The worst lure ever? 2024
@reelChris reply :
A little more than a year ago when I was just starting to get into freshwater fishing, I made the unfortunate mistake of walking into a used gear store. I needed tackle to catch…something. I wasn’t certain where I'd fish or what for, nor did I really know anything about what worked and what didn’t. So, I ended up getting taken by the old fishing captain/store owner who was just looking to offload junk. Decently priced junk, but still mostly junk.
One of the things he talked me into was this secret weedless wonder bait that was going to be produced for the inventor by a major tackle company until "their legal team decided that the lure might technically be considered a switch blade." As a result, the inventor gave up and sold all of his leftover stock to my store owner friend, who generously offered them to me at $5 each.
The key to this lure’s “weedlessness” is that the hooks are held captive in the body by spring tension and, at least theoretically, pop out when the trigger plate is activated by fish jaws closing around it. In reality, the hooks typically spring out upon contact with water after even moderate length casts. But the worst part of this thing is that it has ABSOLUTELY NO ACTION WHATSEVER! I don’t even know what kind of bait its supposed to be. It looks like a crankbait but it doesn’t dive or swim. It basically comes straight through the water like a painted stick. You can’t jig it or jerk it, and it sinks, so its not a topwater either. It doesn't much matter, though, because the body is bass sized but the hooks are only really appropriate for pan fish. Ultimately, this thing’s only use is to remind me to avoid gimmicky junk only designed to catch fishermen.
What’s the dumbest lure you’ve wasted time and money on?
Yeajray231 reply :
Nothing that bad. that's horrible ????????.
GReb reply :
Based off my production of late I’d say every lure in my tackle box
WRB reply :
You do know that China doesn't issue patents and it's not a member country that honors US or international patents.
That lure may take the prize, although Roland Martens Helicopter lure is up there with the Banjo Minnow. There are thousands of fishing lure patents that don't catch fish just fishermen.
Tom
Scott F reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 1:22 AM, WRB said:You do know that China doesn't issue patents and it's not a member country that honors US or international patents.
That lure may take the prize, although Roland Martens Helicopter lure is up there with the Banjo Minnow. There are thousands of fishing lure patents that don't catch fish just fishermen.
Tom
The only thing wrong with the Banjo Minnow was that it didn’t get any respect because of the TV ads. It does catch fish. What is wrong with nose hooking a minnow shaped, soft plastic bait? If it had been introduced and promoted on a TV fishing show like The In-Fisherman, and maybe if it had a different name, it might have been taken seriously. I know guys who did very well with them.
BassinCNY reply :
That is the coolest and most ridiculous lure I've ever seen. The story makes it even cooler. I've got so many questions. Who paid for the tooling? Did the prototypes work? Was it just a scheme to defraud investors? Wow.
WRB reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 1:32 AM, Scott F said:The only thing wrong with the Banjo Minnow was that it didn’t get any respect because of the TV ads. It does catch fish. What is wrong with nose hooking a minnow shaped, soft plastic bait? If it had been introduced and promoted on a TV fishing show like The In-Fisherman, and maybe if it had a different name, it might have been taken seriously. I know guys who did very well with them.
If you like the Banjo Minnow it's still being sold 110 piece kit for $20
Tom
greentrout reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 1:32 AM, Scott F said:The only thing wrong with the Banjo Minnow was that it didn’t get any respect because of the TV ads. It does catch fish. What is wrong with nose hooking a minnow shaped, soft plastic bait? If it had been introduced and promoted on a TV fishing show like The In-Fisherman, and maybe if it had a different name, it might have been taken seriously. I know guys who did very well with them.
caught a lot of bass with the banjo minnow in ponds and small lakes ... b'day gift ... don't give a hoot what others think ...
good fishing ...
A-Jay reply :
A-Jay
J Francho reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 1:32 AM, Scott F said:The only thing wrong with the Banjo Minnow was that it didn’t get any respect because of the TV ads. It does catch fish. What is wrong with nose hooking a minnow shaped, soft plastic bait? If it had been introduced and promoted on a TV fishing show like The In-Fisherman, and maybe if it had a different name, it might have been taken seriously. I know guys who did very well with them.
The plastic minnows did catch, but the hooks were terrible. Capt. Ken that invented it also sells some very expensive frogs that use the same hook. They were all the rage a few years ago.
