What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

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BloodyChamp
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What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

Every time I go to replace a lure besides a Rapala I'm shocked at how hard it is to find it sometimes. I can always find my main lures like various Rebel lures and Mepps spinners without looking to hard thanks to the internet now but I've found that a ton of stuff that I CAUGHT a ton of stuff on is history and I just didn't ever notice because it was replaceable. I'd simply replace it with whatever I could find that worked. For instance, I used to be a big fan of the fat Bomber crankbaits but fat crankbaits are everywhere now. The Renosky crawfish jig was another one, the most realistic slow fishing bait ever imo, but I live without it because jig fishing around here is a waste of time with our massive structure and grass get ups lol! It was ace when I could fish with it but I'd always lose it sooner than later so I eventually jigs with plastic worms altogether.

Anyway there is 1 out of production lure that I can't go fishing without - the Creek Chub injured minnow, short devilhorse type version with the flat side. I've gotten the most finnicky fish to bite those atleast once on dead days. They catch some of everything to. Strictly a bass bait they are not! I think the advantage it has over so many other lures it that the flat side allows to merely plop down when flung through the air, rather than go SPALOOSH like so many other fat lures, while the wooden aspect makes it heavier and able to cast easier and farther than the round knockoffs (I realize that contradicts my old fandom for Bomber...I hardly ever use fats cranks anymore for that reason). I can't really explain it but it seems like the first splash can't be overkill, but as long as it isn't you can catch finnicky fish on any kind of bait that makes noise after the first splash as long as the first splash isn't overkill.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by fishinbug »

I have a Heddon Big Head lure that was deadly on snook. It is waiting for climate change to expand the snook's range to the Big Bend. It happens to be bone colored with an orange spot on the throat.

http://www.lurelore.com/bighedd.html
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by Part-Time Gypsy »

Lure designs seem to be cyclical. Every 8 or 10 years it seems like your old favorite may make a comeback. I'm guessing it's to spark interest and encourage buyers to snatch them up.

I have a balsa Luhr Jensen Jerk-N-Sam in Firetiger with a white bucktail that I guard closely. It's deadly on all sorts of species, fresh and salt, particularly where submerged grass doesn't quite reach the surface. I found a couple in other colors at an older bait and tackle shop with numerous "antiques" still hanging on the pegs, including some old wooden Bomber lures. I love browsing those older, out of the way shops for those rare finds. I always like finding the retired Heddon, Arbogast or Luhr Jensen baits...they appealed to me most as a kid.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by kikstand454 »

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find the fishing line I have loved and used exclusively the last 12+ years-. Yozuri hybrid/ ultrasoft. Its still out there.....but it's getting harder to find the right size and its also getting expensive. *Sigh* I may have to switch to p-line cxx.... which is the comparable next best thing.



In regards to your creek chub injured minnow, there are alot of custom bait makers that have a similar version.....even some still in balsa.
The closest mass production one I have found is the mirro-prop 10mr.

https://www.google.com/search?q=creek+c ... +prop+lure
BloodyChamp
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

Ironically, I've decided I'm done with Rapala. I don't know what the deal is but the plastic lips have broke off of the last several I've had and I've been fishing with them my whole life, having never had this happen.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

Does anybody know what these are called? I found them on Craigslist.

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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by WannaDoDat »

Not sure, BloodyChamp, but looks similar to the Rapala Jointed Shad Rap.

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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by bk »

Berkeley frenzy popper!
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

I emailed the guy but he hasn't responded. It's not a Rapala...no way. Way to detailed and the eyes are to big. It looks like a Berkley design (the upper bend) but I can't find anything of Berkley's that matches up. I have a crush on it lol!
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

I'm bored at work so I thought I'd dump another question here. How has Hildebrandt's only product to ever hit a store shelf in my lifetime been the 14 lb Snagless Sally with a propeller blade lol!!!!!!

Hildebrandt is the only inline spinner I know that always works, and they have made a ton of cool versions over the years, particularly the lighter stuff. Mepps usually works but they've ticked me off a time or 10 in slower water, plus their blades aren't bright like a Hildebrandt. Wordens...what a joke. A properly working inline spinner will catch a few fish when nothing else will. I also like to keep them for my mullet fishing.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by kikstand454 »

A can neither confirm nor deny that the Snagless Sally in yellow w/#4 blade, is the greatest tidal water bass lure ever. Also it is rumored that these can be found with some consistency at both Kevin's and Crum's.

Hildebrandt makes an excellent bent arm spinnerbait as well.....on par with war eagle and many cottage shop baits. It's expensive though.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

kikstand454 wrote:A can neither confirm nor deny that the Snagless Sally in yellow w/#4 blade, is the greatest tidal water bass lure ever. Also it is rumored that these can be found with some consistency at both Kevin's and Crum's.
The story I told about catching 20 bass at the mouth of the Aucilla was on a Mepps that felt like working that day so inline spinners out there...yeah!

I had a bad experience in Kevin's :evil:
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

I've since learned that the Renosky Crawfish jig I referenced in the first post was called the Rattling Craw. It was the coolest bait...the traditional jig skirt had more of the little pieces than others so it looked alot better. There were also these other little tentacle type things that stood above the skirt. Does anybody remember that little number? It looked kinda goofy in your hand but when it bumped through the water it looked like genius. Under all of that was a very well made set of crawfish claws that stuck out of the end. The dirty orange color was my favorite, 1 of the few colors that blended in well with some of the water around here that isn't like the water on the fishing shows if you get my drift.

Renosky still makes cool lures.l every now and then apparently. I just saw their skirted frog top water lure in Walmart. It was the best looking frog in there and the best looking top water lure in there but it was the only Renosky lure in there and the only 1 I've seen sporadically over the last 15 years or so. Their Facebook is dead and their site is a dump. Very little info and the online catalog wouldn't download.

Poking around the internet I found that they'd made something called the Roto Craw that was similar to the Rattling Craw a few years ago but it's history outside of Ebay and such. The only Rattling Craws I found was on some other action site, a bundle of 5 and the bidless action was closed.
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by BloodyChamp »

Over the past year or so I’ve learned alot about old fishing lures! I never knew there were so many, and I never knew there were so many that worked. Alot of what I learned came from a FB group I joined where people buy and sell them, and just post pics of their collections for the heck of it.

If you remember I had to swear off Rapala. Rebel is still great in general but my 2nd favorite lure ever is 1 they make, the small jointed minnow, and the last few I’ve bought have swam drunk. This had never happened before so obviously something has changed. They can be adjusted but the more you adjust 1 the weaker it gets and it eventually breaks.

So now I’ve got a nasty little idea. I’d hate to destroy antique baits by fishing with them so I was thinking of buying 2 every time I need 1. 1 to fish with and 1 to keep safe forever.

I don’t doubt a Cisco Kid, a River Runt, or a jointed Creek Chub minnow can load a bucket or 2. There are plenty of other examples I’ve been impressed with. And if they swim right I won’t buy anything else lol!
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Re: What out of production lure do you still use? Or atleast keep in your tackle box no matter what?

Post by fishinbug »

A yellow Creek Chub Darter was my Dad's go to lure whenever he went to Chokoloskee.
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