Who fishes with lures that are at least 40 years old?

[Hammer Handle]

Any of you?

I collect fishing lures (old and vintage), and a few times a year I like to take a bamboo or steel rod with an old baitcasting reel and cast some early wood plugs. These lures still work great!

There is something about catching a fish on a 100-year-old lure!

Now, if I just had that old wooden boat....

[Big-Al]

I carry an old Bass-Oreno in my box that was my Father's. It is well over 50 years old. It really feels great to pick up a nice bass on it.

[youngie22]

Last year I traded a college gal her rapala, for any one of mine she wanted... I couldn't find a date but I thought it was awesome. Original case sharp shiny hooks and looked ancient. Stays in the box; haven't used it, scared to lose it!

[scotty18]

I still use an old Heddon Pumkinseed. It's all beat up and repainted, but it still works. I also use my old river runts.

Thanks, Scotty

[sparcebag]

I have them the old steel & reel bamboo fly rod even 2 old creels and 30-40 lures they sit in a coffee can cause I dont want to use em.

[gatorhunter]

I don't fish with mine. They took too much time and money to find. I just love the look that they have as I dream of earlier years.

[IFallsRon]

I've got a purple Lazy Ike, Prescott Spinners, red and white bassmaster and misc. stuff that never leave the box. We used to troll the Ikes before Lindy-type fishing and the Prescotts were for fishing on the Rainy down around Frontier. I've been collecting steel rods and any chrome reels for a long time. Stuff used to be affordable until it became decorative. The last best buys I got were at an antique store in Two Harbors that is no longer in business.

[LoonASea]

I have 2 antique 3 pc fly rods ,,1910- 1920 vintage any one have an idea what they would be worth ,,some one told me they go for around $400 on eBay but ive never seen that

Randoid

[pisces]

Yes.I regularly use old wooden Shakespeare Mouses and catch lots on them. These are relatively east to come by and not too expensive.If you look you can find them for same price as current baits, and you dont feel like you lost an irreplaceable lure. Mainly I use them because I beleive them to be one of the greatest fish catchers ever. I cant beleive no one makes them any more, not even the Creek Chub plastic ones.

[Scott M]

I've always hoped there would be a thread about antique lures on here, maybe even a get together or a swap meet. I'm a collector also, I am surprised to hear a few people are still fishing with these. But, the way most of you describe your lures they are in pretty bad shape and have more sentimental value than real value. If that is the case, keep on fishing them.

I don't think I have anything in my box and I've raided my grandparents and dad's box to rescue anything with any value.

But when I was little before I collected, my grandpa swore by an old bass oreno. That lure is a prized possession from one of my grandfathers, as is an old creek chub bait company wiggle fish from the other. I also have my great grandfather's heddon meadow mouse and dowagiac underwater minnow. I also have a few bear creek and randolph spear decoys. No boxes on any of them, but they are in decent shape for actually having fished and are family heirlooms as I see it.

[Rost]

I was fortunate enough to aquire a bunch of old fishing equipment. I have a tackle box filled with some very interesting lures. I also got a few old steel rods and reels. I've often wondered about where I can go to see if this stuff is of value.

[island guy]

I bought a bunch of Prescott Spinners at a auction. It was a resort that was going out of business. Must have 50 of them still in the package. Gotta be 40+ years old at least. Paid 50 cents for the entire box of them. I can remember using them as a kid. At the same auction a friend bought a 18' cedar strip boat he is restoring. It was pretty much in perfect condition just needed some finishing touches. I think he paid around $50 for it.

[196thDLR]

I have some 45 year old Herters plugs and spoons. Any packaging that came with then has long since disapeared. I used a orange and white spoon,(with the colors separated by a large chrome lighening bolt,) about ten years ago. I casted this spoon three times and boated 2 Northerns. My fishing partner was really giving it to me when I got out my baitcaster and put that old spoon on. He did not have much to say after the short but very noteworthy demonstration.

[The Grebe]

Well, I do have some old plugs, lures and spinners, plus I have some old reels and a few steel rods, oh, and a split bamboo fly rod made by Heddon, way back when....but I wouldn't use any of that stuff?

For one thing, I like my modern equipment and for another, I wouldn't want to take a chance on losing, or breaking any of the old stuff.

I'll just keep it and when I croak, someone will be going through my stuff and say, "Wow! Look at this! This stuff is really old! What a find!" Make someones day.

