50 Best Lures of All Time

[troutrageous1]

There was an article that ran in a prominent outdoors magazine a little over a year ago that made note of what the author thought were the 50 Greatest Lures of all time.

I know a lot of us prefer live bait, but I think it's safe to say we've all picked up a Rapala or Soft Plastic something at one time or another. Just wanted to see what the top 2 or 3 lures in your tackle box are (not limited to T.H.E. Jig :icon_cool:) or maybe some not so well known lures you think are keepers. Pictures please, the more the merrier.

I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of gift cards this holiday, would like to know what to spend them on!

Oh, and for your reference, these were the Top 50:
1: Curly Tail Grub
2: Dardevle Spinnie
3: Rapala
4: Mepps Aglia
5: Johnson Silver Minnow
6: Slug-Go
7: Zara Spook
8: Berkley Power Worm
9: Original Gitzit
10: Flatfish
11: Storm WildEye Swimbait
12: Rat-L-Trap
13: Terminator T-1 Spinnerbait
14: Gibbs Pencil Popper
15: Needlefish
16: Kastmaster
17 Krocodile
18: Little Cleo
19: Lucky Craft Flashminnow
20: Rooster Tail
21: Panther Martin
22: Cordell Red Fin
23: Swedish Pimple
24: Blue Fox Foxee Jig
25: Rebel Pop-R
26: K.O. Wobbler
27: FoodSource Minnow
28: Zoom Trick Worm
29: Rapala Shad Rap
30: Yamamoto Senko
31: Hopkins Shorty
32: Phoebe
33: Lucky Craft Splash-Tail 90
34: Al’s Goldfish
35: Hot Shot
36: Williams Wabler
37: Hula Popper
38: Jitterbug
39: Stanley Flat Eye Jig
40: Teeny Torpedo
41: Bagley Balsa B
42: Mann’s 1-Minus
43: Berkley Bat Wing Frog
44: Hula Grub
45: Snag Proof Frog
46: Lunker Lure Buzzbait
47: Culprit Tassel Lizard
48: Uncle Josh Pork Frog
49: Mepps Muskie Killer
50: Castaic Trout

[troutrageous1]

Since I started the thread, here's my favorite 3 (as of the moment)
Panther Martin Inline Spinner - This is my favorite for trout, especially when ultralight fishing - on 2-lb, maybe 4-lb test. The one pictured is a Size 2, Holographic Firetiger.
Yamamoto Senkos - All purpose for bass. Just think they are so versatile all of the different ways they can be rigged. My preference is on a weighted worm rig from Luck-E-Strike.
Heddon Zara Spook (& Puppy). Call me old fashioned, but I love fishing topwater, especially for Smallies. They blow up on these, especially the Puppy (pictured here) like crazy in the summer. Just "Walk-The-Dog."Disclaimer: I just won some KaRu Lures in a recent WIF giveaway. (Thanks again Karl!) Haven't had a chance to get them wet yet - there will likely be some movement in my top 3 after I do!

[Schoe]

Boy what a hard decision. I would have to list my old favorites as --

In-line Spinners-- Mepps and Abu spinners

Stick lures- Rapala Swimming Minnow

Back a long time ago when I actually went out fished for Bass my favorite artificial was a Black Rubber worm just free floated.

Schoe

[cattracker16]

I don't have any favorite lures yet.

[capt.kirk]

#1 8 inch Culprit worms Black - Purple - Black Cherry -Free Floating
#2 Creek Chub Top Water Baits in Black or Black and White
#3 Count Down Rapala or Lazy Ike in Orange / with Black spots
And when all else fails LIVE CRAWLERS :evilgrin0031: Kirk

[GOT_A_Fish]

Well had to do a little thinkin on this

1. 1/4 ounce jig with 3 in shad bodies or twister tails some times add a spinner. (sometimes smaller or larger depends what i'm targetin)
2. Blade baits like the cicada 1/2 ounce or 1/4(haven't tried smaller or larger yet, just bought some 1/16 oz to try jigin through the ice.)
3. Rubber worms or lizzards carolina or texas rigged.
4. Chatter bait or something of that sort.

First 2 is what I use most often. these are the most versitile lures I've caught cats, blugills, crappie, LMB, SMB,whitebass, stripers, muskie, northern, walleye, perch and even caught carp and buffalo. So with the multi species I've caught on these 2 they seem to have become my goto baits.

