Gatortail worms

Bagley Diving Bs w/lead tuner in lip

BPS Caterpillar Stud Frys

Gary Klein’s Weapon jigs

Mann’s Hackleback Craw

Original Silver Buddy

Original Bomber Long A with metal flash plate insert

 

Bagley's Diving Honey B in Tennessee shad

Cotton Cordell TH SPOT/HOT SPOT in smokey joe

Strike King Spinnerbait in black or chartreuse

Mann's 6" Jelly Worm in blackberry or marmalade motor oil

 

The spag’s unbranded rubber worms & the tiny torpedo 

Jelly Worm

hula Popper

Mepp’s  Aglia

 

and my favorite, Rebel 3.5” jointed minnow. On a recent trip I was catching tons of fish on a gold one. Catches Lmb and smb equally as well, and pike hit them as well. 

 

 

Original Rapala floating minnow 

T-rigged Culprit worm

Short arm spinnerbait

Bomber Model A

Arkie jig/trailer

Rebel Pop R the bait just flat out catches fish….. I’ve had 30+ Fish mornings for smallmouth with it…… just an awesome bait 

AMy original site forum name was Oldschool for a good reason, I am Old School.

I designed my jig in 1971, before that I used Ball Head Doll Fly hair jigs and vinyl skirt football jigs*, both with Pedigo L3 & L4 pork trailers. 

I wanted a jig that would stand up and slide through rocky structure so I made it.

My jig looks similar to a Viper Head and uses a 5/0 hook. Skirts can be any material but my go to is tri-color hair.

I had Robin of Super Pork  make make several hundred L4 Pedigo shape pork trailers and still use them to this day.

Lost track of the DD bass caught on this hair jig combo over the years, but several hundred is conservative.

#2 is my twin spin with 5/8 oz football head and vinyl skirt with pork trailer.

Tom

* ref; 2014 thread Football jigs 101.

Rapala original floating minnow in silver or gold and a white or black rooster tail.

Most will not consider the Normas Deep Little N as old school but it’s been around for decades and still does the job. Stan Sloan’s Aggravator short arm spinnerbait is also a dirty water wonder. The Heddon Spook is timeless.  Too many to list.

Bomber Fat Free Shad.

Bagley Bang-O-Lure

Bagley Balsa B2

 

Before anyone asks, I have both the original and the new versions of the Bang-O-Lure and the Balsa B2. I don't throw the original B2 anymore as I have 1 left but the  new versions work as well, even without the brass hardware.

 

I should have mentioned my Hopkin's Shorty jigging spoons.

No L'il George? No Bayou Boogie?

 

Somebody mentioned the worm in motor oil color. That was all the rage in the mid 80s. Somebody local molded them in a mold that made them in the shape of a braid. They were sold at all the local tackle shops. I thought they were the be all-end all until I got hold of a BPS assortment that had purple.

I fish to many to mention . A couple that has been seeing a lot of action lately is an old Rebel Popper that is bigger than the PopR . Another is the original Fats Gitzit .

I'd say 75% of what I throw was around 30 years ago when I first got started.  If you counted things like creature baits as general soft plastics, and DT-16's and 6XDs as just crankbaits, I'd be up around 98%.  I tend to prefer the tried and true over new and shiny.  

 

But one that I still often throw a lot that doesn't get talked about too much these days is the Heddon Torpedo.  It's an excellent topwater to start off with, as it can be fished both slow and fast, and give you a clue as to what kind of bite to expect that day.  

I’m a topwater lover, and I still keep a Hula Popper and a Heddon Dying Flutter Spook in my kit, for when conditions are right.

Rat-L-Trap

Gene Larew salt craw.....Baby 1- and a   Gator Tail worm......

3 hours ago, Bankc said:

I'd say 75% of what I throw was around 30 years ago when I first got started.  If you counted things like creature baits as general soft plastics, and DT-16's and 6XDs as just crankbaits, I'd be up around 98%.  I tend to prefer the tried and true over new and shiny.  

 

But one that I still often throw a lot that doesn't get talked about too much these days is the Heddon Torpedo.  It's an excellent topwater to start off with, as it can be fished both slow and fast, and give you a clue as to what kind of bite to expect that day.  

I caught 50+ bass in a couple hours on a Tiny Torpedo, retrieved steady on drizzly summer day. There were casts where I'd get a bite, it would get off and another would bite.

In line spinner

I am turning 50 and the one bait from youth that still catches fish but I hardly ever use one is a Dardevle Spoon.  This thing would catch whatever. 

Johnson silver minnow I keep some gold and silver in my bag for tough days

 

Mann’s Auger tail lizard

Strike King 3/8 oz black spinner bait with copper Colorado blades

Brothers black buzzbait

Culprit purple worm

 

Would not leave home without them. John.

Yep the Culprit worms were the one to use when I needed a bite, red shad color for me.

I still use them often because these "old school lures still catch these new school fish. ?