On 2/5/2020 at 9:06 AM, BassNJake said:

This thread is right up my alley!!

 

I throw a buzz toad 90% of the time March thru November

It's all about the blow up for me

 

My dad said I always used to love a jack in the box and this is the exact same feeling

Crank the handle, crank the handle, BOOM Blow up!!

 

 

 

Just curious, what’s your toad of choice?

On 2/4/2020 at 1:46 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I'm pretty much "Frank" except less successful. Worm is the best!!!

If you have to pick one... That's a safe bet!

When Pappy took us to Ontario he took three large tackle boxes yet when bass fishing the three of us threw the same coachman jitterbug, all day long. Often he would tell me where to throw mine and follow up with not there; here! and he would catch that bass under the dock, etc.

 

I'm still thrilled by top-water action.

I have a friend who occasionally goes with me that only wants to use a bubblegum weightless Trick Worm. And he works it so slow it stays on bottom and catches fish with it. I call it the (his name) method.

 

When my dad and I were getting into bass fishing, my dad only used plastic worms. He was of the opinion that they would catch bass better than any other bait in any situation. I made him rethink that as I got into other techniques. But it still will consistently catch bass in most situations.

Years ago, I'm thinking late 80's possibly early 90's there was a guy that won a B.A.S.S. tournament. I can't remember his name, but It was in the series that the Opens replaced. I don't feel that he was a "traveling pro", more of a local that got picked. Anyway, he won by running up to the trailrace of Wilson Dam in Alabama catching smallies. The guy was fishing from a Bullet Bass Boat. He won the tournament throwing a smoke colored grub on spinning tackle. When they asked what else he used, he replied "nothing, all I carry is smoke colored grubs, some jig heads and two spinning rods." That has stuck with me all of these years. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of confidence!

8 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

Years ago, I'm thinking late 80's possibly early 90's there was a guy that won a B.A.S.S. tournament. I can't remember his name, but It was in the series that the Opens replaced. I don't feel that he was a "traveling pro", more of a local that got picked. Anyway, he won by running up to the trailrace of Wilson Dam in Alabama catching smallies. The guy was fishing from a Bullet Bass Boat. He won the tournament throwing a smoke colored grub on spinning tackle. When they asked what else he used, he replied "nothing, all I carry is smoke colored grubs, some jig heads and two spinning rods." That has stuck with me all of these years. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of confidence!

 

Leon Tidwell, 2001. I believe he just recently passed away.

On 2/4/2020 at 4:58 PM, Mike L said:

You know why Frank is successful with just one bait??

You said it yourself.,

”Maybe we over think this stuff”.....
“He had the utmost confidence in his bait choice”.....

“Maybe we should be driven by confidence first”.....

All so true. 

Most of us think that if “this” isn’t working then “that” must be better. 
Then we add in the different colors, sizes, action of every new choice and before we know it we’re more confused than when we started.

‘Ol Frank might be old and set in his ways but most of us can learn a lesson from the ‘ol guy. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Ha, not to mention all of time wasted not-fishing, while we decide what to use next, cut off and tie on 100 times...or stare at the 10+ rods we brought, trying to decide which one to try next. 

On 2/5/2020 at 2:06 AM, Hammer 4 said:

There's  guy, in his 60's that had been fishing a local park lake. He only used 1 type of worm, a 7" ribbon tail in Grape. Not so unusual, but he's caught the biggest bass out of lake, one went 12 lbs, and a few over 10 lbs..And as you may have guessed, a bunch of the locals started tossing the same bait.

I'm guessing that they probably didn't have the same luck?

A T-Rigged worm or Jig n trailer will catch bass in 90% of situations most anglers are presented with.

I was self taught in fishing and in my learning curve used pretty much everything and learned as I went. After quite a few years tailrace fishing for stripers - smallies - and hybrids with plastics the experience changed my fishing totally. No longer gotta have every new gizmo that comes out, Senko and creature style baits and it just got better the more I fished them. 

 

I am like Frank a lot now with just four style plastic lures all T-rigged with screw locs. Hooks are the most important and color to me is everything and what I tune with trip to trip. Just a side note but O Zone lures have replaced senkos a lot for me cause they have that live bait feel that they hold on to when they pick em' up. 

 

Lots of lures or just a couple.....learn to fish them well : )

Got a friend who throws a Stanley Vibra Shaft 3/8 oz double gold willowleaf with a white skirt. He fishes out of a 16' Alweld with a 40 hp Merc, 70# thrust trolling motor with no depth finder. He will launch out of Fin-n-Feather marina heading west within casting of the shoreline & fish all the way back to the end of Housen' Bayou. He limits out every single time! 

 

Back in the 70s there was a local guy on Toledo Bend who use to take all our money. His tackle box consisted of a small brown paper bag that contained a pack of 3/0 straight shank hooks, a pack of 1/4 oz bullet weights & a sack of Mr Twister Phenom Worms. 

I throw a Whopper Plopper 99% of the time when kayak fishing shallow rivers, which is about 50% of my fishing. I rarely throw it any other time. The rest of the time it's mostly a Neko Rig or T-Rig, but I like to throw the jerkbait and ned rig in early spring and late fall.

On 6/27/2021 at 11:29 PM, jtharris3 said:

Just curious, what’s your toad of choice?

I think I've tried them all. I like more action so a horny hoad is pretty much last.

