This will be the first year I really havnt bought much new tackle. I've spent some time going through my older stuff, and realized I've got a lot of things I've bought over the years, and for various reasons got away from. So, I'm using up some things I've had stored for years. I'll be throwing Culprit, Mr. Twister, and Mann's jelly worms, as well as the standard Zoom and roboworms, as well as some Zoom fat Albert grubs. Thanks to some recent threads about spinnerbaits, I'm going with some Beetle Spins, and standard single and double blade spinners. Same old topwaters too. I had set back a little money for a new Calcutta reel, but I'll hold off till next year. All my reels are working good, so it's not a must have item. I have bought and spoiled new line of course. A young co worker said I was putting myself at a disadvantage by not trying some of the newer lures out there. Disadvantage? These baits caught me a ton of fish years ago, and will catch em now just the same. I've simply accumulated so much tackle I need to use some of it up. What's left I'll use to stock up my grandsons box. I'm pumped about rediscovering the Zoom plastic lizard too. Used to catch the heck out of em with that bait years ago too. As has been said many times on this site: fish don't change, fisherman do. Were always looking for the hot new thing, when we probably already have the best! Ponds are thawing out now, warming weather is coming in. I can't wait to get out there!
I do the same thing . Occasionally, I'll pull out my old Rebel excalibur worm box, which is still full of Mann's Jelly worms, culprits, Producto tournament worms, etc. I also have some old paddle tail worms in there, and " gator tail " worms. Sometimes I just take that box only, to really re-aquaint myself with the good ol days.
I'm in the same boat . i bought some new frogs this winter because i'm lacking there and plan on using some . My local box store had a good clearance sale and i only bought some paddletail swimbaits to use on buzzbaits .
Ditto to all of the above. Something old becomes something new!!
If it aint broke quit trying to fix it! ????
I've been going through a ton of stuff and donating to local kids clubs....thinning out the boat....still using the old stuff ....just not as much in the boat. That way when I want to try something new it's more obvious in my boxes.
Gotta remember that whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them. Baits from 20 years ago are something they haven't seen and work better most of the time.
On 3/15/2019 at 7:13 PM, N Florida Mike said:" gator tail " worms
????
I did well on the Zoom lizard last year. Plan on throwing it again this year! Had fun with the old Jitterbug as well.
"It may be an old gun but it still makes new holes" was a saying that my dad's old deer hunting buddy would say when anyone made jokes about the old shotgun he used.
Culprit, Mr Twister, Mann's Jelly Worms and the other lures you mentioned are old lures but they still catch new fish.
Dave
You sound like my father "These baits caught me fish before you were born and they still catch fish now".
A few trips later... "Hey, I'm at Bass Pro right now. What brand are those chatterbait things you use?"
On 3/15/2019 at 7:04 PM, Mobasser said:This will be the first year I really havnt bought much new tackle. I've spent some time going through my older stuff, and realized I've got a lot of things I've bought over the years, and for various reasons got away from. So, I'm using up some things I've had stored for years. I'll be throwing Culprit, Mr. Twister, and Mann's jelly worms, as well as the standard Zoom and roboworms, as well as some Zoom fat Albert grubs. Thanks to some recent threads about spinnerbaits, I'm going with some Beetle Spins, and standard single and double blade spinners. Same old topwaters too. I had set back a little money for a new Calcutta reel, but I'll hold off till next year. All my reels are working good, so it's not a must have item. I have bought and spoiled new line of course. A young co worker said I was putting myself at a disadvantage by not trying some of the newer lures out there. Disadvantage? These baits caught me a ton of fish years ago, and will catch em now just the same. I've simply accumulated so much tackle I need to use some of it up. What's left I'll use to stock up my grandsons box. I'm pumped about rediscovering the Zoom plastic lizard too. Used to catch the heck out of em with that bait years ago too. As has been said many times on this site: fish don't change, fisherman do. Were always looking for the hot new thing, when we probably already have the best! Ponds are thawing out now, warming weather is coming in. I can't wait to get out there!
