I was recently messing with my lure collection when I noticed a few lures that I haven't seen used in a while.  These lures were hot back in the early sixties when I first started fishing for bass.  Arbogast Jitterbug & Hula Popper. Creek Chub Darter.  Heddon Lucky 13.  Anyone ever catch a  bass on a Bass Oreno? ☺️

For me it's baits of the 90s when I broke into Bass fishing......stuff like Spooks, Fat Free fingerlings, Spittin Images.   

 

Now they just make refined copies of those baits in Japan, import them, and charge $20 a pop.  

I caught a lot of fish on a Crazy Crawler, Snagless Sally, and a bunch of different kinds of worms. The Jelly worm and Snatrix were 2 of my favorites. 

I have caught bass on every lure you listed, including the Bass Oreno.  A few other favorites of mine  from my first years of bass fishing are, Heddon River Runt, Tiny torpedo, crazy crawler, and Sonic.  The original Bomber in orange and black was my favorite.

29 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Anyone ever catch a  bass on a Bass Oreno? ☺️

Oh yeah . Another favorite was the Pico Perch. I still carry a Pico Pop in my top water box . 

Dalton Special

little George

Creme Scoundel

I read once where the Bass Oreno was the highest selling lure in term of numbers back in the day.  I'm pretty sure the Rattle Trap has overtaken that category by now.  I've only caught one bass on a Bass Oreno and I remember it distinctly as it was right at dusk.  I have a number of Sonics in my collection.  For those who don't know, it was the first flat lipless crankbait and the great grand daddy of the Rattle Trap.  The lure that was popular that I never caught a bass on was the flatfish.  Their magazine ads made you want one.  I forgot about the Little George.  That was a great bait.

3 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

the flatfish

I fished a flatfish , and Lazy Ike . I quit using them when I was introduced to bait-casters . I could not cast them . At one time my favorite plug was the Storm Thin Fin . I couldnt cast it with a bait-caster either . 

Yep, every lure posted including Babe Oreno, Pikie and jointed Pikie, Injured Minnow etc, etc.

Tom

A small frog colored Bass O Reno was my brother's #1 favourite when I was a kid. Mine was a black Hula Popper. We also used a Lazy Ike, all on loan from my grandpa's box. Ive retired them now for sentimental reasons.

I'll also add that I think these old lures will still work now, as well as they always have.

The coolest looking lure I remember from the old days was the Heddon Head-on Basser.   I saw one when a childhood friend and I were looking though his Dad's tackle box.  The polished steel teeth were awesome.  Bass lures had to be big and heavy because the reels we had were horrible.  The old man who taught me how to fish made his own Buzz baits out of a cut up table spoon with a spinner on the front.   Cranking it with a 3/1 reel was a real task. ☺️

Beno, caught a ton of bass on them.

 

LOL!! I had forgotten about Lazy Ikes and Bass Orenos. Caught fish on both as a kid.

 

I have many of the lures mentioned above in my Dad's old tacklebox. I've wanted to use some of them for sentimental reasons, but haven't been able to do it for the same reason and being afraid to lose any of them.

I always think it's funny when I'm fishing a jitterbug or a big-o, and someone asks me why I'm trying to catch bass with old baits.

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I fished a flatfish , and Lazy Ike . I quit using them when I was introduced to bait-casters . I could not cast them . At one time my favorite plug was the Storm Thin Fin . I couldnt cast it with a bait-caster either . 

I caught my 1st Rainbow Trout on a Storm Thin Fin fishing with my Daddy at Lanier Dam in the sixties. 

I’ve still got his 6 horse Johnson that powered his Jon boat.

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

I always think it's funny when I'm fishing a jitterbug or a big-o, and someone asks me why I'm trying to catch bass with old baits.

I feel the same way. 

 

I have a hard time believing that any bass I'll run across have seen a Mud Bug before. 

Burke flexplugs, hot spots (no bb's), lazy ike crankbaits (non bannana) , skip jacks, hellbenders, waterdogs, original bombers, and most of already mentioned. I love those old lures and the just wanted to mention a few.

I still use Mann's augertail and jelly worms on T-rigs and shakey heads.

Another favorite is bomber flat a.

Also throw shad raps quite a bit. They've been around for quite awhile too.

I still throw the regular size pop r and spook jr on cloudy days.

One of my old favorites is a Bayou Boogie. That is the only lipless crankbait I ever caught a fish on. For one summer we really caught a bunch with it. I'm not sure but I thought this came before the Sonic, but maybe not.

Somewhere I read that there used to be tournaments where the anglers must use old lures and tackle.   I don't know the cut off date, but 1960 seems about right to me.  When plastic worms came out, it changed bass fishing forever. 

17 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Creek Chub Darter. 

 

I saw a few listed on ebay for as much as $80.  I've got a few.  My Grandfather fished almost exclusively with a "Yellow Darter". (yellow spotted creek chub darter)  I'll take a picture next time I have my vintage tackle out.      I got my butt whipped one time over one.   I was 10ish.  He took me fishing.  He got a brand new "Yellow Darter" out, opened the box and threw the empty box into the lake.   I said he shouldn't throw trash in the lake.  He whipped me with a belt and called me a hippy.   (Don't flame my Grandfather, things were different back then)

 

I had forgot about a Lazy Ike.   I've probably got a few of them somewhere.  

11 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

One of my old favorites is a Bayou Boogie. That is the only lipless crankbait I ever caught a fish on. For one summer we really caught a bunch with it. I'm not sure but I thought this came before the Sonic, but maybe not.

That was my papaw’s favorite. They actually still make a new version of one, I think it’s called the heddon swimming minnow. I don’t know if it’s as good as the original 

2 hours ago, Woody B said:

 

I saw a few listed on ebay for as much as $80.  I've got a few.  My Grandfather fished almost exclusively with a "Yellow Darter". (yellow spotted creek chub darter) 

 

My father-in-law loved the green frog colored darter. 

How do you fish. Bass oreno?