Me and skintback was at Demopolis a few years ago and fished past a guy throwing a red ambassador 5000 on a old speed stick with a snag less Sally with a green and white spotted no 10 uncle josh pork frog. I thought I was having a 1975 flash back.

I made some casts this morning with my dad's Ambassador that he bought about 1962 or so. Also his rod that he used for topwater fishing that he got before the reel, though I have no idea who made it. It is extremely limber and he was a magician working a topwater with it. I used an old plug of his that was a copy of a PawPaw, with props on each end. Didn't get a hit on it this morning, but I caught one on it last week.

My brother collects old lures, rods and reels, and other antique tackle. He wants us to go one day with just old tackle and try to catch a few.

Not many folks know what a pawpaw is these days.

If my memory serves me correctly they made a subsurface lure, that looked like a twin spinner top water, that was deadly in the 60’s on Okeechobee.

You made me look it up, and I found out I didn't really understand. Paw Paw was apparently a company that made a number of different style baits. I thought it was just the name of the topwater bait with the twin props. I never bought one myself, but my dad had several in his tackle box that had the Paw Paw name on them.

He had a friend in the sporting goods business who gave him a bunch of knock off baits in the 60s and 70s that looked like classic lures. They didn't have names on them, but worked fine, and he used them the rest of his life. He always fished with 20 lb line, so he hardly ever lost a topwater bait.

Blade, you and your brother oughta go on that old timer trip. I would like to do that too, but none of my fishing partners are interested. I still have several packs of Mann's jelly worms, and between them and the old topwaters, hellbenders, and bushwhackers, and Hawaiian Wigglers we would probably catch just as many fish.

we should do an ALDEER weekend tournament (Fri-Sun, 5 fish, length only) this summer where only the use of an antique lure purchased from a thrift store is allowed -- one or two lures only -- hook upgrades allowed
i've seen a YouTube video of a dude fishing his grandfather's old lures -- he caught fish with 'em -- some he had to mod (mostly w/new hooks) to get a good hookset on fish

I used them according to size of bait # 10 for 1/50 beetle spins and so forth, some fish just tie in a swivel on the end tie a bite leader heaver line, for the toothy critters ..

I never saw the point i can tie a palomar before you can change out a bait with that clip

Just wait, my friend, your time is coming.

It gets harder every year for me to tie knots. My old fingers won't do what my brain tells it. Trying to tie 2 lines together with any sort of knot is very frustrating, and a Palomar knot is also very tough. I can still tie an improved clinch knot easier than anything because I can twist the hook instead of the line. If I break off a leader while fishing I just put that outfit away and fish with another one.

Steve, I thought the Hiwaiian Wiggler was a new one.
Let me know when the weather gets cooler and we
can go "throw-back" day. I've got about 25, pre-60's baits.Got
a buddy that's been trying to get me to do this for 10 or
so years. Same guy that was in Elkahatchee with me
that day you were there.

Gotcha, I think the Hawaiian Wiggler dates to the 30s, but not 100% sure of that. I am sure that it's really old and my dad was using them when I started fishing around 1960. I believe the one in this photo was made in the 50s. Would love to go on an old tackle trip!

Preacher, I'll be ready when it cools off. I've got a zillion
hooks to replace and lures to clean up.
Can't seem to find a Hawaiian Wiggler. Daddy had a
couple, I know.
I'm looking for a boat. Sold the place at the lake and
another guy wanted the boat. (maybe a Tracker with a
75 or 90)
I'll be ready, though.
Maybe we can get some more to join us. The lures have
to be 50 + years old. OK? I've got some 70+'s.

How about we go with 45 on rods and reels so that I can use my Lew's stuff too?

And let's specify that the tackle had to at least be in production 50 yrs ago? The Mann's jelly worms were being made in the 60s, but I doubt that mine are that old.

And to keep it on topic for the thread, I will definitely be using a snap swivel. I will rig the jelly worms South Carolina style using a snap swivel and about a 6" leader. We knew about that system before Texas rigging, and it worked very well.

Speaking of Mann’s jelly worms, thought y’all might get a kick out of this old lure. Notice where Mann’s bait company was located when this was sold.

Cool lure, BearBranch! I just tried to describe one of those in the other thread, and opened this one and there it is. I didn't remember that Mann's made that style. Any idea of the year it was made?

Not sure what year this one was made. From what I’ve been able to find, he started Mann’s bait company in Enterprise around 1958 while working as a game warden in Coffee county. He moved to Eufaula about 1966. I’ve got a couple of more unused ones similar to this but the packaging is not near as good shape as this one.

Sally and a jigger pole will still catch good'ens, and give me a heart attack a few times too.

talk about jigger pole, how about a creek chub broke back minnow, that was a gooden.

If you really want to get old school, Bartram caught them on a jigger pole with feathers for bait in the late 1700s. He claimed to have caught them up to 30 lbs on the St. John's River, and had days when he covered the bottom of the boat with big bass. I'm skeptical about some of the weights he claimed.

Another one we used in Florida was a Floyd's buzzer, a large blade inline buzz bait in and around cypress trees, pine log creek.