I've found several high end baits by lucky craft and megabass and quite a few bandits, bombers, and normans. One spot I like to fish a lot is an old deserted swimming beach with a big drop off. Most of the time the wind on the lake blows towards that bank. I've probably found 50 lures over the years at the edge of the water on the beach that got blown from the rest of the lake by wind and waves. Also another lake I fish does a winter drawdown and it's always a great time to go walking the banks. I always find cover and new fishing spots for when the water is back up like springs and brushpiles, and usually find several lures in the process

When I was a kid I would hit the pond for bank fishing every day during the summer. I would get there at dawn and often find floating lures that had washed ashore. My 2 most memorable are a heddon meadow mouse and a heddon hedd hunter. Still have them. 

Glad you started this thread.  

I don't have any stories that can rival the stellar ones on here but here's my score:

One spot has yielded over a dozen plastic worms that allowed me to try several types out to see what I like.

At another spot I used the tree trimmer to work away on the "lure tree."  I got a very dirty look from some lady walking past.  "What are you doing!!??" she demanded.  When I calmly explained the hazard that the lines and hooks left in the tree posed to wildlife, her expression changed and she thanked me for being so thoughtful and taking the time to eliminate the risk for our birds.

Another spot I go to eats my T-rigged plastics like crazy - because I toss them directly into or over brush piles (I know).   In return, this spot has given me back two good rapalas.  One is a nice scatter rap shad size 7 in Helsinki Shad.  I took her home, gave her new trebles, and first cast back at work, she caught me a nice bass.  

"Pro" beachcomber tip: I gave the scatter rap and a number of other finds with pond scum a vigorous scrubbing with my wife's Phillips Sonicare toothbrush set to "whiten".  I added a little extra baking soda to the toothpaste for that extra shine.  Works really great and gives your baits that nice minty smell.  The bass don't seem to mind the flavor.  I now have a dedicated sonicare head for pond scum.

 

I do most of my bass fishing from a kayak. I really enjoy getting close to the water, and being able to draft in inches of water. I have a few places I frequent when I'm not catching and go look for lures. There's a spot behind and island that I know of, where the water Eddy's up in a pocket and everything that floats collects there. I find mainly salmon lures, which is funny because I don't really fish for salmon. It gives me something to play around with though. I probably have 11 kwikfish from just this season all out of the river.  I also pull line off of pilings and trees at low tide. Not many bass lures, but I do have a gallon zip lock crammed with herring flashers. Along with lots of wobblers. It is a fun pastime of mine. 

Also, baking soda and a scotch bite pad work wonders on any lure scum!

 

KVD 1.5 in chart./black back.  I lost it on the next trip out with it.  Now its somebody else's turn

Being a shore guy I come across a few things that the boaters lose on shoreline roughage.  Off the top of my head I've found a couple of lipless cranks and a KVD 2.5 squarebill, and a LuckyCraft FlashPointer that had their bodies in perfect condition and just needed the hooks replaced.  There was a large Zara Spook which was amazingly not rusted at all which is a good thing considering the Zara Spook hooks are mounted on those hardmount points on the bottom.  There was a Yamamoto Shibuki popper that looked just out of the package and had to have been lost the previous day.  I found a Jackall Aragon buried 3/4 deep in mud but when I pulled it out and cleaned it off it was in mint shape, even the hooks were sharp and not rusted.  Best thing I've found though was a Leatherman Wave multitool...

This is interesting, amazing the amount of stuff that had been lost fishing 

Best is probably a jointed shad rap in craw color. Most interesting was a 4 inch chub still alive with a hook in him and a weight attached. I let the little guy go to get eaten!!!

9 hours ago, Dan_the_fisher said:

This is interesting, amazing the amount of stuff that had been lost fishing 

Nice video,I have been doing this for years and have found quite a collection of rods,reels,artificial lures,and other stuff.

Other than a Boogerman buzzbait, no lures to speak of.  Dozens of bobbers from crappie fisherman though.  I haven't bought a bobber in 15 uears.

