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Just got back from a trip to the tackle shop and couldn't get over the selection available nowadays, don't get me wrong I like the scent impregnated, noise making, luminescent, holographic images with hooks sharp enough to split an atom but how did I ever catch any fish before this. I still like the simple classic lures I guess and wish I still had my old hula poppers and cisco plugs from years ago. Anybody else still use the older styles, Mepps, Heddon??
I use alot of older tackle. I've got some old Williams, hula poppers, old rapalas, benos, various spinners and topwaters, all of witch must be 30 years old but still catch fish!
I also have 4 or 5 old custom Muskie lures with no brand names.... Hand made I suppose. I love the wooden crank baits with bite marks in them from big strikes.
I still use some old lures too. Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs, Williams, Mepps etc. One of my favourite lures is an old Heddon River Runt. I'm down to my last "Creme" worm - anyone remember when the only plastic worm you could buy was a "Creme". Can't find them anymore.
I also use old reels. I have a bunch of old Mitchell 300's that just won't quit!
Hey, Pete, you need any parts for those old Mitchells? I seem to have a pile of the things kicking around my basement. My first was a Mitchell Cap, open face spinning reel that I bought from picking and selling blueberries.
I grew up using June Bugs, red and white daredevils and Williams warblers.
Back when I was knee high to a grasshopper, worm harnesses were all the rage. Some years later Mr twister tails came on the market and became the hot thing. Fished those for years and years trolling Chemong for Eyes and Lunge..
Growing up trolling Chemong, my fathers go to lure were Beno's and in my mothers tackle box, her goto lure were flat fish.
These are 40 years old and still going. Once in a blue moon when I'm feeling nostalgic, recalling life as kid under the age of 10, thinking about mom/dad I'll put one on.
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s9/v91/p1622528116-4.jpg
By the time I was 11, we had moved to the Pigeon where fishing top water in "inaccessible" unfishable waters were the norm, our tackle boxes changed. Black Hula Poppers, (Dads goto), green Jitter bugs (moms) were for years king initially, then Dad discovered a lure by Creek Chub that Bass and Musky cannot resist. Even today it's still deadly and I will on occasion tie one on, when nothing else is getting a sniff. I hesitate though because I may have the only ones left on the planet. Creek Chub went out of business around 1980, Dad bought every single one he could find in any store. From an initially stock of maybe 20 these are all I have left.
35 years old, still slaying them and still like new :) Although the one I use has obviously been attacked many, many times (actually have one more where there isn't a dot of paint left and the pock mocks from teeth have rendered it useless)
http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s10/v1...51089853-5.jpg
Jben those are sweet.
I have a red and white beno and the thing is great. So much wiggle it drives fish crazy. I had a 3 piece beno but lost it, it was pretty cool the way it snaked through the water. I can no longer find benos or Canadien wrigglers.... Any one know if they still make em? They were kill on river walleye when I was younger
Just goes to show Houndlover how and why Classics remain classics. I actually have one of dads Canadian Wigglers left as well.:) We used to troll for Walleye and get incidental Lunges. My father never used anything but Benos ( His favourite was Orange with black dots), they worked like stink then, and still do. Somewhere in the war room in another box, that I have an Orange/black dot that's 3 or 4 segments (not sure why my Dad bought that one he never used it) …That things a snake and the action on it is unreal. I haven't seen a Beno in a store in years, if I did I'd buy my Dads favourite Orange/Black.
I used to have a Beno "Eel" that was a killer on walleye.
Thanks for the offer, Sawbill! If they ever break I'll take you up on it. They just seem to keep on running!Quote:
Originally Posted by sawbill
The "eel" that was it :)
Pete dad used Mitchels to, I don't have any left but do have the Ugly stick he bought sometime around 75-80 and used with his Mitchel.
Anyone remember Moss Boss's. If I recall they came out of the Southern States around 1980, first few we got a hold of, we got from Americans. A precusor to todays frogs.
JBen those look great, I really like the older lures with the simple bold colour and design, red and white, black and anything, specially the wood ones. I remember as a kid looking at a magazine called "Fishing Facts" and thinking that some day I'll be able to afford a Heddon plug, Mepp's #5.
I remember the Moss Boss, changed the presentation options with it being so weedless, cool lure.
