Your Old Standards

[Log Catcher]

I can't get my best baits anymore. Loved the old Rebel Deep Wee R and Rapala rattling Fat Rap. Use mostly Bandit and Norman crankbaits in there place. As for soft plastics purple worms have probably caught more than any others over the years.

[Mobasser]

1 minute ago, Log Catcher said:

I can't get my best baits anymore. Loved the old Rebel Deep Wee R and Rapala rattling Fat Rap. Use mostly Bandit and Norman crankbaits in there place. As for soft plastics purple worms have probably caught more than any others over the years.

I sure agree on the purple worms. That's been my best color for years also

[Michigander]

7" Berkeley Power Worm in Blue Fleck which is actually a dark purple. So I'm definitely on the purple worm hype train.

[roadwarrior]

45 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I sure agree on the purple worms. That's been my best color for years also

Rage Tail Thumper Blue Fleck (purple). GREAT producer in the summer for me!

 

 

 

[J Francho]

Here's what I use 90% of the time:
Spinnerbaits

Jigs

T-Rigs

Senko or Fluke

Crankbait

[mrpao]

Lures I throw most of the time.

1/2 terminator spinnerbaits

Bomber deep flat A

Shad rap #5, #7

Berkley flicker shad #5, #7

Yo-zuri 3DB popper 

Spook Jr.

LC sammy 

Rapala x-rap jerkbait 8, 10

Luck-e-strike Rick clun STX jerkbaits

Manns 6" augertail worms

Manns 6" jelly worms.

Zoom 6" lizard.

Zoom trick worms

These cover most of my needs.

[tholmes]

Culprit worms 7.5" 

Jigs. Lots of variety here.

Lunker City Slug-go

Spinnerbaits, not too picky about brand or size and any color as long as it's white or black

Crankbaits, mostly in shad and craw colors.

Lipless cranks, I usually have 4 or 5 different brands, mostly in chrome or craw.

One old, roached-out, Jitterbug that just won't quit catching bass.

 

Tom

 

[Bankbeater]

I still have some Creme 6" scoundrel worms.  Grape was always the color I had the best luck with.  A Cordell Big-O was the first artificial lure I caught a bass on.  I like the 1/4 and 1/3 oz sizes.  They don't make the size in my profile pic any longer.  Probably a good thing since cranking with it use to tire me out.

[flatcreek]

Sorry Mobass, I had to chase after my beagle hound that got after some strays this morning and when I got back I went fishing . I meant I just usually stick to the old reliable stuff most of the time but a friend got me to try a chatter bait up in the dirty water back up in the river one Spring and it made a believer out of me.it’s easy to throw and it usually catches quality when you get bit.i know what you mean about certain baits that don’t work .

[Hammer 4]

Still have a few hand pour worms I got from Don Iovino in 1984 or 5, and a pack of Mann's jelly worms from about the same time frame.

[Armtx77]

I'm still catching them on Rooster Tails

I'm still catching them on Rebel Craws

I'm still catching them on ScumFrogs

 

 

[GreenPig]

11 hours ago, TAFKABCF said:

The top 3 classic bass baits of all time have to be:

 

1. The Dance's Eel

2. The Helicopter Lure

3. The Flying Lure

 

I don't see anything topping the flat out fish catching goodness of these three. 

BANJO MINNOW is da ?.

If I'm bass fishing my bag ofSuper Flukes will be present. I've never fished a body of water that contained bass that Super Flukes wouldn't produce bites.

[N Florida Mike]

I started consistently catching bass with Mann’s Jelly worms in the middle  and late 70s to early 80s. Got my PB on one. Then , 80s and 90s it was primarily Culprit worms. ( Still fish with them occasionally.)

Around 2000 I started fishing Zoom super flukes, which is still my go-to bait. I have caught more and bigger fish on them by far over any other bait in the last 20 years. Yam. Senkos would be second, although now I mostly use yum dingers, the senkos are too expensive for me to use much.

I consistently use a good variety of other soft plastics, and spinnerbaits, but They have mostly been used only with in the last 10 years or so.

[BlakeMolone]

20 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Rebel pop r

Hula popper (don't throw them like I should but still do)

Double willow spinnerbaits

Berkley havoc pit boss...for flipping and trailer

The pit boss is kind of a bummer to me...they stopped making the havoc line and I personally don't like the powerbait version near as much. Last year I started using the D bomb in its place and while it's not the same bait I do like it.

What’s different about the Berkley pit boss? I love the havoc and I’m pretty sure my Walmart still has them? Gonna go check tonight and hopefully get stocked up!

[Black Hawk Basser]

Many Rapala baits come to mind, especially the Shad Rap and Husky Jerk.

 

Storm Chug Bugs always have been my favorite popper, definitely in use for 15+ years.

[DitchPanda]

I feel like the powerbait rips up a little worse and it's more expensive...plus I havent had as good of results...that's a bad combination

[basser27]

Heddon Super spook

Berkley power worm 

floating rapalas 
 

[Shimano_1]

Its funny that this thread popped up. I was just telling my buddy how it seems all the stuff I used to throw I've gotten away from as I've kept adding new stuff to my arsenal.  Used to catch a ton on buzzbaits and culprit worms and have abandoned both not even realizing it. I think this year I'm going to try and being back some of those tried and true baits for me. I think my issue is I get to fish once a week and in an 8 or 10 hour day there's only so much time. What a crazy puzzle bass fishing is....very much part of the intrigue for me! The only baits I've thrown for years and still use regularly are jigs and stick baits. As far as confidence lures mine undoubtedly are a jig, jerkbait, stickbait, and drop shot

[greentrout]

many years ago i read the legend doug hannon stated he caught 90 percent of his 10lb. plus bass on a 7" straight tail worm ...