On 9/2/2016 at 0:15 PM, OCdockskipper said:

Most expensive usable lure I "found" was a Storm Arashi crankbait...

This is no longer true, I have a new PB found lure.

While fishing Saturday, I saw something near surface of the water.  I motored over to it and at first thought it was a dead bluegill attached to some kind of fish stringer.  As I reached down for it, I realized it was a medium sized hard body swimbait in bluegill color (Jackall Gantrel Jr.).  Great lure, it even fooled me.  Took it home & it cleaned up well (before & after pictures below).

In regards to the poor soul who lost a $30 swimbait, I am 99% sure it wasn't one of the other two serious fisherman on the lake.  Since I found it close to a green belt area that is accessible to the public, my theory is that a knowledgeable fisherman who doesn't have lake rights snuck down here to do some fishing and hung up the lure on something.  If it was another homeowner or a guest of a homeowner, most likely they would have jumped in a boat and motored over to retrieve it.  I do get this is Orange County, but a $30 floating bait is worth some effort in retrieving.

I have found tons of plastics and crappie jigs, but my two best finds were a fire tiger bomber crank and a RC STX jerkbaits with modified hooks

lots of em, they catch fish too!

7 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

This is no longer true, I have a new PB found lure.

While fishing Saturday, I saw something near surface of the water.  I motored over to it and at first thought it was a dead bluegill attached to some kind of fish stringer.  As I reached down for it, I realized it was a medium sized hard body swimbait in bluegill color (Jackall Gantrel Jr.).  Great lure, it even fooled me.  Took it home & it cleaned up well (before & after pictures below).

In regards to the poor soul who lost a $30 swimbait, I am 99% sure it wasn't one of the other two serious fisherman on the lake.  Since I found it close to a green belt area that is accessible to the public, my theory is that a knowledgeable fisherman who doesn't have lake rights snuck down here to do some fishing and hung up the lure on something.  If it was another homeowner or a guest of a homeowner, most likely they would have jumped in a boat and motored over to retrieve it.  I do get this is Orange County, but a $30 floating bait is worth some effort in retrieving.

Score!

I thought this was a fun thread, so I'll bump it up with my find from yesterday:

 

 

I added new split rings and trebles and she's ready to go again. Usually the lures I've found were better off lost anyway, so this was a real surprise.

Found a Spro Bronzeye Shad in perch sitting on top of some weeds. Was still in great shape. 

Best I've found was a brand new looking whopper plopper 90. Found a few decent topwater poppers & a rapala shadow rap too. 

My 2 best were a SPRO BBZ and some Muskie crankbait. The SPRO I found at Black Hills thinking it was a dead fish.  The Muskie crankbait I found wading the Potomac and thought it was a kids toy at first.  Both of these baits run about  $30 each and I gave both of them away since theyare not something I would use. 

 

Also caught a Walmart spinning combo one day that still had the price stickers on it. I gave it to some kids fishing down the river from me.

 

Allen 

Bass Pro Shop Tornado Spinnerbait .

There is a lake that is not too far from me that is private with the exception of one public dock. Several years ago I was fishing late into November using a jerkbait. Felt the light get slightly heave only to find that I had some how managed to catch a LC Pointer 120. Had it snagged somehow. Bait still had usable hooks and was in decent shape. Ended up tying it on that day and catching 2 fish on it.

I can't add anything to this post other than to say that I need to get out more apparently.

I usually find things like bullet weights, or bobbers. I find baits when the lake levels start dropping. 

2 yes 2 Rico poppers in a tree.  

earlier this year i snagged a line that had a castaic buzzbait.

it was my go to bait all spring and summer till i dropped it in the water like an idiot.

i had some epic days with it and it still stings that i dont have it anymore.

My most recent find fishing my local creek was a Rapala x rap 2.5" I Wana say my lure got snagged on thr line so I waded out and came up with it minus the rear treble missing the feather pretty good shape