How about the Spoonplug, anyone remember that one? Another lure that was a bit of a game changer due to it's ability to dive so deep, still have a few lures with Buck Perry's book around here somewhere.
Anyone remember the Heddon "Sonic"? My Dad loved them.
how about the Heddon High Tail looks like a whale LOL still have one
Shakespeare Slim Jim
Creek Chub Pikie
Heddon High Tail
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ldlures001.jpg
Ian
Red and white Pikey and yellow Beno and/or Beno Eel were my favorite bass lure until the Mr twister came along. Never could catch anything on my Sonic or my Pumpkinseed either. Jitterbugs and Hula Poppers are still in my box of tricks.:thumbup:
I thoroughly enjoy reading and seeing these classic lures! Like many, I have my favorites and am down to just one of my all-time favorite, as I watched my second last one swim away due to a poor knot or old line...not really sure!
There is always the option of e-bay to get some of these classic lures, but I've taken to crafting my own by basing the pattern on the remaining one I have left for reference.
Looking at some of these lures, I bet you could get into making your own as well and bring back these classic lures which we all wish had never been replaced as I bet most could catch more fish than a lot of today's lures.
Sierra.
Last evening, this thread inspired me to hit an old Large Mouth pond with some 'classic lures'.
Alot of these old lures I very rarely use and I forgot how well they run.
Anyways, I got down to the pond and tied on an old weedless frog (green), I'm not sure who it's made by, but it's got no name on it, an old guy who was one of the best fishermen I've even know gave it to me years ago, along with a few other old lures. I threw it out there into the thickest reeds in the pond...popped it a few times and noticed it looks great in the water... Pop..pop...pause... SPLASH! missed it! Pop...pop...pop..SPLASH! missed again! This fish has terrible aim. A few casts later and another splash.. He hit it this time. Not a huge fish, not quite 2 pounds I'd say. But still, now I know the thing works. Few more casts, land another one, again, not a huge fish-smaller than the last. The action slowed down abit so I switched up to an old silver 'Flat Fish' I take a few casts and I notice it's a very unique lure. Although it's swims in an odd way, it looks like a lure that would trigger even an fish thats not hungry. The erratic wobble combined with a slow retrieve looks like it would piss off a big fish to point where they'd strike it. I find it needs to be realed slowly or it spirals and spins. Affter a few minutes of casting the flat fish I see a nice bass just sitting in the shallows, he doesn't seem to be feeding, just sitting there. I cast 10 feet past him and slowly reel past him... BAM.... He's on! I knew he couldn't resist!
So eventually I throw on an old 2 piece Rapala... Cast it out... And the thing spins and splashing on the surface when reeled in... The thing is broken, I Threw it back in the box and try an old 1 piece Rapala.
I threw it out and immediately I absoutly LOVE the action. It runs 8 inches below the surface and wobbles like nothing I've seen. The action looks very taunting, I land a few smaller bass on this rapala and pack it in.
It was a great trip, using just old lures. I honestly believe that the old lures have much better action than new ones. (most of them anyway.
Something I noticed, is with the older lures, the user has to do some work. You can't mindlessly crank them threw the water like you can with alot of the newer ones. I find they aren't as stable, and you can't reel to fast or they fall of balance and spin out of control.
I will definitely use some of these old lures more offten, I strongly recommend, if you have and old rapala, give it a try next time your out.
/hits the like button
i use mepps all the time, just landed a few 5 pound brookies with a #1 silver mepps aglia, great lures! my favourite brand for spinners, blue fox i find is not as good.
anyone ever want to see some old tackle , head to Marion's bait and tackle in Havelock, an amazing collection of reels , lures and other fishing related stuff.
Good point sierra might be time to dust off the lathe and get some sandpaper going on some classic designs. Going to start with a simple paint and lure design to see where this goes, time for a new distraction anyways.
Old lures are great, but dont sell short new stuff either. On my latest fishing excursion the hottest thing going was a Live Target Perch. Nothing else could touch it. Before that it was "ol faithful" Cotton Cordell Big O.
I just wanted to share these ones with you guys.Attachment 21736Attachment 21737
Classic tackle...here's one...who can remember "Delfin" spoons....Smorgy...Krocodile....very productive lures...great for all species...heard they're ready to make a comeback after being unavailable for nearly 10 years.
