From Flavor of the Month to Famous - List these lures 2024
tcbass reply :
Every year new lures come to the forefront of fishing that seem to be magical in how they catch fish. They are the flavor of the month, must have lure that is so effective, how could you not have it! Sometimes these are brand new lures and other times they are older lures that have suddenly been found by the masses. These lures have their proponents and haters, those that swear by them and those that swear that they'll be forgotten in a year. So how does a lure go from Flavor of the Month to Famous? I'd say effective longevity, a lure that continues to catch fish for many people long after it was Flavor of the Month and the hype was over, lures that are sold at most big box stores and most fisherman know of them. Everyone will have different opinions on what are Famous and what are just Flavor of the Month. I'd say that Famous lures are most likely lures that are very easy to use and still extremely effective, thus people of all fishing levels and skills can catch fish with them which makes them popular. Many of these lures may not be the original design but an improvement on a previous lure. The Gary Yamamoto Senko certainly isn't the first or only stickworm lure but it is arguably the greatest and most famous; it has risen above all of the other stickworms to become the number 1 stickworm. Famous lures are apt to be found in any major sporting good stores and online.
Senko: I'd say that the Gary Yamamoto Senko is one of the all time great lures that falls under "Famous". It's easy to use for anyone and is so simple all you need to do is cast it out and catch fish. It is extremely versatile and can be fished multiple ways such as Wacky Rigged, Texas Rigged, and others.
Zara Spook: As topwater lures go, the Zara Spook is legendary. It's been around since 1939 and has many imitators. Personally, I like the KVD Sexy Dawg version of the Spook but it's obviously a knock-off of the Zara Spook. And if if lure is still around after 70 years and is still popular, how isn't it famous?
Honorable Mention
Zoom Super Fluke: The Zoom Super Fluke may fall under Famous, I'm not sure. But it is an amazingly effective lure that can catch fish almost anywhere easily by anyone. Usually casted and then retrieved with a stop and go or jerk motion it is a fish catcher of many species. It is so simple and effective though that even a just a steady retrieve will catch fish.
Ned Rig: The Ned Rig has been around for awhile but has quickly gained popularity as a solid fish catcher, especially when other lures aren't working, sometimes even when the famed Senko isn't producing. It's so popular that bait companies are coming out with their own Ned Rigs such as Zman's T.R.D. made specifically for Ned rigging.
Flavor of the Month
Whopper Plopper: This lure has been around for awhile and is a smaller version of the Whopper Plopper 190's that are made for muskies. It was effective enough at also catching bass that fisherman clamored for a smaller version that was better suited for bass. River2Sea and Larry Dahlberg came through with the Whopper Plopper 130 and 90 and it was an immediate success. However, once again fisherman clamored for a more bass specific size, one that was in between the 90 and 130. Once again Larry made it happen with the 110 which seems to be the perfect compromise between the smaller 90 and larger 130. This lure is incredibly easy to use an effective. All you need to do is cast it out and reel it back and you'll get that seductive "plop, plop, plop" sound and motion that fish just can't seem to resist. Sure you can get fancy and do stop and go retrieves and many variations, but why it's so popular is that all you need is a steady retrieve to catch fish, and any angler of any skill level can do that. I suspect that this lure will quickly move from Flavor of the Month to Famous in no time.
Teckel Sprinker Frog: This is a brand new lure that has only seen useage from a few people. But if it catches fish like it's rumored to, I have no doubt this lure will go down in the history books as one of the greatest topwater hollowbody frog lures ever. Why do I have such high expectations for it? Because it's basically a Whopper Plopper that is weedless. And who doesn't need an effective weedless lure on many occasions? If it is half as effective at catching fish as the Whopper Plopper is it will be in everyone's tacklebox. It is so popular that fisherman are already making their Homemade Sprinker Frogs using other brand frogs and terminal tackle. And these folks are having success with their homemade lures. Hollowbody frogs are made to be used with a walk the dog style action that is very hard for many fisherman to master including veteran fisherman. The Teckel Sprinker Frog much like the Whopper Plopper is amazingly simple to use and only needs a steady retrieve to catch fish. And that's something that any fisherman can do which may lead to the Sprinker Frog becoming a staple of bass fisherman. This lure is too new to see if it becomes the famous or even Flavor of the Month, but I have a feeling that the Sprinker Frog will become extremely successful and will end up becoming famous.