WRB reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 2:07 AM, greentrout said:caught a lot of bass with the banjo lure in ponds and small lakes ... b'day gift ... don't give a hoot what others think ...
good fishing ...
10 each Zoom Flukes $2.49, you get 20 Banjo Minnows the balance of the 110 pieces are cheap hooks and springs for $20. I was given a kit as a gift from non fisherman who don't know and get sucked in with commercial. Buy 50 Zoom Flukes, a bag of Hitchhiker springs and Mustad hooks, money ahead with quality products.
Tom
Yeajray231 reply :
True but banjo minnow isn't even comparable to the op. Cuz the banjo minnow caught fish. And like it or not, so did the helicopter lure. My ex's father lived In Alabama and has told me repeatedly about the bass he caught on those helicopter lures and he is dead serious... That thing in the OP isn't gonna catch anything... Ever.
That homer Simpson could probably catch bass if it actually wobbles. I'd like to see someone post something that is actually comparable because the banjo minnow and helicopter lure are not this..
Maybe a brick, or a wacky rigged piece of pvc ????????
Munkin reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 2:08 AM, A-Jay said:
A-Jay
Don't knock the Simpsons lure as I have a headless Bart Simpson lure that has caught some fish.
Allen
WRB reply :
There are several good books on antique fishing lures worth reading like Fishing Lure Collectibles by Murphy and Edmisten.Back in the 1900's to around 1930 several weedless spring loaded hook lures were marketed that would be prior art negating patent claims for the lure design the OP posted.
Tom
Raul reply :
Heddon Cousin II
I've even casted it into a sumberged mesquite tree to see if it atleast catch a friggin branch and get lost and wasn't able to do that !
HenryPF reply :
Umm, they still sell it and I would never give mine up.
http://www.hoverlure.com/
What makes this even more special? You have to PUT IT TOGETHER.
Honorable mention: Bill Dance Dancing Eel.
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
Lunkerhunt prop fish is an awful, awful lure. Either I don’t know how to fish it, or it looks way better in the package.
If anyone likes these I’m sorry, but it’s just not a good bait! I tried 2 colors thinking it was a solid option, looks like a fish, small prop and weedless, but for whatever reason nothing will touch it! Not even a pike! And that says a lot, I bet you could catch a pike on a hot wheels with a hook attached.
Edit-I do believe they could catch a fish, but I’m done throwing the thing. could and can are two different things haha
The Bassman reply :
On 7/21/2019 at 3:08 PM, AlTheFisherman313 said:Lunkerhunt prop fish is an awful, awful lure. Either I don’t know how to fish it, or it looks way better in the package.
If anyone likes these I’m sorry, but it’s just not a good bait! I tried 2 colors thinking it was a solid option, looks like a fish, small prop and weedless, but for whatever reason nothing will touch it! Not even a pike! And that says a lot, I bet you could catch a pike on a hot wheels with a hook attached.
Edit-I do believe they could catch a fish, but I’m done throwing the thing. could and can are two different things haha
Bought one of these last year and caught a few with it. Main problem is keeping the prop clean. One piece of grass and everything stops. Ploppers are the same way except you don't expect them to be weedless.
bassh8er reply :
I’ve caught some nice bass on the Dancin’ Eel. Used to be one of my go to baits until I ran out of them.
greentrout reply :
WRB reply :
Every bass angler gets dupped buying lures. Admit it you have a few skeletons in the closet.
When 3:16 lures started up I bought Mickey's Top Dawg swimbait and couldn't catch a cold with them or work any action into the lure.
Looking for a big worm I bought Ring Worms Goliath worm sight unseen. Wow big doesn't come close to discribing the Goliath, needed my swimbait rod, 1 1/2 oz bullet with 11/0 hook to fish it and never had a bump using it. Anyone looking for a big 16" worm?
Tom
5by3 reply :
That new spider lure they came out with at icast looks pretty dang bad!
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 7/22/2019 at 12:10 AM, 5by3 said:That new spider lure they came out with at icast looks pretty dang bad!
I’m not impressed with a lot of their baits, but the prop frog and their “thump” spinner bait both work exceptionally well.
On 7/21/2019 at 4:27 PM, The Bassman said:Bought one of these last year and caught a few with it. Main problem is keeping the prop clean. One piece of grass and everything stops. Ploppers are the same way except you don't expect them to be weedless.