As a 30 year old what really catches my eye from the past is the "black shore minnow" colored crankbaits they look so cool but don't seem to exist anymore except on some surface lures. Call me crazy but a rapala black shore minnow shad rap would be pretty cool, I would buy one lol.
I've used the same Live Target lure, I love them. I have a few different lures from them. It's going to interesting to try the new bait ball lure they came out with.Quote:
Originally Posted by blasted_saber
Another oldie but goodie- the "Go Getter" (I think it was called). A piece of monofilament about 6"-8" long with either a single or double spinner. Tipped with a 4" piece of plastic worm it was deadly on bass for me in the 70's. Trouble was I kept getting cut off by "hammer handle" pike in the Ottawa River.
Do go on.Quote:
Originally Posted by ByerBWar
i have a ton of krocodile spoons, but i am yet to catch anything on them except a few hammer handles, i have steel ones, metal ones, even plastic ones, dont even remember when i got them.
Attachment 22099
First time posting pics, please pardon any mistakes.
Put together a couple wooden Heddon like classic red and white Lucky 13's and a Tadpolly in a kind of lobster look , even found a couple glass eyes for one 13. Happy with the final product but can't see mass production ever being a venture worth following.
Wow Fishfreek, that brought back some old memories.
Tackle box is full of oldies. Mostly passed down from dad.
jitterbugs, green and the one that is like grey and white leopard. Beno ( green with yellow belly), daredevle spoons, Hula Popper ( yellow), and an Heddon "Meadow Mouse", all well used, and still produce.
Then again, my son has just been introduced to fishing, and we do pretty darn well on a hook with worm, split shot, and a bobber too.
Just to add a few that haven't been mentioned the Worden rooster tail was great growing up and the Rebel Crawfish (crayfish) still catches me fish.
I like the classics like original floating rapalas, shad raps in the classic colours (black/silver,black/gold,blue/silver,perch etc though the orange/gold original floating is probably my all time best lure.)
Ah, this brings back fond memories of watching my grandfather catch smallmouth after smallmouth on the St. Lawrence, with his lure of preference being a spinner called a "Shyster". Anyone remember those? I still have the remnants of his tackle box, including an orange Beno and a couple of venerable June Bug spinners.
When I was ten, I believed that a Mepps Black Fury tipped with a piece of crawler could catch anything. Part of me still believes this...
Not sure about others but I found the older lures hard to case. I get much more distance with the new stuff, but maybe it's the new braid line or maybe because I was much worse way back when. They should bring out the Moss Boss again though - frogs are expensive and those things worked!
REPLY: Sometimes classic tackle is all you can catch them on. I’ve seen Mepps, Original Rapala, Hula Poppers and Spinner baits still catching fish in this modern day world. Like anything, the principle is the same but the designs and action is what lure companies are really interested in. Lead core line is still used till this day but reels and rods have changed for the better.
Henry Nguyen
I didn't know that Mepps were considered old lures. They are what I learned to fish with when I passed the worm and bobber stage. Spin casting for trout with Grandpa and my brother in a little stocked pond. I fly fish mostly now, but I have a light weight spin caster set up and a half dozen little spinners for it. Nothing to fancy but it catches fish.
ya old thread but doing looking. But in Newfoundland where i grew up it was mainly worms for trout. Started back into fishing here in Ontario last year or so and head spinning form the options i never even knew existed when i grew up.
But hey I did have 2 things i used. First was some red devil spoons.they worked for flat fish we could get.
Second was something like link below, basic spinner, no hooks or colors, nothing. And still using them now with single hook and work. Pike seam to like this setup :)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/lu...l#.VzpHKhUWXDc
I love the classic lures. I have a few in my tackle box that I use from time to time as well. The only problem I find is the fact that I don't want to loose them. I am stuck somewhere in nostalgia-ville with using a "standby classic" that usually always catches something.. That I may have to come to the realization that they don't make em anymore and I just lost my last one. This is especially true if they hold some special place in my heart for them.
I still have a few moss boss's (though have changed the skirt several times on them. They work great, but would not be upset if I lost them as there are newer types of lures I find work just as good even better. They were one of the "original" weedless top-waters out there. Simple design, to which other companies have expanded upon.
W.
The first lure I caught fish on was Rebel crank bait, bass pattern. Ran out of worms at the cottage and my dad convinced me to try it. I was about 9. We caught a bunch of nice bass and I was hooked.