So, what lures do you think are Flavor of the Month, Famous, or all Hype currently?
List what lures you think are famous, flavor of the month, or hype and listing these lures may help you or other fisherman find a new lure that will become Famous for you!
BuzzHudson19c reply :
Interesting topic. I will shy away from types of lures (buzzbait, hollow body frog, crankbait etc.) and stick with brand specific mainstays.
Famous: Rapala floater, Arbogast jitterbug/hula popper, Eppinger Daredevle spoon, Berkley power worm, Acme Kastmaster.
Flavor of the month/hype is much harder because it is really subjective. Some guys love lures that I hate and hate lures I love. But off the top of my head KVD poppin perch, Suicide duck, maybe whopper plopper double buzz.
tcbass reply :
On 7/14/2017 at 10:13 AM, BuzzHudson19c said:Interesting topic. I will shy away from types of lures (buzzbait, hollow body frog, crankbait etc.) and stick with brand specific mainstays.
Famous: Rapala floater, Arbogast jitterbug/hula popper, Eppinger Daredevle spoon, Berkley power worm, Acme Kastmaster.
Flavor of the month/hype is much harder because it is really subjective. Some guys love lures that I hate and hate lures I love. But off the top of my head KVD poppin perch, Suicide duck, maybe whopper plopper double buzz.
Those are all good choices for Famous. The Rapala wow, perhaps the most successful lure of all time.
Have you had a lot of success with the Suicide Duck and WP Double Buzz?
gilkeybr reply :
For Famous I would nominate the Rapala Shad Rap and the KVD 1.5. Those seem to universally be supported by everyone! The Wiggle Wart could also be considered for the famous list.
Another flavor of the month proposal: Bill Lewis StutterStep. I think spy baits like the Spinbait 80 could make this list also.
I don't think its ready to make either list, but I really like fishing my Pompadour Jr. I know they aren't the first of their kind (Heddon Crazy Crawler and Arbogast Jitterbug came before for sure), but they seem to catch fish well
The Double Plopper would fall under the "Worst purchases i've ever made" category, in my opinion!
Choporoz reply :
How did Creek Chub drop from the 'Famous' ranks? It used to be in every bass fisherman's tacklebox. And Bass O' Reno, for that matter? I took my father bass fishing last summer...a few months before he passed away....and he threw that old Bass O' Reno and ....what do you know? Caught bass.
All that I have (Chubs and BassO'Reno's) are antiques, and I'd be afraid to fish them for fear of losing one, but I have no doubt that they'd still catch big bass....I just might have to get a new one...for old time's sake.
crypt reply :
for famous---original floating Rapala,Zara Spook--Rattle Trap......flavor of the month--Whopper Plopper.....
Scott F reply :
I think as far as famous baits go, the age of the fishermen might have an influence on your choices. If you are under 50, you may have never heard of a Creek Chub or Bass O Reno. I'm over 60 and had to look up what a KVD 1.5 was. It's not much different than Cordell Big O which I have and was catching tons of bass when KVD was still in first grade.
Not a lot of baits are still popular that were once very hot. Lots have been copied to the point where few remember the original. Spinner baits, buzzbaits, lipless cranks, plastic worms and skirted jigs are some of the must have baits in every tackle box but the memory of the first versions is pretty fuzzy except to the old timers who were around at their birth.
In my mind, The PopR, and the Mepps Aglia, should be in the fishing Hall of Fame. They may not have been the originals, but they are some of the most famous.
tcbass reply :
On 7/15/2017 at 12:08 AM, Scott F said:I think as far as famous baits go, the age of the fishermen might have an influence on your choices. If you are under 50, you may have never heard of a Creek Chub or Bass O Reno. I'm over 60 and had to look up what a KVD 1.5 was. It's not much different than Cordell Big O which I have and was catching tons of bass when KVD was still in first grade.
Not a lot of baits are still popular that were once very hot. Lots have been copied to the point where few remember the original. Spinner baits, buzzbaits, lipless cranks, plastic worms and skirted jigs are some of the must have baits in every tackle box but the memory of the first versions is pretty fuzzy except to the old timers who were around at their birth.
In my mind, The PopR, and the Mepps Aglia, should be in the fishing Hall of Fame. They may not have been the originals, but they are some of the most famous.
