The Lures of my Childhood

[Swamp Girl]

These are the lures of my childhood. I'm going to take a fishing trip in 2024 and only use about six of them. I'm thinking the Creek Chub Plunker, the Crazy Crawler, the Heddon Pumpkinseed (They're worth about fifty bucks each, so I better not lose one!), the Bass-Oreno, the Spin I Diddee, and the River Runt. I'm also going to use my old Zebco Cardinal spinning reel on a fiberglass rod with mono.

 

Which ones would you choose?

 

 

[roadwarrior]

Lazy Ike, Original Floating Rapala and Devil Horse were my first "plugs".

My first artificial was a purple rubber worm fished on Table Rock Lake

in 1958, one year before it officially opened. The original Creme Plastic 

Worm.

[Swamp Girl]

8 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Lazy Ike, Original Floating Rapala and Devil Horse were my first "plugs".

 

All great lures. I've caught more bass on an F13 Rapala than any other lure and it's not even close. 

 

The thing that confuses me about the Lazy Ike is that I didn't catch more fish on them. It's the wiggliest lure I've ever used. Great action, but I never had great success with them. 

[roadwarrior]

Too light, too hard to cast. When I was a kid we trolled with them. I caught my first ever

walleye on one. What an ugly fish I thought at the time.

[JediAmoeba]

59 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

These are the lures of my childhood. I'm going to take a fishing trip in 2024 and only use about six of them. I'm thinking the Creek Chub Plunker, the Crazy Crawler, the Heddon Pumpkinseed (They're worth about fifty bucks each, so I better not lose one!), the Bass-Oreno, the Spin I Diddee, and the River Runt. I'm also going to use my old Zebco Cardinal spinning reel on a fiberglass rod with mono.

 

Which ones would you choose?

 

 

Put all those lures in one of those old plano tackle boxes with 2 sides that folded out and that looks a lot like the lures I would lose from Dad and Grandpa as a kid.

 

Back when I learned the adage, if you can't tie a knot, tie a lot

[king fisher]

The Jitterbug, Spin I Diddee and crazy crawler work as well as any modern surface bait, and a Jitterbug is still in my top water box.  I never had much luck with a Pumpkinseed, and because they are worth more than most of the other lures, I would leave them in the box.  The spinning lure in the bottom right corner of the second box was a favorite of a friend of mine.  His mom caught the biggest bass in the family on one.  He always referred to it as an old twin spin, but I do not know it's correct name.

 

The two lures in the far left compartment second row down, first box are called Bass Magnets.  They are excellent crankbaits for salmon and steelhead.  I'm sure they will catch bass, but the chartreuse one really belongs in a steelhead fisherman's box.

 

The river runt will flat out catch bass. If the bass don't want to hit the surface baits, I would not hesitate to fish it.  Be warned, very large bass love to follow River Runts, similar to the way they are prone to follow but not strike modern glide baits.

[Fallser]

We have a few fishing flea markets around here.  As you walk the tables you'll see tackle box displays that look just like your picture.  Most times the lures are for sale for $1 to $3.  Sometimes you can get a beat up one for $0.50.

It took me a long time to move  away from bobber and worm or a bobber and minnow.  Rather than lures of my childhood it would be lures of my teens.  A Rapala minnow was probably the first and since I've always been a top water person, the Jitterbug, Hula Popper and the Tiny Torpedo.

  I've never had much luck with the Lazy Ike.  I do have a couple that I picked at flea markets in my tackle box.  Along with a couple of Canadian Wigglers.  My friends in Ontario who gave them to me a few years ago swear they're not Lazy Ikes.  There is a bit of difference in the angle of the lip and the width of the body.  I figure it's just a Canadian knock-off of the Lazy Ike.  I have caught anything with them either.

[TnRiver46]

My shadow box needs re glued but I’ve got some too. My dad swore by those meps on the bottom right, he wouldn’t let us dream of casting them because they were $5. I wouldn’t dream of casting it now 

and I keep another lucky 13 hanging in front of my bass mount 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

The spinning lure in the bottom right corner of the second box was a favorite of a friend of mine. 

 

I also don't remember what that lure is called. It's the oldest lure I own. I knew of it as a child and I wandered into an old school tackle shop as a child and saw it for sale, even though it predated me by a generation or two. So I bought it, but never used it because I was afraid I'd lose it.

 

You might be right about the Pumpkinseeds. They're too cute to lose!

 

 

[Functional]

I used all of 4 lures consistently growing up and 1 sporadically.

 

Purple worm w. split shot

jitterbug (black, always)

hula popper

torpedo 

 

honorable mention to the crazy crawler.

[Mobasser]

When I started, my brother and I fished farm ponds on our grandpa's farm in Chillicothe Mo.Mid 1960s. We used lures we borrowed from our dad's and grandfathers tackle boxes.              So, going back, my  brother loved a small frog colored Bass O Reno. My fave was a black Hula Popper. I also used a re/ white Lazy Ike. Ol Crickety, I also have an ABU Cardinal 4 reel. Mine is retired now. Thank you for bringing back some great memories.         

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I also don't remember what that lure is called. It's the oldest lure I own. I knew of it as a child and I wandered into an old school tackle shop as a child and saw it for sale, even though it predated me by a generation or two. So I bought it, but never used it because I was afraid I'd lose it.