Totally Agree! Maybe you should keep a record so you can tell that young co-worker they still catch fish.
I’ve yet to find a bait that outfishes a green pumpkin lizard from March till May here in the south. Other colors work better on different lakes but I promise a GP zoom lizard will catch them anywhere
It's been a few years since I bought "latest and greatest". I'm in maintain mode now and happy to be here. I know what I catch fish on and I stick to it.
There was a recent post similar to this where I brought up Sluggos by Lunker City. I tore apart my fishing room this past week and finally found my sluggo box. I'm putting them into heavy rotation this year, also considering using them in new (to me) ways. I have a bunch of little 3 inchers, gonna throw them on a Drop shot and see how that goes. Gonna put some as a Chatterbait trailer and see if that does anything...
I forgot to mention, I stopped by Wal Mart the other night to pick up some medicine for my wife. Took a walk down the clearance isle, and found the Lucky Strike plastic worms marked down to 25cents per bag. I bought 10 bags- assorted colors 4" and 6". Spent a whole 2.50 plus tax. That's a deal you can't pass up!
On 3/16/2019 at 1:18 AM, lmbfisherman said:Totally Agree! Maybe you should keep a record so you can tell that young co-worker they still catch fish.
Ya, he's a cocky young greenhorn. I want to fish with him this summer and put a skunkin on him with some 20 yr old Mr. Twister phenom worms! See how he likes that business! He'll be runnin out to buy some soon after!
On 3/15/2019 at 9:36 PM, lo n slo said:????
Used to love Ditto Gator tail. For a few seasons years ago it was my favorite.
On 3/15/2019 at 8:22 PM, sll said:Gotta remember that whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them
Their memory aint that good! ????
On 3/16/2019 at 2:56 AM, Avalonjohn44 said:There was a recent post similar to this where I brought up Sluggos by Lunker City. I tore apart my fishing room this past week and finally found my sluggo box. I'm putting them into heavy rotation this year, also considering using them in new (to me) ways. I have a bunch of little 3 inchers, gonna throw them on a Drop shot and see how that goes. Gonna put some as a Chatterbait trailer and see if that does anything...
The sluggo is another long lost one for me too. When they first came into my area years ago, they were red hot! Every tackle shop in the area sold out of them. When the Zoom Fluke came out, I think lots of guys switched to fishing those, mostly because of the more realistic minnow shape. But I'm sure the Sluggo will still catch em. Good luck fishing them. Let us know how it goes
I believe the Old Gator Tailed worms are now the Zoom G-Tails....I still use the 8" Producto High Floating straight flipping worms in solid purple or grape....They still sell them in Florida since the OEM is in Sanford Florida near Orlando
They make baits for other companies, but they have a good line up of baits...The Buzz Tail shad is a good alternative to the speed worm, bigger subwoofer type bait....I think they Make Venom and a few other companies soft baits.
Producto Tournament 8" worms are basically a Magnum Trick worm with a flat tail....
Culprit still makes the best Ribbon tail worms, Fat Max probably best flipping style swimming worm, and a 4-6" culry tail worm catches fish anywhere anytime....
The Old is still really the new..Riverside is now Yum...on and on....Just new colors, new twists, but at the end of the day, The Chatterbait is really the only huge breakthrough since the Senko, and before then the SLuggo was pretty good. Just don't use them now, they won't work...Only Flukes work....
Anyone remember the Bass Pro Gator Tails with the rattle pocket in the tail....I remember ordering them as a kid and still remember the one bass I caught on them while buzzing it on top to make another cast..I wish I knew about Speed wormin back then...
If a Mann's Jelly Worm and 6" Tomato core culprit were good enough to win a classic in the past 2 decades..Then they will work just as good. Its not always the bait, but who is throwing it and where. Pretty much all plastic worms will work if you think about it.
On 3/16/2019 at 5:02 AM, primetime said:Producto Tournament 8" worms are basically a Magnum Trick worm with a flat tail....
