I didn't buy these, but one of my best bud's did:  https://www.buymightybite.com/?mid=4546604

Never got a single bite!

 

This lure was advertised in the back of magazines when I was 10.  It was called the Vibra Bat lure.  Absolutely worthless!

i bought the banjo minnow and it is a good bait....i also nose hooked more baits because of using that bait.  

I bought some prerigged   , weedless Yum Sweetcheeks swimbaits . They had eyes that rattled and a hole for adding scents . I never did add any scents but they are very good fish catchers . Bass slam them hard . Dont remember the name of them . They didnt sell I guess because they look  gimmicky but I would gladly buy more . 

Banjo minnow

On 1/22/2016 at 8:01 AM, Master Bait'r said:

Oh man, what was the one that "The Other KVD" in the Mystery Tackle Box videos had...  Spinnerhelicopterfrogpopperblade or something crazy...  I'm way off but I about fell out of my chair laughing when I saw that one haha

I think it was the fropwaterspinnercrank. I might be wrong though.

I think the buzzbait is gimmick lure in terms of looking at it out the package and wondering why would they hit that but as most fisherman know they are a very effective bait when used in the right situation . 

mighty bite

 

Banjo Minnow and I would love to run across a clearance sale on them somewhere. My dad had some in his workshop and gave them to me last year, they are going to make great swim jig trailers this year. 

You know I have a lot of respect for Ray Scott founder of B.A.S.S., but over the years I think he has gotten involved with business people who may have used him and his name to make some money or, for all I know it is his own invention, either way, his battery operated lighted soft rubber baits is one of the more unusual I have seen sold...

Some years ago I did some research for one particular tackle manufacturer museum and did some research into patents for rods and reels and even lures and I can tell you there are some really weird lure patents on record, many of which were either never marketed or marketed and did so poorly virtually no one ever heard of them or even remembers them. One day I'll have to do some posting of those patents for some good laughs!

On January 21, 2016 at 8:07 PM, Scott F said:

What is the gimmick with a nose hooked soft plastic which is what the Banjo Minnow is?

Now the Helicopter lure was a gimmick.

The helicopter lure... I'm guilty of buying those years ago. I was a kid then.  LOL  

 

This one is quite different. From my own collection.

Hootie

 

Isn't "all-time best" contrary to the whole idea of something being a gimmick?

I've always been partial to the "Dance's Eel."  I still have a 25+ year old original version taking up space in a tackle box. It always looks like it ought to catch fish, I've just never been able to get a fish to agree...

On 1/22/2016 at 9:01 AM, Master Bait'r said:

Oh man, what was the one that "The Other KVD" in the Mystery Tackle Box videos had...  Spinnerhelicopterfrogpopperblade or something crazy...  I'm way off but I about fell out of my chair laughing when I saw that one haha

On 1/29/2016 at 7:11 PM, Derekbass02 said:

I think it was the fropwaterspinnercrank. I might be wrong though.

I would totally fish the fropwaterspinnercrank.

 

 

On ‎1‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 8:17 PM, gulfcaptain said:

How about this one.......lol

I've got that and a Schlitz spoon to go with it

Oh this has been fun. A couple more that I didn't see mentioned would be the French Vie Vief minnow and the Bill Plumber Frog. Funny thing is both of these have morphed into present day baits that are very productive. I agree that the Banjo minnow isn't a gimick bait and still use them for certain things but then again Wayne Hockmeyer wasn't trying to build a gimmick he set out to build a better Mann's Sharow or at least a bait that would do the things a shadow could do only better. It was fun watching some of the evolution of the Banjo. What was the name of those worms that would coil and uncoil? Those were kind of out there to me.

On January 21, 2016 at 11:18 PM, deaknh03 said:

Chuck Woolery marketed those..I have a couple different designs.

Here are two of them. Lol

If it catches fish... found this one on facebook today

Don't ask! I have no idea what it is...

Yum Money Hound; only 'soft' plastic lure that I needed an electric drill to rig it....and forget about it compressing for a hook set.