 

You might be right about the Pumpkinseeds. They're too cute to lose!

 

 

Joe’s fly ? 

[Catt]

Arbogast

MudBug 

Hula Popper

Jitterbug 

 

Creme 

Scoundrel

 

Heddon

Bayou Boogie

Tiny Torpedo 

Zara Spook

Hellbender 

Lucky 13

 

Hildebrandt Snagless Sally 

 

Rebel 

Pop-R

Minnow

Ringworm 

 

Mr Twister 

Phenom Worm

 

Johnson 

Silver Minnow 

 

H&H

Spinnerbait 

 

[WRB]

I would change the hooks in the lures you plan to use.

Check the rear drag on the Cardinal spinning reel.

You have several Plunkers and Crazy Crawlers plus Thin Fins that work well using spinning tackle. The Smaller size Lucky 13 and Bass O’ Reno will work.

I like the 300 Bomber but not on spinning tackle.

Tom

[gim]

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

Bass-Oreno

 

I've got a couple of those.  They are red and white.  They have pretty good darting action.  Mine are all scratched up from pike assaults.

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, Functional said:

I used all of 4 lures consistently growing up and 1 sporadically.

 

Purple worm w. split shot

jitterbug (black, always)

hula popper

torpedo 

 

honorable mention to the crazy crawler.

Add a Shad Rap and you've got my list.  

 

I might add a jig with an Uncle Josh Pork Frog as well.  

 

[jbmaine]

Is it just me or do the names of all these old lures just bring a rush of the best memories and are guaranteed to make you smile.

 Thanks for the blast from the past.

[Scott F]

I have no doubt that all of those lures will catch fish. If it were me, I wouldn’t use any of them. You can catch fish on newer lures. The value of those baits pictured is more in the nostalgia than in their fish catching ability. I wouldn’t risk losing any of them. 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

I would change the hooks in the lures you plan to use.

Check the rear drag on the Cardinal spinning reel.

You have several Plunkers and Crazy Crawlers plus Thin Fins that work well using spinning tackle. The Smaller size Lucky 13 and Bass O’ Reno will work.

I like the 300 Bomber but not on spinning tackle.

Tom

 

It's cool that you know all the names and how to use them, Tom. Of course, you know the reel too!

 

#oldtimersknowoldschool

 

 

@Scott F: I know what you're saying, but think of value of feeling like I'm 14 again.

 

@jbmaine: You're welcome!

 

@gimruis: Pickerel are my fear! Not many pike here, but pickerel are just as toothy and crazy.

 

I've run out of reactions again, so I can't acknowledge your responses, but I've enjoyed reading them all. 

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Wow, what a variety to learn about. I would love to give each of those a go and make some memories. 

 

Growing up in rural AZ my first lure was a Z-Ray. If memory serves they were manufactured in Tucson AZ for many years. That bent piece of metal wobbling about caught pretty much everything to include many sticks and rocks. 

 

These days they are not made in Tucson anymore as they are a different company. I still use one on occasions. Low cost, simple, effective, a great value. Successful for multiple species too. 

 

Thanks to each of you for sharing your memories and insights. It is what makes BassResource a valuable repository, fun too! Be well, and Cheers!

[Swamp Girl]

I had to Google the Z-Ray. Here's a pic of the one that's still being made today by a different company:

 

 

The lure that makes me laugh is the Heddon Tiger Deep Diver. They also made a floating model that I tied on once at the mouth of the Whitefish River for giggles.

 

I cast it in the middle of the day, saying, "Watch this," as if something were about to happen.

 

And something did. The water erupted! A three-pound smallie. I used it the rest of the week, catching multiple four-and-five-pound smallies too, before losing it to a pike.

 

So, when I look at my remaining Tiger, I remember,  "Watch this," and laugh.

[rgasr63]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Arbogast

MudBug 

Hula Popper

Jitterbug 

 

Creme 

Scoundrel

 

Heddon

Bayou Boogie

Tiny Torpedo 

Zara Spook

Hellbender 

Lucky 13

 

Hildebrandt Snagless Sally 

 

Rebel 

Pop-R

Minnow

Ringworm 

 

Mr Twister 

Phenom Worm

 

Johnson 

Silver Minnow 

 

H&H

Spinnerbait 

 

@Catt's list is just about right for me also except for the Heddon products I only remember a torpedo. And I had a rapala minnow. I still have most of those things today. They still get bit.

[detroit1]

I remember watching Billy Westmoreland's tv show always hawking those bass magnet cranks. I think they were his major sponsor. As far as which baits to take fishing, i would not, except for maybe one of the poppers since you have a few. (i love old baits and don't want to chance losing them. 

[Swamp Girl]

@detroit1: I really don't lose many lures. I had one bass break my line last year. A few pickerel did cut my line. 

[TnRiver46]

38 minutes ago, detroit1 said:

I remember watching Billy Westmoreland's tv show always hawking those bass magnet cranks. I think they were his major sponsor. As far as which baits to take fishing, i would not, except for maybe one of the poppers since you have a few. (i love old baits and don't want to chance losing them. 

Rumor has it Billy westmorland lost an SMB that would have challenged the 12 lb record with a tail spinner . After that he was always going out at like 2-3 am trying to catch it 😂. I don’t care what’s out there, 2-3 am is spooky on dale hollow. It wouldnt surprise me to see something that ate Bigfoot’s papaw out there