These are some of my favorite worms. For some reason they arent in stores much anymore. I plan to order some this year.
They are so...slinky is the word . And coated with that slimy stuff . Love to sniff em'???? Bass love em too !!
Zoom lizards just work, period. Love to throw them in the river where current keeps the tail and legs moving. And the majority of the time when they get hit, they get hit; not a mush bite!
Shoot, Zoom lizards are always on my boat, and have been for many years now. Its one of my " circle of trust " baits.
On 3/16/2019 at 5:41 AM, heavyduty said:Zoom lizards just work
????
On 3/15/2019 at 8:22 PM, sll said:Gotta remember that whole new generations of bass have mostly only seen the latest baits and have gotten used to seeing them. Baits from 20 years ago are something they haven't seen and work better most of the time.
I think you are giving bass waaaaay to much credit. ☺️
I thought Zoom Lizards were new lures .????
Going through my stuff, I also found a bag of Ding - a Ling worms. It has Billy Westmorelands picture on the package. Only 2 left in the bag. A paddletail, segmented worm, can't remember when I bought those. Heck, I love all plastic worms. I've made so many threads on them, everybody's probably tired of talking about them! For me, still and always will be number one for bass!
On 3/16/2019 at 6:16 AM, scaleface said:I thought Zoom Lizards were new lures .????
Can't wait to throw these again! I've got pumpkin, pumpkin/ chartreuse and blk/blue. Another old favorite I'm bringing back this year. Texas rigged worked best for me.
One of my best days this year was fishing behind 2 guys who were throwing either a burner worm from Gambler or Zoom Speed worm, other guy looked to be throwing a Gambler 5" EZ swimmer on top..That's usually a great way to cover water in Florida over weeds etc...
I started swimming a 6" BPS curly tail black blue tail worm that was on my light spinning rod, ended up getting bit what felt like every cast. The curly tail worm gives off a subtle swimming action on top compared to all the buzz style plastics and paddle tails, also falls differently which gets alot of strikes. I find that when creating commotion on top, if you kill a plastic once or twice, you often get bit for fish that follow or thinking about striking.
Was anyone swimming curly tail worms back in the day before Speed worms? I used to swim Culprits over lily pad fields just for fun since we didn't have braid and could never land them...Is that a new technique as in last 10 years?
Sorry you spoiled the new line - probably got to go buy more. Please understand that it isn't about you. Fishing tackle companies count on you getting more gear every year. It doesn't matter that you've got more than you can ever use - get some more. You can indulge yourself by fishing some of your old stuff, but understand it is an indulgence. As long as you've got some disposable income, it is your duty to buy more fishing gear. IMO
On 3/15/2019 at 7:04 PM, Mobasser said:Were always looking for the hot new thing, when we probably already have the best
So true , but last year I wouldn’t have caught half of the fish I did; without the use of plastics made within the last few years. Specifically the Berkley Pit Boss and Yum Christie Craw.....but as for worms I do still fish a plethora of Zoom and Culprits from the 1990s and maybe even late 1980s. They still work very well and in some cases better than newer designed worms.
I love to buy new stuff and try it out when I know the bite is on. How do I know the bite is on....by using my old stuff first!
I am more then likely the only angler on the lake that still fishes hair jigs with pork rind trailers and a lake full of bass to educate.
Tom
It says something when you can find Culprit ribbon tail worms at every Walmart, Kmart, Dicks, small tackle shop.....Yet they barely do any marketing, can't think of a pro that is paid by them but I am sure they have a few guys....
Even Sports authority back in the day always had culprit worms...Only other bait you will always find on a shelf in every tackle shop is a GYB senko for most part in soft baits and then it is kind of geographic....Walmart is not stocking Z-Man, Gambler etc. which are the "Hot"Brands These days...Yet they always have a good selection of 5" and 7.5" culprit worms....For good reason....They work as well as any soft plastic today imo....always have, I switched to Power worms when they first came out for a few years, but not never pick up the power worm.
