishing the second is tackle collecting. If you are into both aspects then a beetle spin isn't very sexy but if the catching fish part is what really makes you tick then that kind of lure is usually on board every trip. I don't consider any lure a "kids lure" as they are all tools to catch fish but I know why it has that reputation. When teaching youngsters to bass fish with lures, the beetle spin is one that is easy to use and will catch fish on a regular basis. Don't mind what your co-worker's opinion about that lure is as long as you're catching fish. By the way, if it is something that know one throws well Bass Pro Shops still carries the old original and most lure making supply places carry a multitude of different size jig spinner wire forms to make your own Beetle spins.

[jrwerner310]

 

50 minutes ago, smalljaw67 said:

I have bent beetle spin wire forms in heavier wire diameters for a lot of tournament anglers. I know of a couple guides on Smith Mountain lake that use them on a regular basis when the bite is tough. There are two parts to bass fishing, the first is fishing the second is tackle collecting. If you are into both aspects then a beetle spin isn't very sexy but if the catching fish part is what really makes you tick then that kind of lure is usually on board every trip. I don't consider any lure a "kids lure" as they are all tools to catch fish but I know why it has that reputation. When teaching youngsters to bass fish with lures, the beetle spin is one that is easy to use and will catch fish on a regular basis. Don't mind what your co-worker's opinion about that lure is as long as you're catching fish. By the way, if it is something that know one throws well Bass Pro Shops still carries the old original and most lure making supply places carry a multitude of different size jig spinner wire forms to make your own Beetle spins.

I Still use beetle spins. If it catches fish, its in my tackle collection. Im going set up a new tackle box for my daughter this spring and plan on a few of those along with some weighless texas rig stiff to see if she wants to bass fish. She claims she wants to but shes 8 and has the attention span of a bluegill.

[Gunthos]

I think these lures will catch fish, it's just a quality thing.  When I got back into fishing from shore at small lakes a few years back, definitely beetle spin was one I planned on using a lot.

 

But then they often run crooked underwater.  They foul on the cast and sometimes the blade doesn't spin.  Also, a big one for kids, they don't seem to work well with a snap, at least the little beetle spins.

 

Now there are a lot of little spinners, I'm not sure of the quality.  I see Panther Martin has a 1/4 oz spinnerbait.

 

Also after a while the rubber of the beetle spin often melts in the box.

 

So I don't think they are great choices after all due to quality.

 

For me on a dock my #1 go to is going to be a Lucky Craft Pointer 65 jerkbait.  Duo Rozante 63's are awesome, Live Target Dace, these all catch fish. 

 

Small crankbaits.  One good surprise for me is Live Target Bluegill smallest size.  Bill Dance loves the Rebel versions of this lure.  Also stuff like KVD 1.5 or Norman 100.

 

From a dock - spoons - the Acme Phoebe is still great.  Little Cleo's but they sink fast.  You can still keep them on the same snap.

 

Plenty of sassy shad type jigs - little swimbaits.  Also mepps, roostertail.

 

All this stuff you can just put on a snap.

 

Not a fan of Jitterbug's - if you want your kid to have one 'for old time's sake', fine.  But the quality of the hooks - you will get some hits and not a lot of fish.  These are good lures for getting a fish near the boat and then having it escape.

 

There has to be better options available now.  I like Lucky Craft Bevy popper - it's very small, like the smallest hula poppers.  Or I think Rebel Pop-r's are well loved and small.

 

So think about something on a snap.  If the weeds are not too high, jerkbaits are easier and should catch just as many fish, probably more than a beetle spin, then Pointer 65 sp should get consideration.

[TOXIC]

Your co-worker is sadly mistaken.  There's no such thing as a "kids lure".  The tried and true Bettlespin is a compact bait that catches a lot of different species and that is why a lot of "kids" use it.  

[Log Catcher]

I ordered some Beetle Spins along with several other things a while back. I mainly bought them to see if they would help me with the SMB bite in some places I fish. I fish a couple of creeks that have SMB and the bite has been really tough. I still love a Jitterbug for topwater fishing. I use them in the daytime and catch fish with them. They are not just for night time use. As for the hooks on them I change them out to better treble hooks and also add split rings to them.

[LadiMopar]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

Your co-worker is sadly mistaken.  There's no such thing as a "kids lure".  The tried and true Bettlespin is a compact bait that catches a lot of different species and that is why a lot of "kids" use it.  