Gofish turned me on to the blade bait down in Clinton this fall. That weekend I caught a mess a white bass, 2 LMBs, 3 SMBs, 2 channel cats, and about 6 crappie.

[Soupy_1us]

My two cents: Anything that BLEEDS,STINKS or WIGGLES !
Or all the above !
Favorites used in my area.....Maw Bell and her boy friend "Mr. Dyn-0-Mite" ! (but, when you use these last two, you've got to have them magic words to go with them....... "Hey Ya'll Watch This" !)
Now , that I've sampled the "Good Life" of jiggin' this list might be changin'...
My "ALL TIME FAVORITES" ( when I was younger) were the " RED PLASTIC WORM", THE "LUCKY THIRTEEN" (red and white) and the Heavy Weight the "LITTLE GEORGE" (crank bait). Now that I'm older... those last three are just too much "work" to use.

[gofish]

narrowin it down ta 3 baits is bout the hardest question a guy could ask me...my boat looks like a tackle store lol....three main categories are crankbaits,jigs and bladebaits.....which one jus depends on the fish that day. :icon_biggrin:

[Pegleg]

I noticed there wasn't a "bucktail jig" on that 50 lure list. One of the best lures of all times. These days my favorite three would be 1- dark colored plastic worm. 2- Smithwick Devils Horse topwater lure. 3- a spinner bait, the vibraspin by KaRu is one of the best. Growing up in Miami, Fla. my go to lure for salt and fresh water was always a white bucktail jig. I've caught many largemouth bass on em too as well as every saltwater fish we could get to from the bank or a seawall.

[troutrageous1]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Sounds like a lot of great choices. Anybody else, keep 'em coming.
Pegleg - I think my holiday gift cards have some Smithwick Devils Horses written on them. Love that topwater action! That thing looks NASTY!
http://www.whereifish.com/thepond/imagehosting/202647731c0c3a281.jpg (http://www.whereifish.com/thepond/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=69)

[capt.kirk]

Many years back,when Creek Chub was still in business they produced
baits just like that with double spinner blades,they were deadly then
and still are,you are making a good choice for top water.Used to live
in Garett In where the factory was,at 1 time i had 450 of their baits,
sold off all but a few to a collector,I still use what i have left(but) when
i throw one i say to my self dang that one is worth 50 bucks :icon_eek:
Kirk

[gofish]

ssshhhh quiet there capn....that creek chubs my secret fall bait,rip it thru the weeds on windy days lol still got 2 i use all the time

[troutrageous1]

Is this the Creek Chub topwater you guys are talking about - the "injured minnow?"

http://i11.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/ce/2b/4b32_1.JPG

[capt.kirk]

Yep,that would be one of them,do you use it,whats the date on it?? Kirk

[troutrageous1]

It isn't mine (yet). I grabbed the picture from eBay as a reference. There's a lot of them on there - anywhere from a couple of bucks to over $50. Guess it all boils down to how "vintage" or rare it is.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=creek+chub+injured+minnow&category0=

[capt.kirk]

If you choose to get any,stay away from the plastic ones,get only wood
ones that still have the box if your wanting to collect a few. Kirk

[GotstaFish]

If I had to pick 3 it would be
1. SPRO Bronzeye Frog
2. SpinnerBait
3. SwimBlade Jig

[Sonny]

I roll old-school, guys:
1. The Arbogast Jitterbug 3/8 or 5/8 oz. in the "perch" pattern. Though I've caught quite a few bass and a couple of pike on one, I think I'd use it even if it didn't catch a thing... I just love to see and hear that little guy do its stuff!
2. The Red-Eye spoon 3/16 and 1/2 oz. sizes in nickel or brass.
3. Herb Reed's original Slug-Go 3" (spring and early summer) and 4 1/2" (summer and fall) in the Arkansas Shiner or all-black pattern.
4. "Pinkie" hair jigs 1/32 and 1/16 oz. in the pink head/white hair pattern.
5. Anybody remember the River Runt?

[DaveIN]

Ta da!

http://www.whereifish.com/thepond/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=27

Enough said...................LOL

[Soupy_1us]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p115/Soupy_1us/672.jpg Lost a bunch of these in my time.....