4 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Try throwing them on this

My first two casting reels were 5000's . I put high speed gears in them and Hawg handles  . One was put on a 5'6''" Ugly Stick the other a 5"6" Lews Speed Stick.

For me it was, and to some extent still is, just a plain ol ribbon tail worm...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Honorable mention goes to the Blakemore C.C. Spinner .I won my first club event using it . 1/2 ounce , black , copper blade .

First lure I ever threw was a Rapala Shad Rap Size 9 in perch pattern. We used to camp on Rice Lake and there was a huge weed flat there and it was about 6ft deep.  I would throw the lure into clearings in the weeds and the largies would hit it as soon as I turned the handle.

 

Thirty five years later my confidence bait is any bait that I throw, but I do love throwing a topwater.

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Around 1958 it was the Creme Purple Worm. A few years later the Floating Rapala was introduced. In 

1997 I discovered the Senko. Today the Rage Tail Structure Bug.

 

Holy crap...how old are you? 

Manns Jelly Worm in black for me or a spinnerbait in white.

Mepps Comet Mino.......still carry a couple of them in Gold and Silver.  I found one of these years ago on a bank and caught my first bass on it.  Hooked immediately....both the fish and me.  Used to throw it almost exclusively, now not so much.  Going out tomorrow  and might tie one on for old time sakes.  Great lure.

 

My first confidence bait was a tube with a 1/8 oz jig head. Caught my first bass on that bait and my first DD (on a pressured SoCal lake)

 

Rapala Original Floater (balsa wood plug)

 

Back in the 50s, nearly everyone called this lure a "ra-PAL-uh", but Lauri would be pleased,

because today nearly everyone calls it a "RAP-al-uh". Rather than work it like a 'crankbait',

(a word that didn't exist back then) we fished it as a 'twitch plug' to exploit the buoyancy of balsa wood.

After the lure was cast, you simply wait until the ripples flatten away, then deliver one crisp twitch.

This routine is repeated for 2 or 3 twitches, then the plug is burned back for the next cast.

Needless to say, the floating Rapala still works as well today as it did 60 years ago.

 

A pre-rigged Creme Scoundrel was the lure responsible for my love affair with plastic worms,

which we called "rubber worms" back then. A grotesque creature with a propeller, two red beads

and tandem hooks, yet it caught more bass than any lure in my tackle box. Shortly thereafter,

my go-to worm was the Original Culprit Worm (ribbon-tail worm). My first go-to spinner

was a Shannon Twin Spin, first go-to spoon was a Johnson Silver Minnow,

and first go-to lipless crank was a Heddon Sonic.

 

Roger

 

 

Hmmm! First confidence bait? In 1954 it was any worm (not even night crawler) that my dad hooked on my cane pole. He always spat on it for luck and I always knew it was going to get me a perch or a crappie. Wish he was here to spit on some of the stuff I'm pitching now.  I need all the help I can get!  Er, does this count?

Back in the day, when I was bank bound, I had a different attitude about fishing.  I was interested in catching fish to eat AND I liked bass fishing rather than panfish.  In the ponds I had access to, crappie weren't stocked, so I never got into crappie.  I had read the recently released book on Slider Fishing by Charlie Brewer.

Those days, Slider heads weren't readily available so I had to make do.  I would buy 1/8 crappie jigs by the card, tie on to 6 or 8 lb line on my do it all light action spinning rig and put a 4" Uncle Josh Split tail eel or a double tail as a trailer on the crappie jig.

 

Crappie jigs had to be red head, chartreuse chenille body and a white caribou tail.   Pork trailer had to be brown.  The idea was to "polish the rocks" or whatever the bottom was made of.  In grass, nick the tops of whatever grass was there.   I lost a lot of baits but I caught a lot of fish.

Inline spinner for me.  Used the mepps a lot but my favorite was a Blue Fox Super Vibrax foxtail in rainbow trout color 1/4 oz. Oh man that thing would slay!  Similar to mepps but easier to fish a little deeper.  

 

Good thread!  Reminds me that I have to order a couple for the nephews! They are pond fishing addicts right now and mepps is their go to lure. It'll be fun to see them try something new!  

My first was a white Mr. Twister brand white curly tail grub on an 1/8 oz. jighead. I wore the crappie out on it one day with my dad and his friend. All they had were poles and minnows. They bought the local tackle shop out on the way home.

 

For bass it was probably a Rebel Deep Wee R. When I got a second combo it became the T rigged 6" worm.

1 hour ago, RoLo said:

 

R

A pre-rigged Creme Scoundrel was the lure responsible for my love affair with plastic worms,

which we called "rubber worms" back then. A grotesque creature with a propeller, two red beads

and tandem hooks, yet it caught more bass than any lure in my tackle box.

 

Roger

 

 

It always looked like the nerd of the tackle section, not to be taken seriously, like it was wearing a propeller beanie. But my older cousin wore me out at his little pond using one.

Roostertail spinner or single tail grub on a 1/8oz head.

 

Now I have confidence in most of what I fish.

 

Allen

This thread Brings back great memories...

4" creme scoundrel and it absolutely had to be nightcrawler colored. Texas rigged weightless with a #1 offset work hook. Light spinning tackle. Just wasn't fair for the fish...