 

I agree 100%. Sold tackle for a lot of years and I'll give the same advice now as I did to my customers back then, use whatever you have confidence in and don't give into the "hype".

[thinkingredneck]

No matter which lure you use, some Jackass will have some BS comment about it.  Beetle spins work. That makes them popular.  Jitterbugs and other Arbogast baits work, and are fun.  What is not to like? To each his own.

[Mobasser]

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Your co-worker is sadly mistaken.  There's no such thing as a "kids lure".  The tried and true Bettlespin is a compact bait that catches a lot of different species and that is why a lot of "kids" use it.  

Well Toxic , maybe I'm just a 61yr old kid.

[WRB]

I think your buddy is talking about lures he used as a kid, not necessarily a kids lure.

What is a kids lure may be a topic itself.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

I've never heard of them called a kid's lure, but I have heard them called an old lure.  I know a lot of anglers that won't fish with them because they are not the latest and greatest bait. 

[TOXIC]

13 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Well Toxic , maybe I'm just a 61yr old kid.

You and me both.  I've caught a lot of crappie on that lure.

[primetime]

The Ned Rig started out as a mushroom head light 1/16-1/32 oz. jighead with a beetle as the soft bait, not the small stick worm like it is now....Ned Kehle?

 

At the end of the day, the beetle spin is a spinnerbait.....Road runner won a classic a few years ago, just a bigger version that the the hair jigs...Those hair jig versions of the road runner work well in cold water, I remember seeing Jimmy Houston use them as a Kid on TV for bass and still throw them on light spinning gear when I need a strike from something.

 

I Truly believe that using baits that are older and not popular anymore often work better since the fish have not seen them, and they are already proven winners. A jitterbug is essentially one of the first Wake baits, same with lures like the Red Fin, Rapala floater and countdown, Rebel Popper, Torpedo....Rooster tail and mepps spinners....They are still on the market and do not advertise much after all these years..That says something. 

 

I actually was thinking about old lures when I noticed Dicks was selling the creme Scoundrel worms in the earthworm color....I imagine that is just as good as a trick worm still. I actually have some of the midget crawlers that I used as a kid, the prop in front of the creme worm, 2 small hooks on a mono leader...Kind of a spy bait look, I bet if I took that with me, put a split shot in front like I did as a kid, that would work well....Megabass puts a Propeller on a jighead and gets $10 for 2 of them.....

 

Beetle spins catch big bass in ponds down in Florida kind of often....I think more people throw them then we know about. 

 

Good post. Its so true. Another good lure is the Hula Popper but you get strange looks when you tie one on....

[scaleface]

I use to  fish the 3/8th ounce lures a lot and caught some quality fish with them . I was particularly fond of the crawfish color . 

 

 They are not nearly as snag-less as  a regular spinnerbait and every time I tried replacing  a skirt with a soft body     the lure  ran crooked . I need to experiment and come up with a combination that works consisting of a spinnerbait frame , soft body and blade to get the fish catching ability of the Beetle Spin and snag-less-ness of a fixed arm spinnerbait . 

[thinkingredneck]

Other than trickworms I use Creme Scoundrels in every color, Luck E Strike worms, beetle spins, H & H spinners, Rebel poppers, Hula poppers, balsa Rapalas, generic jigs I put together with pork frogs or zoom chunks, Jitterbugs, and Devil's horse and spoons..  I also have a few more modern spinners by Strike King.  I generally catch fish with those old baits. I also catch them with fly rod poppers.

I have a bunch of creatures,  frogs, Senkos, and various plastics, swimbaits and crankbaits that don't work as well for me.  Maybe it takes an old guy to fish old baits, or vice-versa.  Maybe our bass just have poor taste.

[Avalonjohn44]

The board should start a challenge of some sort using only 'kid lures' like Rebel Craw, Beetlespin, Mepps Spinners, Rapala Brokenbacks etc for a weekend and post catch results.

[newriverfisherman1953]

I absolutely love the sound of a Jitterbug walking in the night, especially when it suddenly gets interrupted. Makes my heart race just typing about it. I love them. 

[MassYak85]

15 hours ago, Mobasser said:

He felt the same way about the Jitterbug, saying few serious bass fisherman would use such a simple beginners bait. 

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