The Bass-O-Reno

[Josey Wales]

Up at Fletchers Floodwaters in Northern Michigan there was a board with various trophy fish caught during the year.  a good 20% of the fish there were caught using this lure.

Naturally I was caught by the impulse bug and bought one of these lures.  It comes with no dirrections, and the individual that fishes with it wasnt around to ask on technique.

basically how do you fish this bait? is it a steady retrieve? a cadence?

Im lost and are wondering if any of you have experience with it.

[Bass XL]

hmm. Never herd of it. I'll try to find some info.

[ohiobassmaster93]

i've never heard of it either...what type of bait is it??

[Shad_Master]

It's a topwater chugger type bait - one of the guys in our club uses them all the time - I, on the other hand, have never had any luck with 'em.

[GobbleDog]

If it's what I'm thinking of, it's a topwater bait with the nose cut into a lip shape that allows it to dive. I've never actually thrown them, but I've got some old collectables that look similar to the one below:

[senile1]

I found this.

http://www.tacklehaven.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=t4127950&Category_Code=LURES-BASSORENO&Product_Count=0

That's one ugly freakin' lure.  

[volpster31]

the bass o reno is a topwater type lure that you walk the dog or use a pop teqnique with.i have one but i usually go to a different type of topwater..that thing has been around for like 100 years so theres gotta be somethng to it.

[ghost]

You can use it like a popper, but it will submerge slightly.  Or you can steady retrieve, slow & it will zig-zag back wide.  It will sometimes go off course when steady retrieve.  I mainly use as a submerging popper.

I have both the large & small Bass-O-Reno.  On the small one, I added a prop to the back to change up the aciton.

Well, bought them last year & haven't caught anything on them.  Then again, I've really not given it a fair shake on how well it will work.

I'll probably try them out again when the weather warms up.

[senile1]

I read a few more links and it sounds like this is a vintage lure.  These were made by South Bend.

http://fishingcollectables.com/south_bend.htm

[Josey Wales]

Im assuming the action has to be more of the top water popping action.  The water that this guy catches em on gets really weedy in the late spring to the fall.

I cant argue with his results that he posts with it tho...

He either has a specific technique for it, or he has pulled off one of the funniest inside jokes ever, cause I look like a fool fishing with it.

[Pencil Pusher]

Before buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics, no serious bass fisherman was without a Bass Oreno and/or a Heddon Lucky 13. Back in the day they were called "chuggers" or "chug plugs". Fish 'em on top with slight jerks or reel them slow and steady. BTW, Mark Sosin is the only person I have heard in years still call hard baits "Plugs".

[Wayne P.]

I have used them a lot in the past, OK-I'm OLD. The white with red head was the most popular.

[LCpointerKILLA]

Before buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics, no serious bass fisherman was without a Bass Oreno and/or a Heddon Lucky 13. Back in the day they were called "chuggers" or "chug plugs". Fish 'em on top with slight jerks or reel them slow and steady. BTW, Mark Sosin is the only person I have heard in years still call hard baits "Plugs".

Mark Sosin's Saltwater Journal rules!  8-) but every bass fisherman still uses the word plug from time to time

[skillet]

 There are quite a few of them on ebay (vintage). I really didn't think anyone made them anymore. Like someone said earlier, there was a time when if you didn't have one in your tacklebox you weren't much of a Bass fisherman...

                                    As Ever,

                                     skillet

[Tucson]

Wow, can't believe some of you guys never heard of them.  An old-time classic bass lure.  Guess I'm giving away my age!