 

now i've never caught a 10lb. plus bass but have put a few in the boat and lipped a few on the bank using a zoom trick worm ...

 

the art of worm fishing is enduring 

 

good fishing ...

[waymont]

Baits change with the seasons, but there are some I almost alway have rigged up.

*Jig

*Swim Jig

*Some kind of soft swimbait on a belly weighted hook/ or belly weighted hook w/under spin 

*t rig of some sort 

*chatterbait

*some top water bait

* Ned rig/small shaky head if there aren’t weeds around.

[J.Bass]

Berkley Power Worm Ribbon tail. It has been my bread and butter. It’s worked every time. If something works why change it!? Haven’t tried much anything else always going back for a power worm.

[primetime]

Obviously 7.5" culprits, and Power worms....I think that is all I fished for most of my life until I started making money to buy more gear....

 

The only other lures I would carry in my High school and college days were a couple Rapala minnows, Rebel Popper, Few Stanley living rubber jigs, Gator tails & Mr. Twister phenom twister tails...

 

Original Rattle Traps and Super Spots were the only crankbaits I threw......I owned a few packs of the creme scoundrels, but never really used them. I used to catch alot of fish on the creme Midget crawler which is the scoundrel with a spy bait blade in front, 2 open hooks you would cast out with a split shot in front and just reel slowly. Caught tons of bass on that rig when younger.

 

Then the Mepps Aglia and blue fox spinners, beetle spins, and heddon torpedo has been my favorite topwater for as long as I can remember.....

On 4/14/2020 at 10:02 AM, Mobasser said:

Same here. Lots of guys love the chatterbaits, but they havnt worked out for me. I might be wrong, butI think TW still sells Jelly Worms, at least the 8" size

I was wondering if anyone still likes the Culprit worms? Good action on a slow retrieve. I love them in hot weather and at night

I started using the culprit ribbon tails in Red shad, grape shad, copper shad, and pumpkinseed for clear water again about 3 years ago...I now throw them as much as I do any other worm, including a senko or trick worm.

 

I also discovered the Fat max for pitching and its another fantastic bait, and the incredicraw is probably my favorite creature bait to flip....I am convinced there is something about the colors being different than all the other baits. They have a different shine, look different in the water, and the shape of the tail with the flat bottom truly gives the original culprit a different look that I don't think pressured fish see much.

 

For some reason Red Shad is considered "Old School" but that is a dynamite color in stained water for any soft plastic, but especially the red on the culprit.

 

I would never hit a pond without a pack of 6" & 7.5" culprits, the solid purple is a color that will work anywhere.

[Mobasser]

10 minutes ago, primetime said:

Obviously 7.5" culprits, and Power worms....I think that is all I fished for most of my life until I started making money to buy more gear....

 

The only other lures I would carry in my High school and college days were a couple Rapala minnows, Rebel Popper, Few Stanley living rubber jigs, Gator tails & Mr. Twister phenom twister tails...

 

Original Rattle Traps and Super Spots were the only crankbaits I threw......I owned a few packs of the creme scoundrels, but never really used them. I used to catch alot of fish on the creme Midget crawler which is the scoundrel with a spy bait blade in front, 2 open hooks you would cast out with a split shot in front and just reel slowly. Caught tons of bass on that rig when younger.

 

Then the Mepps Aglia and blue fox spinners, beetle spins, and heddon torpedo has been my favorite topwater for as long as I can remember.....

I started using the culprit ribbon tails in Red shad, grape shad, copper shad, and pumpkinseed for clear water again about 3 years ago...I now throw them as much as I do any other worm, including a senko or trick worm.

 

I also discovered the Fat max for pitching and its another fantastic bait, and the incredicraw is probably my favorite creature bait to flip....I am convinced there is something about the colors being different than all the other baits. They have a different shine, look different in the water, and the shape of the tail with the flat bottom truly gives the original culprit a different look that I don't think pressured fish see much.

 

For some reason Red Shad is considered "Old School" but that is a dynamite color in stained water for any soft plastic, but especially the red on the culprit.

 

I would never hit a pond without a pack of 6" & 7.5" culprits, the solid purple is a color that will work anywhere.

Completely agree on the Culprit worms. They've been around for a long time, but still work great. The blk/blue always worked well for me, as does solid purple. The ribbon tail comes through cover better than a hooktail worm also. I'll always rely on them. Another one I like is the old Zoom U Tail, in junebug.

[scaleface]

Another old lure that I still carry but havent used in a few years is the Dalton Special .I just acquired a new one and the only reason I havent used it is because of the chara algae in the lake I fish most makes it impossible to use any treble hook lure shallow . Back in the 90's I forced myself to use  a top water for at least one hour every time I went fishing . The Dalton Special was the bait that caught the most fish .

[Mobasser]

4 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Another old lure that I still carry but havent used in a few years is the Dalton Special .I just acquired a new one and the only reason I havent used it is because of the chara algae in the lake I fish most makes it impossible to use any treble hook lure shallow . Back in the 90's I forced myself to use  a top water for at least one hour every time I went fishing . The Dalton Special was the bait that caught the most fish .

Man, I've always wanted a Dalton Special. It's a lure I've never bought. I would have trouble fishing it also in some of the smaller lakes I fish too. Chara and milfoil won't allow me to fish treble hook topwaters through much of the summer. I'd like to get a frog colored one. It's always looked like a killer bait.