Trust me that’s partially why I gave up on it. Figured oh I’ll buzz it by weeds, it stops buzzing and it’s a wasted cast. I think I rather just throw a frog and the retrieve I use with a frog doesn’t create the same effect obviously, but you can make a wake with a frog that’s on the more “silent” side, which is what I believe that prop was made to be like a minor buzz bait effect.
Your absolutely right on ploppers getting stuck also, but that lure out right produces.
airborneduckhunter reply :
I have caught fish on the Banjo Minnow and I honestly had one of my best topwater days with the Helicopter Lure. Bank fishing a 3 ac. pond with lily pads all around. caught them on top through the pads and letting it helicopter down in the open holes.
Seriously though, that "lure" in the OP is wild looking. Hate you got caught.
J Francho reply :
I fished from shore with a friend from work. He was all in on the Flying Lure. We both caught that day.
CountryboyinDC reply :
Some of these can't be designed to catch fish - the Homer plug or beer can crankbait you used to see. My grandmother gave me a helicopter lure, I never did get a bite. Those wriggling worms might be a close second, although I did catch a red ear with one. That one the OP shows is worth $5 for the laughs.
Spy reply :
I don't know the OP's location but that same lure in an assortment of colors is listed on eBay from a seller out of Michigan!
As for my own crazy lure, I bought a 'Power Pak' 30 years ago, the one with the pull string wind up mechanism that self wound at he end of the cast and flapped the tail. Still have it to though now I believe it's a collectable.
Jleebesaw reply :
On 7/22/2019 at 10:43 PM, J Francho said:I fished from shore with a friend from work. He was all in on the Flying Lure. We both caught that day.
I used to have the flying lure. I still say that was a good bait. That sucker would go right under docks and tree branches. It was a crappie killer. I would buy it again if I saw it.
Boomstick reply :
On 7/20/2019 at 1:17 AM, GReb said:Based off my production of late I’d say every lure in my tackle box
If it helps, it can't be any worse than mine this year. I think I've caught 7 bass this year, which was a good day last year. I don't get it.
FishingGeekTX reply :
I was in like middle school when I bought a Dancing Eel. I dreamed about fishing it...I was so sure it was the "the thing" that would catch big bass. I don't think I ever caught a fish on it. Looked kind of cool in the water, I bet someone caught fish on it.
Worst lore I recently purchased was in a frenzy to get a bunch of weedless options for some very weed choked lakes I was fishing. One of the lures I ended up with was this WeedRunner(tm).
Thing is, if it so much as brushes up against a weed...the weed runner stops running. That spinner just stops on any weeds and needs to be cleaned. Complete fail IMO, unusable for the purposes intended. Surprisingly it was the bladed jig...that's not even weedless, that somehow almost magically cut through weeds that day on a straight retrieve.
cyclops2 reply :
The flying lure is excellent for docks & boats stopped. About $ 3 less than a top " Look under docks sonar. 
Fishes in trees reply :
Chuck Woolery promoted the power pack lures for a while. I owned one and I caught a few fish on it. I should have bought more because I also think that they are kinda collectable by now.
The first generation of Berkley cranks - the "Frenzy" series, with the exception of the lipless crank, were all stinkers. I got duped when a store I frequent a lot put them all on sale for $1.50 each and I bought $40 worth of them. Oh well, most of them are still pristine in their original packaging. I found out a long time ago that the crank bait lure packs sold at Walmart were pretty much stinkers. - didn't run straight, poor paint jobs and low quality hooks.
There was a lure company called POE'S, which I think is still around and associated with Yakima baits in some way and they sold a flat sided/coffin billed crank, endorsed by Rick Clunn, that he allegedly won a Bassmaster Classic on.
The issue with these baits was the quality control - even given that they were balsa baits, maybe 1 out of 10 ran right and they were nearly impossible to tune. Bandit also made a flat sided/coffin billed bait in a deep and shallow model and I find that these are a challenge to tune.
BassNJake reply :
When I lived in Ohio we had a lot of lakes with weeds and i liked to crank at that time.
So I bought these lures from the Meat and Potatoes lure company that came with a single hook on a crankbait that dived to about 14 feet.
Only caught weeds with that thing
Yeajray231 reply :
^ not the case with Walmart anymore.
They sell rage tail, z man chAtterbaits , and rapala cranks. They're not seconds. They're just popular because they catch fish.
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