Has anyone been a pioneer?

[billmac]

This is probably for some of the older guys, but I'm wondering if you were one of the first in your area to adopt a certain lure, technique, etc?

 

I started going bass crazy as a teenager in the mid-70s in northern NY.  Started getting bass lures as part of BASS membership that you didn't see anywhere up in Yankee-land.  Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, all new stuff as far as I could tell.  I saved forever and dropped $58 on a Daiwa Millionaire.  No one was using baitcasters (except perhaps the really old style with the braided line).  I went to an outdoor expo and spoke to the head of a local bass club, and he was still using spincast equipment.

Any trailblazers?

[N Florida Mike]

I caught a 4 pound bass on a doughball once. Does that count?

[billmac]

12 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

I caught a 4 pound bass on a doughball once. Does that count?

Maybe. Did doughballs eventually become a hugely popular bass bait?

[Fred Allen]

I still never seen anyone with a bait cast around here Albany NY. Only really been fishing since august last though but seen plenty of fisher man. All use spincast or spinning reel that I seen. 

[BrianMDTX]

22 minutes ago, billmac said:

I saved forever and dropped $58 on a Daiwa Millionaire. 

I bought one in the 70s as a teenager. I had a 3H (blue) and my friend had a 5H (bronze). We were the only two I ever saw with baitcasters back then in Maryland. Granted, we were teens so it wasn’t like we traveled much lol. Still have it. 

[billmac]

23 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I had a 3H (blue)

Me too. I also still have it, although I don't think it still works.

Correction: I think I had the 4H.  It was blue though.

[The Bassman]

I know this strays from the op's topic but I bought  an Ambassadeur 2500C and matching Conolon rod around 1977. It was pretty high end stuff at the time. I was completely inept with it. Went back to my Mitchell 300 and 308.

[billmac]

9 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

I was completely inept with it.

I practiced for at least a week before I was comfortable with mine, and even after that I had some epic backlashes.  More than once I had to cut all the line out and respool.  But I was amazed at the control of the baitcaster.

 

[BrianMDTX]

14 minutes ago, billmac said:

Me too. I also still have it, although I don't think it still works.

Mine still works, but it’s rough and unwieldy compared to modern baitcasters. Thought about getting it overhauled but probably won’t lol. 
 

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, billmac said:

Maybe. Did doughballs eventually become a hugely popular bass bait?

I used to fish with balled up bread pressed on a worm hook as a kid living in Maryland. Worked pretty well.  

 

I've got a bunch of other lures and techniques that I came up with myself.  None have really caught on yet.  Not even with me.  

[schplurg]

Every time I see someone cast into a tree then get lucky and pull it free so it plops into the water, I think to myself, "ya...I started that! That's my move!"

 

 

[Biglittle8]

14 hours ago, Fred Allen said:

I still never seen anyone with a bait cast around here Albany NY. Only really been fishing since august last though but seen plenty of fisher man. All use spincast or spinning reel that I seen. 

I grew up in Buffalo, NY. I had a Garcia ambassador (I think)I got for a gift. It sat in my garage, I called it the "Birds nest"

[galyonj]

11 hours ago, schplurg said:

Every time I see someone cast into a tree then get lucky and pull it free so it plops into the water, I think to myself, "ya...I started that! That's my move!"

 

 

 

Now that you mention it, I do seem to have pioneered the act of breaking off while doing something stupid, then seeing that broken off lure float past, and catching it on another lure to get it back.

 

We're not gonna discuss the fact that I'd save myself a lot of effort if I just made better decisions.

[WRB]

I Designed a few lures in the 1970-71 I still use that I have never seen on the market. 

*1st 1970 is a kite shape line through tail spin with mini vinyl skirt. Lost the mold for the tail spin, still a few.

*2nd is my viper head nearly rick proof stand up jig in 1971.

Made a worm keeper beryllium wire to hold a worm section on the jig hook eye for weed guard in 1971.

Still have the jig mold and credit it for my jig fishing success in deep rocky reservoirs.

Early user of flasher type sonar in 1960, not exactly a pioneer as it was a Lowrance unit.

Tom

*PS, willing to share photos, PM email.

 

[brgbassmaster]

Idk if I'm a pioneer lol but I have done a few things that others didn't and then eventually it caught on with friends. When I first got stationed in New Mexico in 07 I started fishing a chatter bait a lot out there. I had never seen it before that. Not having tv growing up and being 18 it was something new for this northern guy lol. When I came home on leave my buddies were making fun of me for throwing that bait lol asking me if I was going to Mexico after some DDs etc lol. Then in 2013 I was fishing 9" MS slammers for big bass.  And managed two largies over 6 on the same day. I know of like 4 other people that throw those kinds of giant wake baits and glide baits up in Michigan for bass. And two of them now are my buddies that were with me that day lol. The chatter bait eventually caught on everywhere in the country obviously and maybe it was popular everywhere at that time idk.  They didn't seem to think so lol. 

[TOXIC]

I did design a few colors for Yamamoto and came up with 78 ways to rig a Senko that they released one at a time on their instagram page to followers but I don’t consider that being a pioneer.  More of an innovator.

[Deleted account]

Never a pioneer, but I have been the schoolmaster, plumber, and pizza delivery guy...

[billmac]

I've tried for years to convince people that I coined the phrase "glare ice" but no one believes me.

[fishwizzard]

I "invented" alcoholic whipped cream at a party in 2001.  It was super gross and I was shocked when I saw it in stores a decade later. 

 

In terms of fishing, I have gotten into fishing a frog with a snap to increase walking ease, waiting for that one to hit mainstream.