Old-School Lures that Work Great.

[gim]

16 hours ago, Tackleholic said:

Bass Oreno

 

I've got a couple of these.  The red and white one has caught fish.  The other color (which is frog I think), not so much.

 

I'll throw spinnerbait into the mix here.  More specifically, the discontinued all time best version made, the T1 Terminator.

 

 

[Bazoo]

I appreciate all the replies. I guess my thinking was not necessarily OLD lures, but the old lures that are considered beginner lures, the ones like a roostertail and beetle spin that takes little skill to use, but works for everyone.

 

Sleeper lures, those that everyone overlooks but are still great lures. Crankbaits aren't those... everyone knows about and uses crankbaits. It seems few people fish roostertails because they are considered a kids lure.

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

I've got a couple of these.  The red and white one has caught fish.  The other color (which is frog I think), not so much.

 

I'll throw spinnerbait into the mix here.  More specifically, the discontinued all time best version made, the T1 Terminator.

 

 

Of all the spinnerbaits I've tried on the local lake, the only one that has worked from the shore was the Terminator I lost. I've caught several fish on other spinnerbaits when on my boat, away from the heavily pressured areas.

[WRB]

Inline spinners are considered trout lures by the majority of anglers.

Shyster out dates Rooster Tails. Mepps, Panther Marten, Blue Fox etc catch bass occasionally when anglers are fishing streams with Smallmouths.

To me old school are lures popular back in the early days of bass tournaments.

Texas rigged w/sliding bullet weight is the most commonly used old school lure and technique still used today.

It!s a long list!

Tom

[bowhunter63]

These have been around forever and still catch em 

[Scott F]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

Inline spinners are considered trout lures by the majority of anglers.

Shyster out dates Rooster Tails. Mepps, Panther Marten, Blue Fox etc catch bass occasionally when anglers are fishing streams with Smallmouths.

To me old school are lures popular back in the early days of bass tournaments.

Texas rigged w/sliding bullet weight is the most commonly used old school lure and technique still used today.

It!s a long list!

Tom

It’s that kind of thinking that keeps guys from using inline spinners. I’ve caught nearly every species of freshwater fish that swims in lakes and rivers with spinners. Muskies, pike, largemouth, smallmouth, panfish, stripers, you name it. An old school lure that is easy to use and catches fish. 

[Bazoo]

My buddy and I joke when we're bass fishing if we're having a hard day: "If it gets any harder I may have to put on a roostertail!"

[RevoSEMIpro]

Still in production - but they have been around forever (for a reason), Rapala Shad Raps.

[WRB]

Back in 1955 I was helping my older brother st Pleasure Point Biat Landing, Big Bear Lake when a boat renter came in with a stringer of big trout and a few bass. The trout were 4 to 6 lbs big for this lake. 
The guy asked we have any “Finland” lures and showed us the lure he caught the fish on trolling. The lure was a minnow shape about 4” long with silver foil sides, gold back with Finland printed on the belly. The manager had no idea what it was.

Around 1960 the Rapala minnow was available and it was the same lure and caught everything the swam back then.

Tom

[Glenn]

Brand new article just posted: Old School Lures That Still Work

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/old-school-lures.html

 

[river-rat]

 

Would this count for an old school lure that works great?

 

Many years ago I took an Arbogast #2 Hawaiian Wiggler (which hasn't been in production for almost 40 years), removed the front propeller, and replaced it with the inline spinner from a Snagless Sally. To my surprise it has proven to be extremely effective in certain situations.

 

I use this in shallow water with heavy cover where there are cypress trees, laydowns, button wood bushes, lily pads, and hydrilla. Due to the shape of the head it slides right over the cover. 

 

Anytime I'm fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin, marshes, and old oxbow lakes in central and north Louisiana I have this tied on. I have also used this to either win or place highly in tournaments when I was still doing that sort of thing. I have even used it at Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn with success.

 

I have kept this mostly to myself except for my former tournament partner who passed away a few years back and a couple of family members. Guess it's time I let this out in the world for others to see.

 

[Tackleholic]

23 hours ago, bowhunter63 said:

These have been around forever and still catch em 

Bowhunter63 is right.  I have a couple dozen of these but have not used them in about 16 years;  don't know why, they always produced.

[Bazoo]

2 hours ago, riverat said:

 

Would this count for an old school lure that works great?

 

Many years ago I took an Arbogast #2 Hawaiian Wiggler (which hasn't been in production for almost 40 years), removed the front propeller, and replaced it with the inline spinner from a Snagless Sally. To my surprise it has proven to be extremely effective in certain situations.

 

I use this in shallow water with heavy cover where there are cypress trees, laydowns, button wood bushes, lily pads, and hydrilla. Due to the shape of the head it slides right over the cover. 

 

Anytime I'm fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin, marshes, and old oxbow lakes in central and north Louisiana I have this tied on. I have also used this to either win or place highly in tournaments when I was still doing that sort of thing. I have even used it at Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn with success.

 

I have kept this mostly to myself except for my former tournament partner who passed away a few years back and a couple of family members. Guess it's time I let this out in the world for others to see.

 

That is awesome, thank you for sharing.

[LCG]

Johnson silver minnow weedless spoon 

Mepps aguila 

Spinnerbait

 

Gold and/or silver for each of the above.

[WRB]

Could start a new thread on the topic on favorite vintage lures.

My 1st lure in the 50!s was a Hawaiian Wiggler #3 weedless spoon that I learned to cast and catch bass. 
Doll hair jig got me started using jigs.

Bomber size 300 black orange spook and Christmas tree colors are up there as a favorite in the 60’s caught my 1st 40 lb 5 NLMB  limit on the Bombers.

