First disclaimer: I don't fish tournaments or for food. I fish for my amusement. For the rush. So consider this issue in that spirit.

I could've titled this thread "Why formerly effective lures sometimes fall by the wayside" but that would denote failure to perform in some way. That's not my intention. This isn't about fad baits like the whopper plopper either. God bless you if the whopper plopper is still railing them as well as it did in the beginning when they first started crashing into your home lake. This thread probably isn't for you. This is about the "How-come" or "Why" certain tried and true conventional baits that were perfectly good normally either got shelved somehow or barely ever get used anymore.

Second disclaimer: I think most people would agree that there are some ways to catch bass that are much more exciting than others. Personally, a frog getting blown-up on that I'd precisely dropped in to a hole in some lily pads is much more of an adrenaline rush than getting bit on a Ned rig that I was soaking. These are two ends of the spectrum, and I'm not really talking about this either.

For myself, I could claim that I evolved away from certain baits like spinnerbaits of all stripes and others because they were outperformed situationally by something else, but that's not really true. Initially, I would switch off to baits which were clearly good elsewhere for others but had kicked my azz relentlessly. I needed to understand or decode them more than I needed to catch a fish on what had previously worked just fine. I have to say, in most cases my persistence paid off in that I usually figured things out and these previously failure-mode baits became part of a new rotation or another tool in the box. Yet the perfectly fine baits of yesterday rarely get picked up again with the vigor they once had been. Perhaps catching fish had initially come easier on the older baits and the fact that I had to work much harder with the azz-kicking baits to crack the code caused a greater affection for them? Perhaps.

Over time, no hobby of mine has endured with the intensity fishing has. I think the actual bottom line is boredom though. Not bored of catching fish, obviously, but what bait I might be using to do so. For the record, and off on a bit of a tangent, I feel most biting bass would have bitten a multitude of baits besides the type that I'd divined was the right one at that moment, especially in grass lakes.

Maybe it's a personality trait of mine, or a flaw. I don't know. One thing I do know is if I'm chucking something with less enthusiasm, I'm less likely to do well with it, even with baits that were the deal in the past. Replace enthusiasm with confidence if you like but the outcome is the same. While those two words might not be synonyms by official definition, they might as well be in the context of bass fishing.

So, have you given up on a perfectly good bait or baits for no apparent reason, and do you think you could ever go back?

Well, if I'm reticent to throw an old-school bait, it's either because they don't make it anymore and I'm afraid of breaking/losing it (like the Herb's Dilly), or, in the case of plastics, I don't want to tear them up when I know other baits they still make will work. Once those plastics are done, they're gone. So I save them for specific situations.

That said, I love throwing old-school lures because most anglers aren't; which means most bass haven't seen them. Here are my top choices:

I feel like for me - I only shelve an old standby for a while if I feel like it’s actively scaring my fish for whatever reason. Any lure that is as good as a clanky boat full of talking friends to a group of bass - is a lure I’m not eager to throw.

I think over time - one of the tells that a bait is a bad idea for me - I see fish gorging and run that old standby that I know should work through the madness, and they don’t flinch - THEN the final nail in the coffin is when I pick up a different bait that seems right and catch a few right away.

Sometimes this is just a mood thing and I don’t pay it much mind. But if this happens again and again and again with that specific bait that I know should be working easily on multiple bodies of water over the course of multiple seasons - that’s when a lure will get put on the bench until whatever happened to condition all the fish wears off.

The only one I can think of off the bat that I really had tons of success with and then put it down for a number of years is the bladed jig - at first it was a bait that really caught big fish and numbers for me in a wide variety of conditions across multiple seasons and bodies of water - I had utmost confidence throwing it and retrieving it a multitude of ways that worked well for me.

Then it just stopped. I know I didn’t stop being good at fishing - other baits kept plugging along for me and even blowing my mind with the results they were having and every time I picked up the old chatter wagon - nada.

I didn’t even bring a bladed jig with me to a pond or lake for 3 years - this past fall I was really committed to some locations with a lot of grass and lo and behold - the chatter horse made it’s triumphant return with a couple big fish on tough days in cold water.

I still had 20 : 1 success fishing a lipless instead but it was nice to see the bladed jig can still trick big smart fish around here in the right circumstances.

Now I keep a few around again but it’s still at best D tier bait for me - I’ll reach for it in very specifics situations at certain times of year but almost always fish something else like a swim jig or lipless instead.

