Favorite Old School Bait

[NoBassPro]

Just wondered if others here have a favorite bait that is no longer in production or just no longer popular. Mine are the original fat rap and the heddon crazy crawler. I found a guy selling off a bunch of fat raps two years ago and loaded up, probably have two planos full of them. They just work for me. The crazy crawler is still made, but I haven't seen anyone else use one for awhile. Its accounted for some nice bass the last few years as well.

[piscicidal]

Not necessarily "old school" but the RI Swamp Donkey is a favorite of mine that is no longer in production. Not sure why RI stopped making them...there's a huge demand for them. I've bid some up on ebay but they always end up beyond my max bid.

[SirSnookalot]

Fishing my ponds I need a lure that doesn't dive deep, and I lost my favorite one that I've caught more fish on than all the other ones put together( it's discontinued). Been using an original Rapala in it's place and doing good with it.

[Hooligan]

I'm with you, love the original Fat Rap for finesse cranking. I also like the Risto Rap a lot. I buy those whenever I see them. Another that I buy on sight is Clear Spooks. They're getting hard to find for some reason. The other thing that I buy without abandon is a Lake Fork Baby Ring Fry in Bull Bream. I bought two thousand when they DC'd them, and have bought another thousand here and there, I'm down under a three hundred of them now.

[shootermcbob]

My favorite "old school" lure is the black jointed jitterbug. That thing still brings 'em.

[Jigfishn10]

Spit'n Image and Bayou Boogie. Still being produced but perhaps lost a lot of popularity. The Spit'n Image I have was produced by Excalibur and is now produced by Heddon.

[LgMouthGambler]

I still love using the Chug Bug every once-in-a-while. I know they still make them, but I remember when they first came out. I caught soo many fish with those early in the morning back then.

[River Rat316]

Lazy Ike is what I think they were called, the really old ones are the best, I don't throw them much but have caught a bunch of fish on them, including up until a couple years ago my pb largemouth.

[grimlin]

Lazy Ike is what I think they were called, the really old ones are the best, I don't throw them much but have caught a bunch of fish on them, including up until a couple years ago my pb largemouth.

A buddy of mine fishes them things and whips me every time. The newer lazy Ike suck....i tried 3 and can't get any of them to swim right. They don't seem to be able to be tuned either.

[LuckyHandsINC.]

Jitterbugs and hula poppers.

[J Francho]

Hopkins Shorty

Lil' Cleo

MudBug

Zara Spook

Wooden Basser

Silver Buddy

Rapala F series

[NoBassPro]

Hopkins Shorty

Lil' Cleo

Zara Spook

Silver Buddy

Rapala F series

I guess I didn't consider those old school. More like timeless classics, its hard to imagine not having a few of those around.

[Crestliner2008]

Flatfish.

[J Francho]

I guess I didn't consider those old school. More like timeless classics, its hard to imagine not having a few of those around.

That they all worked so well is what makes them timeless.

[00 mod]

Smithwick devils horse. I have a dozen or so with me anytime I'm on the boat!!! Have probably.only lost like 2 ever but you can never have too many right?

Jeff

[catchnm]

Most of my fishing is done with plastics so I'm gonna throw a couple out there **pun intended :-)**.....1st is the Mann's Augertail Worm. Don't use them as much as I used to but this was my first serious worm fishing bait back in the early 80's. I caught a ton of bass on them and still get bit every time I use them now. They're excellent t-rigged on a light 1/16 oz. bullet weight and really finessed through shallow cover. I know they're still produced now, but the ones I throw are the ones that came with a little pack of FS454 with them.....killer stuff!

2nd is the original Flip Tail worm. Seem like they were huge to me back when.....8" I think. One of the first straight tail worms ever produced I believe. I've still got some of the purple ones and they work great on a shaky head.

I'm also a fan of the original Pop-R P-70. Got 4 of them now, on two of them I did the old modification trick of trimming back the bottom lip so they spit and walk better.......yea! They get the job done still! The bone color is my favorite.

Hard to beat an original Hellbender for deep cranking.

An old Lucky 13 in either full or baby size in the frog pattern will call up some bass too.

And.....x2 on the Devil's Horse.

[Jigfishn10]

Hopkins Shorty

Lil' Cleo

MudBug

Zara Spook

Wooden Basser

Silver Buddy

Rapala F series

Wow JF, I forgot about that one. If the Woodwalker was still being produced, I think it would have made that list. Nice post!

[loodkop]

I caught my first bass on an old Heddon floating meadow mouse and still cast it when I'm just fun fish.

[JIGFISHERMAN.]

I caught more bass in one day on a pre rigged worm than anything else ever.

A purple-ish blue with white stripe on the back, with three single hooks, and mono leader.

I would go out on the dock while camping, and toss that thing with a Rhino rod, and Zebco 33, and wear them out.

Give them a break, and come back 1/2 hour later same thing.

It's funny how as you get older you quit using things that worked so well.

[tholmes]

Hildebrandt's Snagless Sally.

I think they might still be in production, but I rarely see them anymore.

Flat out deadly.

Another oldie that really caught fish was the Shannon's Twin Spin. It was a double armed spinner with a bucktail skirt.

Tom

[J Francho]

Wow JF, I forgot about that one. If the Woodwalker was still being produced, I think it would have made that list. Nice post!

I don't think they make them anymore, but I know where there is a large stash of them, LOL.

[webertime]

^{Strike King Timber King Spoon.}

[NoBassPro]

I caught more bass in one day on a pre rigged worm than anything else ever.

A purple-ish blue with white stripe on the back, with three single hooks, and mono leader.

I would go out on the dock while camping, and toss that thing with a Rhino rod, and Zebco 33, and wear them out.

Give them a break, and come back 1/2 hour later same thing.

It's funny how as you get older you quit using things that worked so well.

We used to get all the weedless purple/white stripe worms we could find. They sure did work.

[zip pow]

Thin fin fat so and original bagley db3 before they added the weighted lip

[Vinny Chase]

Lazy Ike is what I think they were called, the really old ones are the best, I don't throw them much but have caught a bunch of fish on them, including up until a couple years ago my pb largemouth.

Caught some of my biggest muskies on a white/red color Ike