Go to lure?

[Tig]

Ok, time to fess up about your tackle collection. Is it a potent arsenal that you regularly unleash on unsuspecting prey? Or, is it more like a woman's closet full of fancy shoes? Feels good to look at, even though you wear sneakers to get the job done.
I'm afraid mine is a closet where most lures don't see the light of day.
For the past 20 years or so I have focused on pickerel and musky. My pickerel lure (of the year) stays on the line and I carry a spare in my pocket. As a matter of fact the family rods are hanging in the rack each with the same lure (different colour) on the line.
I've also got a pretty cool collection of musky lures but I only use one. Unless I'm just fooling around looking for pike.

 

[RicMic]

Re: Go to lure?

I couldn't tell you how many I have and some of the best ones almost never get used, because I am afraid of losing them and they are nearly irreplaceable. It was a shock to get back to serious fishing, only to find out that some of my favorite lures are now demanding ridiculous prices as "collectables". My one absolute favorite, I'm not telling anyone about, because I can only find them at garage sales and on auction sites. Its a Rapala though and it really annoys me that they now have thousands of different lures, but have discontinued some of the best ones, in favor of ones that are mainly meant to attract fisherman. I wish I knew where the tooling was for the "Buckeye Shad", I sold thousands of these, back in the 70's for $1.49 each, which was fairly pricey then and it is a terrible looking lure, I've only seen it in five colors which was the color of the plastic itself, so no pretty paint jobs. They came in white, black, yellow, orange and purple and they catch fish like crazy. Bass, walleyes, white bass, hybrids etc. eat em up, but I only have one of each color left!

 

[Tig]

Re: Go to lure?

Ric, you just might be competing with me for those Rapalas. Although the one's I want can still be found, but not in the colours I want.
As for Buckeye Shad, you're in luck. Still available in five flavours.
http://www.buckeyeshad.com/

 

[HANGEYE]

Re: Go to lure?

Best combo ever...

Dynamite and a Dip Net

Works every time. LOL

Seriously, I troll Walleye alot and use Rapalas most of the time. Change colors untill I find what they like on a given day and them it's game on...I mean fish on.

 

[IceWater]

Re: Go to lure?

I'm guilty of buying plugs and rapalas that never work for me...ever. My best luck has been with Mepps, 5 of Diamonds spoons and simple jigs. But I prefer a leech on a hook with a float bobber over any lure, anyday.

This past weekend my wife and both my daughters commented on my collection of tackle. I explained that it took almost 30 years to build it to that size and they seemed to accept that explanation, but I'm sure my tackle box will be mentioned more than once during shopping trips over the next several years.

 

[RicMic]

Re: Go to lure?

Tig, I haven't seen those buckeyeshads in any store, and I have looked. Those on the website don't look exactly like the originals though, a lot more slick, same colors though! I don't worry to much about the colors on the Rapalas, I have an airbrush and can make them any color I want! That is a big advantage as most of the ones I find cheap, need to be painted anyway. I see "new" ones in the box, being auctioned for over $30!!!!!

 

[RicMic]

Re: Go to lure?

Tig, I haven't seen those buckeyeshads in any store, and I have looked. Those on the website don't look exactly like the originals though, a lot more slick, same colors though! I don't worry to much about the colors on the Rapalas, I have an airbrush and can make them any color I want! That is a big advantage as most of the ones I find cheap, need to be painted anyway. I see "new" ones in the box, being auctioned for over $30!!!!! Oh yeah there is one current model and color of Rapala that is really hard to find, when I find them locally, I buy all they have. I figure that color will be discontinued for sure(because it works) and I don't want anyone else around here to buy them and find out how good they are!

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Go to lure?

this little guy here.

EDIT: That pic is too big. Please resize it to 640X480 or smaller. Thanks.

BETTER?

 

[Tig]

Re: Go to lure?

Ric, I was looking at the distributor list for the buckeye and it looks like bait shops in the Tennesee area. So not surprising they are scarce.
You guys got me thinking about lures that haven't seen in a while. Does anyone remember the Acme Wonder Lure S-1600? They were a great little pike (or whatever) lure. Right up there with the Daredevil or Len Thompson 5 of diamonds. They only came in one size and were patterned like a Daredevil. Not quite as heavy, but close. They had a dimpled finish and were orange over gold. I see some on line but it looks like they stopped making them.
Fishie, I've got a box of rubber baits. Probably some original power baits in there.

 

[JB]

Re: Go to lure?

My go-to lure for most species is a Mepps of some size and pattern. For walleye and smallie I favor a Bagley DDKB2* in fire tiger.

*DDKB2= Deep Diving Killer Bee, 2".

 

[RicMic]

Re: Go to lure?

My grandfather, was a Great Lakes ship captain and I told that they used to troll off the back of the ship for lake trout. I have some big old handmade lures that they used, my dad told me that they were probably made on the ship.

 

[RyanBassBoat]

Re: Go to lure?

go to lure has to be my black spinner. great for largemouth and smallmouth...

 

[scipper77]

Re: Go to lure?

I used to troll with this berkely frenzy lure in firetiger and just clean house. I finally lost the lure after years of use and it's discontinued . Now I Get so frustrated trying to find a suitable replacement for that thing.

 

[Dave Barnett]

Re: Go to lure?

I have many Rapalas, some Rebels, Lazy Ikes, Heddons, Hula Poppers. I use most all of them as the opportunities present themselves. In all honestly though my "Go To" lures are Wordens Rooster tails. I would bet I have caught more fish on them that all the others combined.

 

[bouttime007]

Re: Go to lure?

Ive got tons of tackle spread out over 4 tackle boxes.

The ones that get the job done the best are gold Bandit 100 series with the square lip, Bomber square As, and 3 inch pumpkinseed grubs on a spinnerbait arm.

Old school Storm Mid Warts and Sub Warts are pretty effective too.

 

[Billfo]

Re: Go to lure?

Senkos & Jigs for my Bass. Spinnerbaits if I suspect Northerns are around !! I picked up many 2" -3" classic spoons in the off season- but have yet to use one.. Maybe I will learn how to fish a spoon this year.... naaaaaa....:redface:

 

[jwp]

Re: Go to lure?

For bass I prefer the Rapala Humpy (original, not the one with the rattle in
it). Also like a rubber worm with a dollfly. Between the two, your going to
catch largemouth.

For muskie I use a lot of Rapala lures, hate to even think how much they
would cost me today (see most of mine are ten to twelve years old, glad dad
purchased them by the case ;-)

 

[Bill Kilgore]

Re: Go to lure?

Year round goto largemouth lure is Suspending Rogue, Gold w/ black back & orange belly. I replace all split rings and hooks before it makes it onto a rod. Have one tied on 12 months a year.

 

[wa_ssv197]

Re: Go to lure?

Size 16 Adams parachute tied to my 4wt GLoomis Fly Rod!

 

[Micahhaase]

Re: Go to lure?

I have many Rapalas, some Rebels, Lazy Ikes, Heddons, Hula Poppers. I use most all of them as the opportunities present themselves. In all honestly though my "Go To" lures are Wordens Rooster tails. I would bet I have caught more fish on them that all the others combined.

Bingo.. I have a tacklebox full of crankbaits and worms and everything else that looked good and was on sale that day but when nothing else works I always go to my roostertails... One day I was white bass fishing in kansas and there was a ton of ppl on the river mostly using minnows... Me and my brother showed up with some roostertails and almost every cast caught a nice one...We seriously had 3 ppl come up asking what we was using and offered to buy them from us right there... I ALWAYS have several rooster tails in my box different colors and sizes