Good choices. I've never used a PopR but have a knockoff. Used a lot of Mepps Aglia's for trout as a youth if I recall.
BuzzHudson19c reply :
On 7/14/2017 at 12:36 PM, tcbass said:Have you had a lot of success with the Suicide Duck and WP Double Buzz?
Suicide duck hasn't caught me a thing. I need to devote more time to it and I just don't want to.
The Double buzz has landed me some good fish, its just not ideal in most cases. It's a cool concept and fits a niche, but most of the time I opt for a regular buzzbait.
papajoe222 reply :
Famous: Ribbon tail worm, Arkie head bass jig, in-line and safety pin style spinnerbaits, walking and popping topwaters, fat body cranks.
Flavor of the month: Ned rig, Umbrella rig, hard baits with soft plastic tails.
Angry John reply :
My vote for famous is the keitech 4.8 fat swing impact and the shad impact. These are killer baits and everyone is trying to get in on the action. The megabass 110 is also famous even though i dont own one.
Honorable mention goes to the duo pencil 110 and the lucky craft sammy. This type of lure requires some skill and will not be in every kid on the banks tackle box.
scaleface reply :
Famous lures I still use often . Jelly Worms , Wiggle Warts , Deep Wee R's , Lunker Lures .
Flavor of the month , Berkely Dredger .
CroakHunter reply :
What about the original brush hog for the famous category? For me (26 years old, bass fishing for 16+) it was the first creature bait I ever threw. And still throw it religiously now. Also it can be rigged a few different ways which helps its credibility imho.
Flavor of the month is tough for me because I don't play much into the hype of new baits. I stick with what works for me in the water I fish.
Catt reply :
Alphabet Baits 
Bomber A, Bagley B, Norman N, Cotton Cordell O, Rebel R
These set the standard for crankbaits & are still unmatched by todays crankbaits.
GrumpyOlPhartte reply :
Aw,heck. Might as well add my favorites: Devil's Horse, River Runt, and Jitterbug. Gotta admit, if I remember correctly, the ones I used were wood, not plastic. But, dang, they worked!
edfitzvb reply :
Oh, yeah
Devil's Horse, Baby or Tiny Torpedo
Original Rapala
Mepps Spinner
Johnson Spoon with trailer for vegetation
Bomber
Hellbender
Mann's Jelly Worm
Creme Rigged worm
Jitterbug
Hula Popper
Pop-R
Hawaiian Wiggler (spinnerbait type, along with Bomber bushwhacker, Shannon twin spinner, etc.)
etc.
All of the above FAMOUS baits
Flavor of the Month is way too open to begin, as the above list was off the top of m head
Jaderose reply :
I've caught a lot of fish on Lazy Ikes and Whopper Stopper Hellbenders. As far as flavor of the month....look at pretty much any top water type lure that has come out in the last few years. They all do the same thing that Spooks, Pop-R's, Lunker Lure buzzbaits, Jitterbugs, Hula Poppers, Devil Horse's and Snag Proof Frogs do. Create a ruckus on the surface. The new ones might be easier to use (less skill involved) and look prettier...they sure as hell cost a lot more... but you will never convince me that I am guaranteed to catch more fish with a Whopper Plopper than a Jitterbug. That a $50 Megabass with a harmonicly balanced, perfectly calibrated this and that will work better than a Spook or Pop-R. Not really saying anything against them. We like what we like and have our own confidence baits....I just believe that a bass is a primitive animal that does not care what kind of paint job a lure has or how much you paid for it. It's about right bait at the right time for the conditions you are fishing...not how much money you paid for or how new the lure is on the end of your line.
With all that said...I like the bait monkey, too! Just a lot less as I've progressed in this sport.
Bass & Boilermakers reply :
Zman's chatterbait has got to be considered famous by now. Bladed jigs have been around forever, but far and away the most common is the original chatterbait.
mrmacwvu1 reply :
I have caught bass on a jitterbug for over 30 years. Culprit worms as well.
BassWhole! reply :
The bat! The bat is famous!....
Or that hollow body that can double as a rubber duckie in the tub. Ya'll kill me...
Catt reply :
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Bankbeater reply :
Jitterbug, Lucky-13, and Heddon Sonic.
snake95 reply :
Interesting post. I respect the classics, and remember growing up in the 80's endlessly reading about classics like the bass oreno, lazy ike, and zara spook, lures I didn't see much in northern Canada, and fishing classics like the Mepps Aglia and the Rapala Original.
