I just learned the Original Silver Buddy is being made again. Jack "Buddy" Banks of Flatwoods, KY invented this lure. In the mid 90s he retired and turned the business over to his son Kendall. Kendall passed away and the lure was no longer being made. Jack has come out of retirement and is making them again. In my opinion it is the best cold water Smallmouth bait ever made. Here is a link to his website.

http://www.silverbuddy.com

Kelley

Kelley-

We were using Heddon Sonars and Silver Buddy's last weekend to catch Walleyes on the Mississippi. My Brother-in-law was using a bait called a Zip. They were all working.

Kind of like ice fishing out of a boat.

Never heard of the lure before, gonna have to give a try out on Lake St. Clair.

Never heard of the lure before, gonna have to give a try out on Lake St. Clair.

Let it fall to bottom on semi slack line and slow roll near bottom. Fish paralell to weed lines. Rip out of weeds like a rattle trap.

Kelley

They've been available around here for a while.  I've never not seen them on the shelves.

Never heard of the lure before, gonna have to give a try out on Lake St. Clair.

You ain 't an old fart ... yet, like many of us. 

That's old news. The newer models are made in Florida and have been for almost 2 years.

They come with what looks like galvanized hooks.

When Jack "Buddy" Banks retired from the Railroad in the mid '90s he turned the business over to his son Kendall.  Kendall had a nice setup in Flatwoods KY where the Silver Buddy was made.  I was in his place in 1998.  Kendall passed away from a heart condition a couple years ago and Jack moved the machinery to FL where he had retired and resumed making this bait. 

I don't know what brand hook are being used now but will soon as I ordered a dozen.  If they don't suit me I will change them as I do with most of my baits.

Kelley

I found the only blade bait that was better than the Silver Buddy-I used the silver buddy for over 20 years. this is called the Binsky-Hands down the best I have used-great vibration -great flash -great hooks and it produces fish-killer in the winter /cold months- sorry for posting the site but check them out- www.fishsenselures.com   baba Binsky

I found the only blade bait that was better than the Silver Buddy-I used the silver buddy for over 20 years. this is called the Binsky-Hands down the best I have used-great vibration -great flash -great hooks and it produces fish-killer in the winter /cold months- sorry for posting the site but check them out- www.fishsenselures.com baba Binsky

Link doesn't work....for me, anyway? As far as using the blade baits goes, I'd recommend a different presentation. Cast it out and let it settle. Then barely twitch it off the bottom until you just start to feel the vibrations. Stop immediately and let it settle again. You'll feel the hit! 

I found the only blade bait that was better than the Silver Buddy-I used the silver buddy for over 20 years. this is called the Binsky-Hands down the best I have used-great vibration -great flash -great hooks and it produces fish-killer in the winter /cold months- sorry for posting the site but check them out- www.fishsenselures.com baba Binsky

Great looking bait Bobby.  The only thing I don't like about them is having to guess which hole to use.  With the Silver Buddy you always get it in the right hole.

Kelley

Triton21, the hook is still the same split shaft model that doesn't require a split ring. The older Buddys had such weak hooks, I usually replaced them with a split ring and Owner Stinger Treble. That setup causes the hooks to get hung up on each other, on the body, or on the snap. Even though it is annoying at times, it is still better than taking a chance of loosing a big bass due to a weak hook. I've got about 100 of the 1/4 oz. size with no hooks that were given to a friend of Kendall. He got bags of them in various sizes and didn't use the 1/4 size. I told him I used the 1/4 the most often. Those were production defects that are barely noticeable.

Great looking bait Bobby. The only thing I don't like about them is having to guess which hole to use. With the Silver Buddy you always get it in the right hole.

Kelley

Kelley-

Has getting it in the right hole been a problem for you? ;D

(You had to expect that one)

P.S.

Link didn't work for me either.

I can't begin to count the number of Lake Erie smallies that fell to my 1/2oz Silver Buddies.  Mostly I cast it out and then ripped it off the bottom.  Almost every fish came on the drop.  There were many that I never even felt the strike.  I'd just watch the line on the drop and if it started coiling on the surface I'd set the hook.  The only "lookalike" that came close was one made in Ohio called a "Silver Lucky".  Don't know if those are even made any longer.  The SB is, IMO, the greatest blade bait ever made.  One thing I did notice is that the newer ones made after the original owner retired didn't seem to have the same action as the older ones.  The old ones had a plain, unfinished blob of lead on them.  The newer ones I had were painted to match the blade.

Glenn probibly has a block on it-security reasons I guess- just copy and paste it-these are the best blade baits I have ever used.  www.fishsenselures.com copy and paste it.

Great looking bait Bobby. The only thing I don't like about them is having to guess which hole to use. With the Silver Buddy you always get it in the right hole.

Kelley

Kelley-

Has getting it in the right hole been a problem for you? ;D

(You had to expect that one)

P.S.

Link didn't work for me either.

No problem if it is a 3 hole lure Ken.

Kelley

Glenn probibly has a block on it-security reasons I guess- just copy and paste it-these are the best blade baits I have ever used. www.fishsenselures.com copy and paste it.

It looks like the semicolon was in the first link?

How does everyone fish these lures?

I found the only blade bait that was better than the Silver Buddy-I used the silver buddy for over 20 years. this is called the Binsky-Hands down the best I have used-great vibration -great flash -great hooks and it produces fish-killer in the winter /cold months- sorry for posting the site but check them out- www.fishsenselures.com baba Binsky

Dude..............You got the bait monkey whispering in my ear.......

I've been using these with success lately

smallmouth41...yeah, you want to try a silver buddy (or the binsky) on the St.Clair smallies. anywhere you fish a hopkins (you do fish a hopkins, right?) you can fish the SB.

TJ

The bait monkey strikes again.  I purchased a few of the Binsky lures.  Looking forward to trying them as soon as the ice is gone!