I still rely heavily on proven baits. Thats one good thing about being an older bass angler. We have baits that have always worked well and always will. Especially crankbaits.

I used to try to get the latest, best new hot thing. I quit on that years ago. Many of the newer hot baits just didn't work for me, so I put them away. Now, I use stuff that's been proven over years of use.

I like to call my issue tunnel vision.

When I get on a bait that does surprisingly well, that's all I throw and everything else gets shelved.

Other times I'll go through all my inventory and realize that there are several baits I've not thrown in a couple of years.

Because of my migration towards finesse tackle, most old school power fishing baits get used sparingly if at all.

Exception - spinnerbait.

I bought many baits years ago based on what tournament fisherman were winning with. Many ended up in a big box of stuff I've kept. I learned that just because a top tournament pro won on a certain bait, that never meant id do well with it. Now, I don't pay much attention to what the pros are using, and just fish what works for me.

I'm not actually sure I've ever truly left something for dead. Any time I make a cast with one lure or rig, every other lure isn't getting used. As years go by and new things hit the market, or become popular, I accumulate more baits, try more new things, the number of baits I'm not using at any moment just grows naturally. I don't feel any particular need to cycle through everything I own, and I can't bring it all anyway.

For most lures, I haven't really stopped using them so much as narrowed the situation when they get the call. The first lures I ever learned to use as a kid were Mepps spinners, Mister Twister curly tail grubs, and the Rapala floating minnow. I've caught fish on all three of them in the last couple years, but they only come along to certain places at certain times. For instance, in-line spinners and grubs are excellent in current, so I have them on hand for river trips. The floating minnow is particularly well-suited to post-spawn shallows that aren't yet choked with vegetation.

I have other lures I rarely use because they don't have much practical use where I fish. There are also a number of lures and and rigs I've tried and didn't like, and many other new things out there I've never gotten around to trying. But if I've ever been successful with something once, I always feel like I can again and I'll probably still find a role for it occasionally. Even the Whopper Plopper.

The reality of it is that I just get bored throwing the same thing over and over again even if it's working. I like change ! It keeps me motivated. I'm always looking for that magic bait or making changes to a bait so that it is better.

Also, there is a place and a time for each type of lure. When something is used regularly, you hit that wall where it's not the time and not the place. Then you loose confidence.

I would say a spinnerbait, followed by a curly tail worm. I use to catch fish on regular basis with them but on my lakes they just don't get bit as often as they use to. It really hasn't stopped me from fishing them or buying them for that matter. I bet I have 3 big Plano boxes packed with spinnerbaits. I just bought some packs of big curly tail worms and a few spinnerbaits so I haven't totally given up yet.

IMHO, it’s our weakness to marketing. Does it really matter if a craw plastic bait has 6 or 8 legs? If we didn’t buy new baits, there would be far less bait companies. And the marketing that goes into those small “don’t sue me” differences have to convince you they are worth it and to buy it. I had a buddy text me and ask about Yamamoto’s new Yama Bug. I took a screenshot of Yamamoto’s web page that has it and a bunch of other baits in the same category. My response was that I could substitute any bait on that page and almost guarantee I’d get the same results. BUT…..if you think it will do better it will. Confidence is the name of the game.

Many lures "we" purchase because a top pro wins a major tournament with them are used once or twice right away, then go into a collection of disappointments which most anglers use less often. Casting mechanics are something most are lacking when compared to the top pros. Watch some of those guys cast, pitch, flip, and skip with pinpoint accuracy, left hand or right, casting or spinning. I watched Hank Cherry fish a 3" grub on a 1/8 jighead, using a bait casting setup, not BFS or spinning. I also watched Omori's incredible power fishing performance with a bladed jig and a reel with very high gear ratio, while quickly and perfectly maneuvering the trolling motor and power poles. I recall a number of years ago when he won a tournament on Lake of the Ozarks with a crank bait, while keeping his trolling motor at full speed. Pros are Pros because they can do things like that, and they sell a lot of lures because of individual abilities, not so much the lures they use.

I've said before if there were Angler Psychologist, they would be in high demand. Other sports have sports psychologist, fishing should have them too.

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I've said before if there were Angler Psychologist, they would be in high demand. Other sports have sports psychologist, fishing should have them too.