I agree some of the classics seem to be forgotten or at least talked about less these days, but of course bass still love them.
I think some newer "flavors" mentioned above are destined for greatness, and I would say the common thread of those is that they build on the fundamentals laid down by the greats, maybe you could say using the Japanese concept of "Kaizen" - continually and incrementally improving and refining on past successes and standards. They also include lures that give us new ways of thinking about fishing.
I think the point is, not all new lures are just fads, and even a few individual baits have the opportunity to really define the archetype of a particular category. Some look like fads. You can spot them a mile away.
Lures called out as "flavors" mentioned above that have the right stuff to become classics. Maybe these deserve a place in the classics bullpen?
The Ned Rig - maybe more of a concept, but it works so well in many situations and has certainly changed the way I think about bass and their habits. Call it good marketing combined with good fortune, but the picture in the classics catalog would probably show a gopher or Z-man head with a half a zinker and say "this is where it started."
The whopper plopper - can hear the groans now, and it's taken up more than its fair share of thread space here over the last year or so, but let's face it, it combines many of the great features of classics like the torpedo and devil's horse (buzz and pause) with the louder ripping sound of a buzzbait plus the plopping/swimming tail of a paddletail. I'd say that one is here to stay.
What about classic categories that don't have a clear archetype? Nobody would argue the jerkbait is an essential category, but what one lure represents it best? The 110 because it works great and is a beautiful lure? The X-rap because it is sold everywhere at enthusiast-friendly prices?
And other classic categories that have a clear prototype, but have been improved upon, ie. crazy crawler vs the pompadour? I've never fished a pompadour but by all accounts it improves on the crawler. But hard to put the pompadour in the classics book without a picture of the crazy crawler beside it.
cgolf reply :
Flavor of the month Zman baits on the Ned rig.
The Ned rig itself has been fished by many for so long I wouldn't call it a fad, it just wasn't called a Ned rig. Just a small plastic on a light jig that catches fish.
Maybe the big money baits are a fad too, can't believe that they have magic dust that makes them that much better than an 8-9 buck baits.
A-Jay reply :
After four going on five decades of bassing, the number of baits on my personal "Famous List" are just too numerous to mention.
Many of them are noted in the thread already.
Sadly some of them are no longer made and I no longer have.
Flavor of the month baits for me include a vibrating jig, and a swimjig; specifically a Warbaits model with a Big Hammer swimbait trailer.
A-Jay
scaleface reply :
On 7/16/2017 at 9:57 PM, A-Jay said:Sadly some of them are no longer made and I no longer have.
Name a few . I might be able to help you out .
A-Jay reply :
On 7/16/2017 at 10:37 PM, scaleface said:Name a few . I might be able to help you out .
Berkley Power Bait Beast ~
and the Menderchuck Magic Minnow ~
A-Jay
primetime reply :
Famous-Salt Craw, Sluggo(a fluke), Senko, Rebel Pop'r, Rapala Minnow, Shad Rap, Bill Lewis Rattle trap, original SCUM FROG-Banjo Minnow(Not Joking) If they marketed that bait in BPS instead of on TV, the Lake Fork Magic shad, SPro BBZ, all the segmented baits that were selling for big dollars may have never been created. Also the concept of Nose Hooking soft baits was another Banjo Minnow exclusive which is now one of most popular ways to fish soft baits of all kinds.
The Colors of the Banjo minnow were wacky and any infomercial whether a fishing lure or a Kitchen Mop are always considered by most to be a scam, myself included. I remember a buddy of mine who purchased them and used them one day and he was new to fishing, but looking back, if he would have known how to set the hook on a moving soft bait, he would have caught alot of fish before putting it down for good. It didn't help we made fun of him and going back to the culprit was obviously too easy. The first Lake Fork Magic shad was a prettier Banjo Minnow with the new technology of salt etc.
I would say the Power Worms or Powerbait/Gulp was a gamechanger for scent and Power Worms replaced almost everyones Culprit worms and mister Twister curly tail worms for about a decade. Gulp and Powerbait sell in all types of fishing, they don't market like they used to.
I would argue that any lure or bait that was in catalogs 30 years ago and is still in the catalog is a famous lure. Manns Jelly Worms, Norman Crankbaits, Cordell lures, Smithwick Rogues etc. First Suspended Jerkbait is a big deal, Rogues are never advertised, nor are the Devils horse etc which are copied every year, Many of the Prado lures are the same as they were 40 years ago.