When I was a young boy growing up in South Easter Kansas I lived with my Grandparents on their large farm... The farm consisted of a large pasture for the dairy heard to graze in... The farm had a Creek running thru the property from surrounding areas... The pasture had three Tank/Ponds that had Cat Fish, Bull Heads, and Bluegills in them... My creek fishing consisted of live bait fishing with Night Crawlers, Grub Worms, and Crickets, that I would dig out of the ground from the barn yard areas, plus the Cray Daddies that I would trap in the Creek... The Grasshoppers would come in season during late Summer and were very easy to catch with a Butterfly Net... I used these baits in the three Tank/Ponds also.... I can't remember the exact month but my Grandfather had to go to town on his once a monthly business visit and I went with his to the General Feed Store in Arma Kansas... The owner had started selling fishing supplies... I saw this rod and reel combination which I pick up and played with it and kept asking the owner Mr. Norman a bunch of questions about it, most of which he tried his best to answer... Well my Grandfather saw that I have fallen in "LOVE" with the fishing rod and reel and ask Mr. Normand how much it was... Apparently he was told what the price was and my Grandfather told him that I had taken a very big likening to it that he would buy it for me... Mr. Norman told my Grandfather that he would give it to me if that was ok with him and this is how I acquired my first rod and reel... Prior to this all that I had been fishing with were two 8' Cane poles with some kind of braided line, Red/White Bobber, a clamp on lead sinker and a "Eagle Claw Live Bait Hook"... Next month we had a out of town trip and were going to Pittsburg Kansas because my Grandmother needed some sewing supplies to make a Winter Quilts... There was 5-10 BEN-FRANKLIN store in town, I ask if I could go and see what else they had in the store... Much to my delight they had a small area that sold fishing items... I bought some "Three Beetle Spins" in assorted colors and some "Small Pinky Jigs" for Bluegills... Now I was really something, at least I thought so at the time... Now 60+ years later I can remember it like it was yesterday. WOW! time sure does fly by very fast when you grow up and get a job, go into the Army, get married, have children, spend time fishing with your Children, Grand Children and Great Grand Children and are active in your community's... Some where along my path in life I lost my First Rod and Reel...

1 hour ago, Hot Rod Johnson said:

When I was a young boy growing up in South Easter Kansas I lived with my Grandparents on their large farm... The farm consisted of a large pasture for the dairy heard to graze in... The farm had a Creek running thru the property from surrounding areas... The pasture had three Tank/Ponds that had Cat Fish, Bull Heads, and Bluegills in them... My creek fishing consisted of live bait fishing with Night Crawlers, Grub Worms, and Crickets, that I would dig out of the ground from the barn yard areas, plus the Cray Daddies that I would trap in the Creek... The Grasshoppers would come in season during late Summer and were very easy to catch with a Butterfly Net... I used these baits in the three Tank/Ponds also.... I can't remember the exact month but my Grandfather had to go to town on his once a monthly business visit and I went with his to the General Feed Store in Arma Kansas... The owner had started selling fishing supplies... I saw this rod and reel combination which I pick up and played with it and kept asking the owner Mr. Norman a bunch of questions about it, most of which he tried his best to answer... Well my Grandfather saw that I have fallen in "LOVE" with the fishing rod and reel and ask Mr. Normand how much it was... Apparently he was told what the price was and my Grandfather told him that I had taken a very big likening to it that he would buy it for me... Mr. Norman told my Grandfather that he would give it to me if that was ok with him and this is how I acquired my first rod and reel... Prior to this all that I had been fishing with were two 8' Cane poles with some kind of braided line, Red/White Bobber, a clamp on lead sinker and a "Eagle Claw Live Bait Hook"... Next month we had a out of town trip and were going to Pittsburg Kansas because my Grandmother needed some sewing supplies to make a Winter Quilts... There was 5-10 BEN-FRANKLIN store in town, I ask if I could go and see what else they had in the store... Much to my delight they had a small area that sold fishing items... I bought some "Three Beetle Spins" in assorted colors and some "Small Pinky Jigs" for Bluegills... Now I was really something, at least I thought so at the time... Now 60+ years later I can remember it like it was yesterday. WOW! time sure does fly by very fast when you grow up and get a job, go into the Army, get married, have children, spend time fishing with your Children, Grand Children and Great Grand Children and are active in your community's... Some where along my path in life I lost my First Rod and Reel...

Wow! What a great story. Very vivid detail and I could picture it all in my head the whole time I was reading

Back in the middle 60's the Abu Reflex Spinner was the artificial bait that I used to catch my first Smallmouth. We got an awful lot of smallies on those spinners. 

First was a May Fly (dry) when I was a kid

 

Fast forward 35 yrs and a 4 inch GY black/blue

17 hours ago, Scott F said:

Back in the middle 60's the Abu Reflex Spinner was the artificial bait that I used to catch my first Smallmouth.

We got an awful lot of smallies on those spinners. 

 

Back in the 60s, the 'in-line spinner' was probably the most commonly seen lure in New Jersey.

One of the first spinner/fly combinations (if not the first) was the now extinct "cockatoush",

but there was a horde of in-line spinners to follow. To name a few:

> Hawaiian Wiggler

> ABU Reflex

> Mepps Anglia

> CP Swing

> Shyster

> Panther Martin

> Blue Fox Vibrax

> Road Runner

> Rooster Tail
> ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Roger

 

14 hours ago, Catt said:

 

From age 10 to about 14 I didn't know there were any other lures made lol. I say that in jest, but I have caught more fish on an H&H than I have all other baits combined I would guess.

First confidence bait - Jointed Rapala floater  (perch color). I fished those things not stop as a youngster.

A chrome rat-l-trap caught my first fish on a lure. I only had 3 lures cuz I just never had luck with any. Live bait is and maybe always will be my go to. That being said, I have a lot more than than three lures now. 

As a kid, my two confidence baits for bass were a crawfish-colored Rebel Deep Wee R and a black-backed chrome Cotton Cordell Spot.  For trout, a yellow roostertail.

Purple auger tail worm.   That worm was money back in the mid 80s!!!!

 

big o crank bait.  The original square bill.  

The first artificial bait that was really my go to bait was a Cordell Big-O.  I think it was the 1/4 ounce size.