Bass classics: Some great lures never go out of style 

Perusing the displays of bass lures at tackle shops can be intimidating.

How does a fisherman select from the myriad choices of lures that come in an astounding variety of amazing and realistic colors?

Does a fishermen who expects to keep up with other anglers really need to keep his tackle box stocked with the latest and greatest lures?

Well, part of the fun of bass fishing is the quest for the magic lure.

But the reality is that the lures and baits that worked well for our fathers and grandfathers will still work today when they're in the right hands.

Here's a look at some classic bass lures that have been catching fish for decades, and will keep catching fish for decades to come.

Spinnerbait

In-line spinners, such as the venerable Mepps Aglia have been around since the 1800s, and still are catching plenty of fish, including bass. In fact, in-line spinners remain one of the most versatile lures for river smallmouths.

But in the bass fishing world the term "spinnerbait" typically refers to a lure that built on a v-shaped wire. One end includes a jighead and hook, the other one or more spinner blades.

Spinnerbaits, which entered widespread use in the mid 20th century, are amazingly versatile. They can burned just under the water's surface, crawled along the bottom, or fished anywhere between.

Because the hook rides pointing up they are also snag-resistant.

Rapala floating minnow

In 1936, Finnish fisherman Lauri Rapala used a shoemaker's knife to carve a minnow-shaped lure out of cork. He covered the lure with foil from a chocolate bar to give it flash, then melted photographic negatives over the lure to protect the finish.

While there are dozens of types of Rapala lures available nowadays, it's hard to beat the Original Floating version, as the lure is trademarked.

Reeled steadily, retrieved with wild jerks, or twitched gently on the surface, the lures trigger ferocious strikes today just like they did in 1936.

Plastic worm

Yes, there are some classic plastic worms that have been around for decades. And, yes, there are differences in plastic worm colors and designs, some subtle, some not-so-subtle.

But, in general, a plastic worm is a plastic worm. (We won't go as far as including plastic lizards and soft plastics such as creature baits in here, though we probably could.)

Plastic worms can be fished a number of ways but the most popular approaches through the years have been Texas rigged (weedless with a weight directly above the hook) or Carolina rigged (weedless with the weight a couple of feet up the line, above a swivel).

In recent years finesse presentations such as fishing worms on shaky head jigs or on drop shot rigs have gained a lot of favor when bass are proving especially finicky.

Jig

Like so many bass classics, a jig comes in many sizes and flavors. Too many to settle on just one specific lure as the best of the best.

With a weighted head and a hook point that points up, jigs are excellent choices for fishing around heavy cover such as woody debris, stumps and rocks. Many jigs feature weed guards that further enhance their snag-resistance.

A jig's fish appeal often can be enhanced by a trailer. Time was that trailer was often a preserved piece of pork belly cut to mimic a frog's back legs, hence the term jig-and-pig.

Pork trailers are still available but most anglers these days opt for trailers of man-made material.

Bomber Model A crankbait

How can we settle on a particular crankbait model when there are hundreds of good crankbaits available?

Because the argument could be made that the Bomber Model A is the not only one of the originals, but remains one of the most versatile bass-catching cranks out there today.

Available in six sizes and too many colors to comprehend, the Model A has its place on the lake 365 days a year.

Rebel Pop-R

In 1976, Rebel introduced a surface lure called the Pop-R, but the lure remained in the product line for only a couple of years.

Even after the Pop-R was officially dropped in 1978, the company continued taking special orders from a shop in East Texas on behalf of a handful of tournament anglers, including legends Rick Clunn and Zell Rowland.

The lure officially made it back into Rebel's full line in 1987, catching loads of fish and inspiring knock-offs ever since.

One of the reason's for the lure's popularity is that not only does it work, but it's easy to fish. Just cast it out, pop it back and hold on.

Smithwick's Devil's Horse

Jack Smithwick of Shreveport, La., started carving lures in the 1940s to help promote his work selling business machines.

His first lure blank came from the top of his wife's broom handle, but eventually Smithwick bought a lathe and started turning out lures such as the iconic Devil's Horse.

The long, slender plug features propellers on both ends and churns up water whether fish at a steady retrieve, such as when fishing a buzz bait, or when popped with erratic jerks.

The Devil's Horse, which is still constructed from wood, can pull up big largemouths even on heavily pressured lakes, but don't overlook it as a dynamite lure for river smallmouths in the summer.

Johnson Silver Minnow

In 1920, retired foundry worker Louis Johnson was wracking his brain about a way he could fish his weedy home lake.

Johnson's solution was to solder a flexible wire hook guard to a spoon he had made out of a table spoon.

He eventually developed a spoon shaped so that the hook would ride facing up, further improving the lure's weedless characteristics.

Today's Silver Minnow comes in many colors, but it's hard to beat the original as a fish-catching machine.

With its darting action and tantalizing flash, the Silver Minnow looks just like, well, a fleeing minnow. But it's that hook guard and the lure's ability to skim through vegetation - such as the hydrilla that is becoming more common in the region's lakes - that makes it really special.

Many anglers like to add a trailer, such as a thin strip of pork rind, for even more action but the plain old spoon is often all that's needed.

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