To me the Ned Rig is kind of just a Take off of the Slider system, small baits have been used for years in different systems like a westy worm on a c-rig, but Elaztach is kind of a big deal, same with the chatterbait, Z-Man may be just as popular in 20 years since they came out with truly innovate ideas which is rare these days.
I would argue the KVD square bills were not original, Cordell, Rebel, Rapala, dozens of others created square bills. Strike King makes great stuff, I fish lots of it, But they seem to be the best at marketing/Advertising/Sponsership. There are 100's of square bills and I doubt if you polled 10 guys you would get any group to pick one brand more than 50%. They Work great, but so do tons of other brands.
Strike King has done a great job of selecting bait and lures for their line up that are a good mix and all pretty much work as good as the original stuff. The Red Eye shad is not a game changer but it is special. I give the flange idea of rage tail to Lake Fork as they had that much earlier on their flipping bait, other companies had soft baits that never made it with a similar design. They do a great job of having baits for everyone, and "Tweaking" other companies designs. The original Rage Bug was first Called the "River Bug" by KVD himself before it officially came out, then BPS had the river bug the same year. You can google River bug and strike king and find the connection. Granted they are 2 different baits, but without the flange it is a beaver. Many Bass Pro lures end up in top companies line ups. Especially the soft baits which is for obvious reasons.
If Lunker City were to decide to start advertising like crazy, start pushing new versions of the sluggo etc. Get Scott Martin to exclusively fish them, never speak a sentence without saying Lunker City on my Okuma TCS Rod and Okuma Helios Reel, they would blow up overnight. Remember when everything was "Riot Baits"?
If KVD was offered more money by Pradco to fish Bomber, have a KVD Bomber best Crankbait, I would guarantee Bomber cranks would sell even better than they do today and really hurt Strike King.
On 7/14/2017 at 9:48 PM, gilkeybr said:For Famous I would nominate the Rapala Shad Rap and the KVD 1.5. Those seem to universally be supported by everyone! The Wiggle Wart could also be considered for the famous list.
Another flavor of the month proposal: Bill Lewis StutterStep. I think spy baits like the Spinbait 80 could make this list also.
I don't think its ready to make either list, but I really like fishing my Pompadour Jr. I know they aren't the first of their kind (Heddon Crazy Crawler and Arbogast Jitterbug came before for sure), but they seem to catch fish well
The Double Plopper would fall under the "Worst purchases i've ever made" category, in my opinion!
I notice Pradco seems to have all the Famous lures and Rapala the other....First Suspending Jerkbait, First Wake Bait, Spook..Heddon,Bomber, Cordell-Big O, Redfin, Smithwick, Rebel,Arbogast..Bill Lewis rattle chap is for sure a gamechanger but Heddon Sonic got there pretty early. Manns jelly worms, ou Creme worms, Salt Craws, Sluggo set the table for flukes and Senkos.
If you check out Bass Archives you will notice 99% of lures we think are originals were actually modified from lures made in the past that never made it due to marketing etc...
Culprit once had a punch skirt and a company actually had a chatterbait in the 40's. Eagle claw had the Eaker Shaker which gave Z-Man guys the idea...Truly Original designs usually fail and are almost all the "Fads", especially the first go round if not enough money to get them in every angler's hands and magazine. Famous to me is a lure that everyone was using at the time. I have only seen a few in my lifetime. Right now everyone fishes some type of "Senko".
The stutter step is a good example of a Fad for sure, but is a copy based off the Mann's Pogo Shad. This could go on forever.
I wonder what the next Original design will actually be. Even Glide baits were simply just marketed to Bass fisherman instead of Musky.
cgolf reply :
@primetime As for the Sluggo, without it the Senko might never have been born. The story I heard was Gary wanted a bait similar to, but with a different action than the Sluggo. Heck I have both and can't catch fish on either one.
One I haven't seen yet is the sassy Shad. That thing I think was the first soft plastic Swimbait. If Mr twister poured and sold the first curly tail grub, then they might be responsible for two of the top categories in soft plastics. If they weren't first someone correct me.
Catt reply :
scaleface reply :
On 7/17/2017 at 7:25 AM, Catt said:
....and Pico Perch .
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