I like the keitech noisy flapper and the rage tail toad but have pretty much settled for buying humping toads in bulk from ebay for cost .

I'll use a wood engraver to remelt where there hook tears thru the nose and the spots I bury the point into.

11 hours ago, Team9nine said:

 

Leon Tidwell, 2001. I believe he just recently passed away.

The name sounds right, guess I was off on the year. Thank you for finding and posting Mr. Tidwell's name.

It's me... I'm Frank.... I just want a jig, all the time.  Sometimes I pitch it, sometimes I swim it, sometimes I drag it but I don't see the point in throwing anything else.  Some days, I may catch more fish if I switch- but I don't.  Some days, the biggest fish in the lake might not want a jig-  That's okay, I'm not a competitive fisherman.  Over the years, I always caught the most fish on a jig and my biggest fish on the jig so I finally said- why fight it?  I carry a couple vibrating jigs for the off chance I really need to switch it up. 

5 hours ago, Catt said:

Got a friend who throws a Stanley Vibra Shaft 3/8 oz double gold willowleaf with a white skirt. He fishes out of a 16' Alweld with a 40 hp Merc, 70# thrust trolling motor with no depth finder. He will launch out of Fin-n-Feather marina heading west within casting of the shoreline & fish all the way back to the end of Housen' Bayou. He limits out every single time! 

 

Back in the 70s there was a local guy on Toledo Bend who use to take all our money. His tackle box consisted of a small brown paper bag that contained a pack of 3/0 straight shank hooks, a pack of 1/4 oz bullet weights & a sack of Mr Twister Phenom Worms. 

Catt, I went to a seminar by Larry Nixon at the sports show in KCMO I think in the mid 1980s. He actually mentioned this guy, and said" always watch out for a guy with a paper sack with some plastic worms. He's probably pretty good". Then at the end of his seminar he held up a plastic worm and said" learn this". I always remembered his advice.

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

He actually mentioned this guy, and said" always watch out for a guy with a paper sack with some plastic worms. He's probably pretty good".

 

I would almost guarantee you we're talking about the same guy.

11 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I would almost guarantee you we're talking about the same guy.

 

Wasn’t Hale (John?) was it? I remember an old Bassmaster article on him mentioning about all he threw were worms, and on a spinning outfit no less.

On 2/4/2020 at 1:16 PM, Mobasser said:

Most of us take a lot of baits with us for bass fishing, usually, many more than we use on an average fishing trip. We always want to be prepared for any scenario. Have you ever known a bass fisherman who fished one type of bait exclusively? I knew one years ago. I belonged to a bass club, and became friends with an older guy, Frank, who used nothing but plastic worms. Various sizes from 4" to 10", rigged different ways., weightless, T- rigs, split shot, or on his own version of a shakey head, 

If we take "various sizes" to mean, let's say 4, I see at least 16 presentations, and that's before changing weights on any of the 3 above that use one. Only in a LMB angler's mind could this be anything close to "one lure".

53 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

Wasn’t Hale (John?) was it? I remember an old Bassmaster article on him mentioning about all he threw were worms, and on a spinning outfit no less.

 

John Hale worked for Lonnie Stanley & was the inventor of the Hale Craw Worm. The Hale brothers now own Stanley Jigs.

 

Mark Stevenson caught Ethel of Bass Pro Shop fame (ShareLunker 001) on a Stanley jig with a Hale Craw worm. 

 

There's a 10 fish stringer that's right at 100# caught by John at the Sportsman Cafe on Toledo Bend. @riverrat can verify this stringer.

 

 

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

John Hale worked for Lonnie Stanley & was the inventor of the Hale Craw Worm. The Hale brothers now own Stanley Jigs.

 

Mark Stevenson caught Ethel of Bass Pro Shop fame (ShareLunker 001) on a Stanley jig with a Hale Craw worm. 

 

There's a 10 fish stringer that's right at 100# caught by John at the Sportsman Cafe on Toledo Bend. @riverrat can verify this stringer.

 

 

i still have some of these from back in the day!

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

John Hale worked for Lonnie Stanley & was the inventor of the Hale Craw Worm. The Hale brothers now own Stanley Jigs.

 

Mark Stevenson caught Ethel of Bass Pro Shop fame (ShareLunker 001) on a Stanley jig with a Hale Craw worm. 

 

There's a 10 fish stringer that's right at 100# caught by John at the Sportsman Cafe on Toledo Bend. @riverrat can verify this stringer.

 

 

Just spoke to Lonnie a couple months back for a good while. He had some interesting stories to share, like how they first built those colored brush guards on their jigs. He sent me a few signed Bass Pro cards.

 

I was also fortunate to get to spend a day fishing with Mark sometime after he caught Ethel. We drew each other in a Top-150 down on Chickamauga. Really nice guy with some interesting stories, too.

I’ve got three guys in my bass club that only throw a spinnerbait.  That’s it.  No matter where we go it’s a white spinnerbait. Sorry but I need more options to cover what the conditions give me.

I think what's impressive with "Frank", mentioned in the OP, is that he may have only used 1 type of lure but he was versatile and smart enough to change sizes (and I would guess color) and use multiple techniques. I think that's what's missing here? 

 

Excellent thread and a good read. ?

I think i can do it..if i had to it be a mepps #2 with a black fury blade and a single hoook in back ....weedless or open it could be a swimbait hook ..with grub or zoom fluke ...or a manns jelly worm grape