Bubblegum Trick worm is also on top for me.....especially when I was introduced to the weightless w/ swivel approach in the summer.....

 

As far as newer baits that I was sceptical of but love now is the Jackall Pompadour

Gitzits, Slug-gos & Senkos were all unseemly to me.

One time while bank fishing with some buddies we got some burgers for lunch, and like always I took the pickles off.  So, I put the pickles on my hook (as a joke), and three seconds later my bobber goes down, and catch a nice bass.  After that everybody started using pickles.  I tried to trade for more, but they were like gold. 

I still don't know why spinnerbaits work. I throw them a good bit and catch plenty of fish on them, but they are seriously the dumbest looking baits out there. 

In New Jersey back in the 1970s, "Bunker-Dunking" was all the rage for giant striped bass.

Before sunup, I'd meet the work boats at the pound nets in Raritan Bay, and buy live bunkers for $1 apiece.

We drifted live foot-long menhaden (locally known as 'mossbunkers') on a dropper rig with a sliding egg-sinker.

Unfortunately, when drifting a live bunker your biggest nemesis were the schools of bluefish.

Blues are ravenous toothy fish that would begin at the tail of the live bunker and chop their way forward.

You could feel their sharp jabs like a school of piranhas, but by that time it was too late.

When you retrieved the rig you'd find nothing but the head of the bunker, which we promptly tossed into the ocean.

One day my friend told me that while cleaning a striped bass he found 3 bunker heads in a striper's stomach! 

Since that day we never discarded another bunker head, and actually caught striped bass

by drifting a fish head on a big treble hook. Crazy but true.

 

Roger

Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits still, i dont get it but they work!

........... It was all over after that I proceeded to buy a whole box full of jigs over the winter plus my first baitcaster setup. Spring came and I started to pitch them into cover. Needless to say I am in love its my favorite way to fish now and I am never out without a jig tied on.

 

I too am invested heavy in Jigs.

In the late 70's - early 80's, I missed nearly all of the early buzz bait craze.  I just didn't get how a sinking lure worked as a top water lure.  My only experience with top water baits at the time was a Jitterbug slowly crawled on top of the water, often at night and it only worked when there wasn't any wind.

 

After reading some article in Bassmaster magazine about how great these lures were, I finally bought one and I've had occasional success with it over the years.

Jitterbug, and billed crank, safety pin spinnerbait, jig.

The senko.

This won't be a surprise to the Midwest Finesse guys, but my I stifled a chuckle when my wife put on a bright orange and green marabou crappie jig one slow day a couple of years ago; she immediately started putting LMB in the boat.  No hawgs, but it has been a consistent numbers lure for us when the bass get picky.

Not surprise to Florida fisherman either.  There are times when you can't buy a crappie jig, just sold out every where.  It is one of the best lures for spanish mackerel, small jacks up to 2-3 #, snook are caught on them (while fishing for something else), they excel for peacock bass and blue tilapia.  I've caught many bass with them, 5# not out of the question.