[Bassboy1645]

when granny died a few yrs ago my parents gave me her stash of lures she had in the closet....Mainly original floating raps still in the box from 60's and 70's and one lure in paticular a good ole red and white daredevil stripped down to almost silver..on grannys last trip to canada in the 60's the story was she caught over 100 pike in 2 days on that lure including some dandy 20 and 30 pound range fish. But your right its more sentimental. Ive only thrown it once and its a fish killer for sure but I retired it

[Random guy]

I still use my Great Grandfathers spoons. They only go out on tough line and steal leaders but when all else fails I call on Gramps to help me out.

[outdoor ran]

Would be cool if the FM had a old outdoors forum. I got alot of old stuff handed down to me lures, tackle, fly rods, nets, etc. Would be cool to share pics and learn the history and names of them old things.

Anyone know how you get that white chalky stuff to stay off old lures?

[tunrevir]

I have used a soft cloth and just warm soapy water and alot of elbow grease but you have to be careful as sometimes rubbing will also start to take the paint off. I don't fish with my old stuff but I do collect it as I come across it. I have 3-4 steel rods and reels, 4 old fiberglass rods and levelwinds, multiple cleaning tools, knives, reels, and about a hundred or some odd old lures, spinners, jigs, spoons, plugs. Love that stuff! I'd never fish with it but I sure love to look at it and see all of the teeth marks and such and dream about the fish that were caught.

Anyone have any they want to get rid of or maybe make a trade let me know!

Tunrevir~

[Hammer Handle]

Wow, lot of comments and responses!

I collect lures and tackle, and have been for over 20 years. I love the history and have used nearly all my lures in my collection at least once. Why? What is the point of having a lure if you don't know how it works or even how looks in the water.

If people have lures that they want to know the "value" of, they can email me (with pictures if possible). I am not really looking to buy and will be as honest as I can in the appraisals. I am not like other collectors that are looking to buy your lures and sell them to make big money (while ripping you off).

Be aware that most lures, even old, are not worth much. Most common old lures like spoons, Lazy Ikes, Pikies, Bass Orenos, etc were so popular there is still a lot out there...and not worth a lot.

My emails is: [email protected]

[fishinJohn]

My father did not fish much, he took my sisters and I out a couple times but when he found out I have picked up fishing more recently he gave me his father's tackle box which had quite a few different things, some of which are still a mystery to me. The ones I knew what to do with I used and unfortunately lost many of them and I don't recall catching anything with them either. I think tackle has come a long way as far as realistic presentation but I still wish I had the whole collection, if only for sentimental value.

[Badger_55]

When I was as little as I could remember we used to have family get togethers out at my great grandma's cabin. That is where I first learned to fish with my snoopy pool and where I gained my serious love of fishing. My dad and my great grandma would take turns taking me out because I wanted to go so much. I was that kid that got up at the crack of dawn and would run down the the edge of the dock and fish till breakfast. I would be so anxious to get out in that boat that I didn't even want breakfast.

So when my great grandma passed away, she gave me her old tackle box with all of her old lures. I mean these things were old. gotta love those old wooden lures. There was a sweet yellow wooden popper that was great for bass. I didn't use all of them but I carried that tackle box in my boat for good luck all the time. Then last year I was ripped off as someone went into my boat and stole all my tackle including my great gram's. I do still have a couple that I had hid and one i am bound to catch a walleye on. It is the Lazy Ike and I will catch a walleye on that this year. So I have and will fish with some very old lures.

[Questor]

I too go out with an old Heddon bamboo flyrod or an old telescoping steel flyrod and catch some bluegills. Lots of fun.

The one piece of old tackle that I really cannot stand though is the WonderRod and WonderReel baitcasting combo from the 1950s or early 1960s. These were TERRIBLE. My grandfather gave me one and it was so bad it had a good effect: I realized that I liked fishing but hated my tackle, so I fixed up an old lawn mower and cut lawns for people so I could by a decent spinning outfit.

[Long Gray Line]

Still have Shakespeare Wonder Rod/Ugly Sticks that were my dad's and he got them when they first came out. Still use them, still work great. I have some of his Rapalas, a couple from they came out with "the blue backed ones" that became THE hot color on Lake Superior! They caught em then, they still catch em now. Can't retire them, it's like having Dad along in the boat....