Using The Old Stuff

[Mobasser]

This will be the first year I really havnt bought much new tackle. I've spent some time going through my older stuff, and realized I've got a lot of things I've bought over the years, and for various reasons got away from. So, I'm using up some things I've had stored for years. I'll be throwing Culprit, Mr. Twister, and Mann's jelly worms, as well as the standard Zoom and roboworms, as well as some Zoom fat Albert grubs. Thanks to some recent threads about spinnerbaits, I'm going with some Beetle Spins, and standard single and double blade spinners. Same old topwaters too. I had set back a little money for a new Calcutta reel, but I'll hold off till next year. All my reels are working good, so it's not a must have item. I have bought and spoiled new line of course. A young co worker said I was putting myself at a disadvantage by not trying some of the newer lures out there. Disadvantage? These baits caught me a ton of fish years ago, and will catch em now just the same. I've simply accumulated so much tackle I need to use some of it up. What's left I'll use to stock up my grandsons box. I'm pumped about rediscovering the Zoom plastic lizard too. Used to catch the heck out of em with that bait years ago too. As has been said many times on this site: fish don't change, fisherman do. Were always looking for the hot new thing, when we probably already have the best! Ponds are thawing out now, warming weather is coming in. I can't wait to get out there!

[N Florida Mike]

I do the same thing . Occasionally, I'll pull out my old Rebel excalibur worm box, which is still full of Mann's Jelly worms, culprits, Producto tournament worms, etc. I also have some old paddle tail worms in there, and " gator tail " worms. Sometimes I just take that box only, to really re-aquaint myself with the good ol days.

[scaleface]

I'm in the same boat . i bought some new frogs this winter because  i'm lacking there and plan on using some  . My local box store had a good clearance sale and i only bought some paddletail swimbaits to use on buzzbaits . 

[nascar2428]

Ditto to all of the above. Something old becomes something new!!

[Catt]

If it aint broke quit trying to fix it!  ?

[Oregon Native]

I've been going through a ton of stuff and donating to local kids clubs....thinning out the boat....still using the old stuff ....just not as much in the boat.  That way when I want to try something new it's more obvious in my boxes.

[sll]

Gotta remember that  whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them. Baits from 20 years ago are something they haven't seen and work better most of the time.

[lo n slo]

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

 " gator tail " worms

?

[Bill Kowalski]

I did well on the Zoom lizard last year.   Plan on throwing it again this year!  Had fun with the old Jitterbug as well.

[96ecss]

"It may be an old gun but it still makes new holes" was a saying that my dad's old deer hunting buddy would say when anyone made jokes about the old shotgun he used.

 

Culprit, Mr Twister, Mann's Jelly Worms and the other lures you mentioned are old lures but they still catch new fish.

 

Dave

[fishballer06]

You sound like my father "These baits caught me fish before you were born and they still catch fish now". 

 

 

A few trips later... "Hey, I'm at Bass Pro right now. What brand are those chatterbait things you use?" 

[lmbfisherman]

6 hours ago, Mobasser said:

This will be the first year I really havnt bought much new tackle. I've spent some time going through my older stuff, and realized I've got a lot of things I've bought over the years, and for various reasons got away from. So, I'm using up some things I've had stored for years. I'll be throwing Culprit, Mr. Twister, and Mann's jelly worms, as well as the standard Zoom and roboworms, as well as some Zoom fat Albert grubs. Thanks to some recent threads about spinnerbaits, I'm going with some Beetle Spins, and standard single and double blade spinners. Same old topwaters too. I had set back a little money for a new Calcutta reel, but I'll hold off till next year. All my reels are working good, so it's not a must have item. I have bought and spoiled new line of course. A young co worker said I was putting myself at a disadvantage by not trying some of the newer lures out there. Disadvantage? These baits caught me a ton of fish years ago, and will catch em now just the same. I've simply accumulated so much tackle I need to use some of it up. What's left I'll use to stock up my grandsons box. I'm pumped about rediscovering the Zoom plastic lizard too. Used to catch the heck out of em with that bait years ago too. As has been said many times on this site: fish don't change, fisherman do. Were always looking for the hot new thing, when we probably already have the best! Ponds are thawing out now, warming weather is coming in. I can't wait to get out there!

Totally Agree!  Maybe you should keep a record so you can tell that young co-worker they still catch fish. 

[GReb]

I’ve yet to find a bait that outfishes a green pumpkin lizard from March till May here in the south.  Other colors work better on different lakes but I promise a GP zoom lizard will catch them anywhere

[Jaderose]

It's been a few years since I bought "latest and greatest".  I'm in maintain mode now and happy to be here.  I know what I catch fish on and I stick to it.