I am surprised Culprit doesn't advertise more, sponser better guys...The Incredicraw/Incredislim is a fantastic pitching bait as a change up to what everyone else throws....Then the trailers they make are actually really good as well but nobody uses them...
On 3/16/2019 at 6:43 AM, Mobasser said:Going through my stuff, I also found a bag of Ding - a Ling worms. It has Billy Westmorelands picture on the package. Only 2 left in the bag. A paddletail, segmented worm, can't remember when I bought those. Heck, I love all plastic worms. I've made so many threads on them, everybody's probably tired of talking about them! For me, still and always will be number one for bass!
I fish the same way, and I am 60, too. Coincidence?
On 3/16/2019 at 5:50 AM, MAN said:I think you are giving bass waaaaay to much credit. ☺️
So, you are saying that the bass in your lakes still bite an Alabama Rig as good today than they did 5 years ago? Definitely not true here in TN. First time anglers that couldn't catch a fish at Captain D's were catching 30-50 fish a day on that thing when it first became popular. There hasn't been a tournament won on it in 2 years that I know of.
On 3/16/2019 at 5:33 AM, N Florida Mike said:These are some of my favorite worms. For some reason they arent in stores much anymore. I plan to order some this year.
They are so...slinky is the word . And coated with that slimy stuff . Love to sniff em'???? Bass love em too !!
Order extra "Lunker Lotion" from the site...I love putting that stuff in all my older plastics, Yes, those worms are money. Awesome colors and it is a great worm with the shape. It comes through weeds awesome. I believe alot of people fish that Producto worm, but for some reason they are never on shelves anymore.
They do pour a ton of that lotion in the bags which is probably why the ones I have from a decade ago are still brand new.
I’m also a big fan of the Producto Tournament Worm. The shipping is a little high but the worms are so cheap that it evens out.
A lot of the brackish/inshore guys I know swear by the Producto Shads as well. They are great on a jig head or as a trailer for smaller swimjigs.
On 3/17/2019 at 8:55 PM, sll said:So, you are saying that the bass in your lakes still bite an Alabama Rig as good today than they did 5 years ago? Definitely not true here in TN.
Yes. Although you did pick literately the most extreme lure as a reference.
Cool thread. I'm a newcomer/weekend warrior but I'm as interested in learning about the old stuff and how/why it worked as I am about the latest and greatest. There is a lot to learn from the old masters. I came across a pile of older Ditto baits, mostly "gator tail" worms last fall at a pawn shop in Georgia. Had no idea what "Ditto" meant.
That lead me to find the following article about Terry Scroggins making his own from Ditto molds, and giving away kicker tail worms at an event last year.
Yesterday I got to actually talk to Terry about his tinkering and he gave my son a pack of his kicker tails at the Classic. Sure, the pack of baits was cool but what was really priceless was getting to talk to Mr. Scroggins himself about fishing the gator tail. Looking forward to fishing these classics in our local Georgia ponds soon.
https://www.bassmaster.com/gear/scroggins-made-12000-worms-toyota-event
On 3/19/2019 at 6:48 AM, snake95 said:Cool thread. I'm a newcomer/weekend warrior but I'm as interested in learning about the old stuff and how/why it worked as I am about the latest and greatest. There is a lot to learn from the old masters. I came across a pile of older Ditto baits, mostly "gator tail" worms last fall at a pawn shop in Georgia. Had no idea what "Ditto" meant.
That lead me to find the following article about Terry Scroggins making his own from Ditto molds, and giving away kicker tail worms at an event last year.
Yesterday I got to actually talk to Terry about his tinkering and he gave my son a pack of his kicker tails at the Classic. Sure, the pack of baits was cool but what was really priceless was getting to talk to Mr. Scroggins himself about fishing the gator tail. Looking forward to fishing these classics in our local Georgia ponds soon.
https://www.bassmaster.com/gear/scroggins-made-12000-worms-toyota-event
snake95 that's great! Yep, the Ditto Gator tail is a great worm. I liked grape the best