Honorable mention is the wooden Heddon Cobra , looks like a Rapala Minnow but very different swimming action similar to a side to side glide bait in lieu of a tight wiggle. Deadly big bass lure with a fatal flaw the tail hook hanger broke off.

All time favorite surface lure was the Smithwick Buck ‘n Brawl rear prop lure, still use it. 

Jig ‘n pig goes without saying as #uno.

So many so little time.

Tom

[Woody B]

Smithwick still makes the Devils Horse,  but I consider it old school.  I've got a few that are older than I am.   I've got an old Creek Chub Darter.   My Grandfather used to fish with they all the time.  Always yellow.  He called them "Yellow Darters".  I've also go a couple Bomber lures that look like Arbogast Mud Bugs.  I don't remember what Bomber called them.   I remember fishing with a "Lazy Ike" when I was a kid, but I can't find any in my old stuff.  I also remember a lure, but can't find one.  It was basically a wake bait that looked like a mouse with a tail.   I used Hopkins Spoons for years.  I don't remember a Johnson Silver minnow until recently.  IIRC I was in my teens when I first heard of a Spinnerbait.   One of my favorite lures decades ago was a Texas rigged worm, either Purple or Motor Oil color.  

[crypt]

Mann's Razorback Pig.....Johnson Silver Minnow...Snagless Sally spinnerbait...Rooster Tail...any Mepps inline spinner..Heddon Sonic....also Rebel WeeR crank bait.

[detroit1]

The bomber thatlooks like a mudbug is just called a bomber. Cotton Cordell sold a simular bait , and others possibly.

I have some Cordell hot spots that are from the 70's that i still throw every once in a while. Original 1 knockers, (the glue didn't hold the weight,) and no bb's.

[A-Jay]

Tubes ~

A-Jay

[rboat]

I think most have already been mentioned, but a few I remember when looking through my dad's 3-tray tacklebox when I was a kid, which I did all the time.

1. creme worm with prop on the front

2. Lazy ike (great for pike) - also similar he had a flatfish

3. Creek chub pikie minnow.

4. hula popper and jitterbug

5. Paw paw Underwater minnow dual props 

6. Bass oreno

7. Heddon lucky 13

8. Cordel spot  

 Great memories!

[Bazoo]

Tubes! I forgot about them. I've never had any luck with them, but I read a lot about them last year and thought they'd really do well, especially since they are sort of fallen out of favor.

[scaleface]

Crankbaits are still highly relied on but I use a lot of cranks that were popular in the 70's. My all time favorite square bill, we just called them shallow divers, is a vintage Rogers Big Jim  rattleless. It still catches bass and has caught more big bass for me than any other crankbait. I had two of a certain color , now down to one. I still use it and if I lose it, oh well. It wont catch fish sitting  in my closet.

[CDMTJager]

Hadn't fished a spinnerbait in 4 or 5 years at least as I had so much success fishing chatterbaits yeah was throwing a tandem willow 2-3x a year but with very little success. Last year just for the heck of it during peak pre-spawn, threw a 3/8oz War Eagle tandem colorado with a paddle tail trailer and absolutely annihilated the bass with it. I love catching bass on chatter and spinnerbaits as I rarely do any serious harm to a bass and it is very very easy to get the bass unhooked and released ASAP.

 

It doesn't get much more vintage old school than a spinnerbait.

 

One vintage old school bait I always enjoy success with since I started fishing as an adult back in the early 1980's to this very day are several different sized and color Rapala minnow baits both solid and jointed. Had my best of my life 1 day catch night fishing (17 bass in 6 hours) of >3lb to <6lb bass on a Rapala 11 original floater WAAAAAY back in 1996. Will never forget that night. Was catching 3-5lb bass from shore in calf deep water. 

 

 

[Bazoo]

1 hour ago, CDMTJager said:

Hadn't fished a spinnerbait in 4 or 5 years at least as I had so much success fishing chatterbaits yeah was throwing a tandem willow 2-3x a year but with very little success. Last year just for the heck of it during peak pre-spawn, threw a 3/8oz War Eagle tandem colorado with a paddle tail trailer and absolutely annihilated the bass with it. I love catching bass on chatter and spinnerbaits as I rarely do any serious harm to a bass and it is very very easy to get the bass unhooked and released ASAP.

 

It doesn't get much more vintage old school than a spinnerbait.

 

One vintage old school bait I always enjoy success with since I started fishing as an adult back in the early 1980's to this very day are several different sized and color Rapala minnow baits both solid and jointed. Had my best of my life 1 day catch night fishing (17 bass in 6 hours) of >3lb to <6lb bass on a Rapala 11 original floater WAAAAAY back in 1996. Will never forget that night. Was catching 3-5lb bass from shore in calf deep water. 

 

 

That sure sounds like a heck of a time.

 

I have had a day where I got 15 I think, but they were all small ones on a pond with hardly any other pressure, so not much skill involved for mine.

[woolleyfooley]

On 8/26/2024 at 7:09 PM, Bankbeater said:

I know this one!  A black Jitterbug.  I've had a lot of anglers call it an old fashioned lure.

That was the first bait I thought of when I read the question! 

[Glenn]

Jitterbug - works during the day too!

Mann's Jellyworm (yeah, I still have a few left)

TUBES - I throw them all the time.  I have about 400 or so in stock.

Grubs - Again, I throw them all the time

Hula grub - A late summer/early fall staple

Herb's Dilly - All of mine broke, except one.  It's still in the box.

Spinnerbaits - My confidence lures

Johnson Minnow - Bass love 'em

Slug-go- Bass love 'em

Reapers - Bass love 'em

Rooster tails - I took 3rd place in a tough tournament on these.

 

I'll stop there. I could write a book! LOL