[Avalonjohn44]

There was a recent post similar to this where I brought up Sluggos by Lunker City.  I tore apart my fishing room this past week and finally found my sluggo box. I'm putting them into heavy rotation this year, also considering using them in new (to me) ways. I have a bunch of little 3 inchers, gonna throw them on a Drop shot and see how that goes. Gonna put some as a Chatterbait trailer and see if that does anything...

[Mobasser]

I forgot to mention, I stopped by Wal Mart the other night to pick up some medicine for my wife. Took a walk down the clearance isle, and found the Lucky Strike plastic worms marked down to 25cents per bag. I bought 10 bags- assorted colors 4" and 6". Spent a whole 2.50 plus tax. That's a deal you can't pass up!

2 hours ago, lmbfisherman said:

Totally Agree!  Maybe you should keep a record so you can tell that young co-worker they still catch fish. 

Ya, he's a cocky young greenhorn. I want to fish with him this summer and put a skunkin on him with some 20 yr old Mr. Twister phenom worms! See how he likes that business! He'll be runnin out to buy some soon after!

[Mobasser]

6 hours ago, lo n slo said:

?

Used to love Ditto Gator tail. For a few seasons years ago it was my favorite.

[Catt]

8 hours ago, sll said:

Gotta remember that  whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them

 

Their memory aint that good!  ?

[Mobasser]

1 hour ago, Avalonjohn44 said:

There was a recent post similar to this where I brought up Sluggos by Lunker City.  I tore apart my fishing room this past week and finally found my sluggo box. I'm putting them into heavy rotation this year, also considering using them in new (to me) ways. I have a bunch of little 3 inchers, gonna throw them on a Drop shot and see how that goes. Gonna put some as a Chatterbait trailer and see if that does anything...

The sluggo is another long lost one for me too. When they first came into my area years ago, they were red hot! Every tackle shop in the area sold out of them. When the Zoom Fluke came out, I think lots of guys switched to fishing those, mostly because of the more realistic minnow shape. But I'm sure the Sluggo will still catch em. Good luck fishing them. Let us know how it goes

[primetime]

I believe the Old Gator Tailed worms are now the Zoom G-Tails....I still use the 8" Producto High Floating straight flipping worms in solid purple or grape....They still sell them in Florida since the OEM is in Sanford Florida near Orlando

 

They make baits for other companies, but they have a good line up of baits...The Buzz Tail shad is a good alternative to the speed worm, bigger subwoofer type bait....I think they Make Venom and a few other companies soft baits.

 

Producto Tournament 8" worms are basically a Magnum Trick worm with a flat tail....

 

Culprit still makes the best Ribbon tail worms, Fat Max probably best flipping style swimming worm, and a 4-6" culry tail worm catches fish anywhere anytime....

 

The Old is still really the new..Riverside is now Yum...on and on....Just new colors, new twists, but at the end of the day, The Chatterbait is really the only huge breakthrough since the Senko, and before then the SLuggo was pretty good. Just don't use them now, they won't work...Only Flukes work....

 

Anyone remember the Bass Pro Gator Tails with the rattle pocket in the tail....I remember ordering them as a kid and still remember the one bass I caught on them while buzzing it on top to make another cast..I wish I knew about Speed wormin back then...

If a Mann's Jelly Worm and 6" Tomato core culprit were good enough to win a classic in the past 2 decades..Then they will work just as good. Its not always the bait, but who is throwing it and where. Pretty much all plastic worms will work if you think about it.

[N Florida Mike]

36 minutes ago, primetime said:

Producto Tournament 8" worms are basically a Magnum Trick worm with a flat tail....

These are some of my favorite worms. For some reason they arent in stores much anymore. I plan to order some this year.

They are so...slinky is the word . And coated with that slimy stuff . Love to sniff em'? Bass love em too !!

[heavyduty]

Zoom lizards just work, period. Love to throw them in the river where current keeps the tail and legs moving. And the majority of the time when they get hit, they get hit; not a mush bite!

[N Florida Mike]

Shoot, Zoom lizards are always on my boat, and have been for many years now. Its one of my " circle of trust " baits.

[lo n slo]

6 minutes ago, heavyduty said:

Zoom lizards just work

?

[MAN]

9 hours ago, sll said:

Gotta remember that  whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them. Baits from 20 years ago are something they haven't seen and work better most of the time.

I think you are giving bass waaaaay to much credit.  ☺️