Angler psychologist, huh? I like it. Maybe that's what I should start calling my fishing friends. I could tell my wife I'm going to see a therapist, and that the $50 charge is the copay. I'm not sure why they called it a "bait and tackle shop" on the statement. 🤣

Really the only lures I use regularly that I didn't use 30 years ago are bladed jigs, and Ned rigs. I still throw rattle traps, spinnerbaits, soft plastic worms/craws, and topwater poppers/walkers more than anything else. I do occasionally buy some of the trendy lures, but I usually fall back to the tried and true.

Advancements in technology, incredibly versatile selection of things to choose from now, and corporate brainwashing. Im all about being a versatile angler but I think playing to your strengths and enjoying fishing is most important and if that means using older lures, that's what one should do. All Im seeing on social media right now is the "fuzzy dice," and thats all you need to catch a bass. Well, the main reason the fuzzy dice is popular is because it shows up good on ffs, which has completely changed the game. How many lures are now being produced specifically for ffs, a lot

Proud to say I'm an old tackle user. I buy older stuff, refurbish and use.

I do use newer baits, some I have and haven't used yet but I will. Can't wait to try them!

It's all used in cycles depending on the time of year.

Spinnerbaits, t rigs, neds, and flukes are with me always.

I used to fish the old, balsa floating Rapala and did quite well. Ever since I discovered suspending jerk baits, I haven’t tied one on since. Suspending baits catch so many more fish for me, there is nothing that the floating versions can do I can’t do with the suspending models. I’m sure an original floating Rapala will still catch fish but my Lucky Craft Pointer will catch more. Same thing with some plastics. I catch more with a Ned rig than I do with a jig and twister tail, so those twister tails stay in my closet. On the other hand, probably the first artificial bait I ever used was an inline spinner 60 years ago. I still throw those on a regular basis for smallies.

3 minutes ago, Scott F said:

I used to fish the old, balsa floating Rapala and did quite well. Ever since I discovered suspending jerk baits, I haven’t tied one on since. Suspending baits catch so many more fish for me, there is nothing that the floating versions can do I can’t do with the suspending models. I’m sure an original floating Rapala will still catch fish but my Lucky Craft Pointer will catch more. Same thing with some plastics. I catch more with a Ned rig than I do with a jig and twister tail, so those twister tails stay in my closet. On the other hand, probably the first artificial bait I ever used was an inline spinner 60 years ago. I still throw those on a regular basis for smallies.

The Rapala Glass Shad Rap's will suspend on the pause, and have a very slow rise. Can also use bigger hooks to actually make it slowly sink. That what I caught the fish in my pic on, the #7 purple. Caught in the middle of January in the afternoon, first time at a new spot testing new lures. Cast it out and was barely turning the reel handle when I thought I got snagged, then saw my line start to move and said, that's a fish!!

15 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

I'm not actually sure I've ever truly left something for dead.

Me either. More like a drastic drop off due to a lack of desire to use it any longer.

16 hours ago, Bird said:

I like to call my issue tunnel vision.

That may be another element of the equation with me.

10 hours ago, little giant said:

Proud to say I'm an old tackle user.

I can't say that I'm rejecting vintage lures necessarily.

15 hours ago, FishTank said:

I would say a spinnerbait, followed by a curly tail worm.

The curly tail worm is exactly what I referring to when I wrote "spinnerbait and others". I really put a killing on them in '18 with both ribbon tails and curly tails, yet by '19 I'd barely tied one on and for no good reason. Well, perhaps it was because I was doing so well with paddle tail swimmers by that point I figured there wasn't much point in using those type worms which are distance-limited wind catching baits. I could cover water far better with swimmers.

sycolajee!...I don't need no devil man up in my head!

I've never really left a lure for dead but things I throw significantly less than some newer favorites are:

-Purple curly tail worm

-crankbaits

-spinnerbaits

If you go back to when I first got here I had multiple spinnerbaits tied on at a time and couldnt put one down. One season they just stopped hitting them like they used to and quite honestly it got boring and repetitive to throw one.

Crankbaits and Rapalas worked great for me but my break off rate started getting expensive when I was throwing them where I wanted them and got the best bites. Wasn't a fan of dropping $15-40 a weekend depending on what I used. Throwing them in less risky areas wasn't as successful and got boring.

Purple worm was basically all I used along with a jitterbug my entire fishing life up until about 25yo. I always carry them but I don't throw it but a handful of times a year in favor of creature baits.