(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
Pete Gluszek is still in his mid-40s, which doesn’t quite qualify him as an old-timer. But even though he’s up to date on the latest lures and techniques, he still has a sweet spot in his boat for certain old-school baits. It’s not just nostalgia, though – he uses them because they’re the best tool for a given job.
The first lure that "The Dean" caught a bass on while targeting bass was a Rapala Original Floating Minnow. That’s probably true for many other former pond-hoppers and bank-beaters. It’s a fantastic bait for beginners, but Gluszek still believes it’s one of the best “ultra-finesse topwater baits.” When bass are on the beds, especially in super-shallow water, it pulls them off better than just about anything else. It attracts both males and females, and even cruising fish – some of the hardest to catch on any waterway.
He throws the original floater on either braid with a leader or on straight Gamma copolymer line. The same balsa construction that makes it so effective also makes it lightweight, so he uses spinning gear exclusively.
Another lure from the Rapala family that hasn’t gone out of style is the Shad Rap, which may be the greatest cold-water crankbait of all time. Gluszek uses them in all of the available sizes – from the biggest versions on the southeast’s blueback herring lakes down to the diminutive No. 5 in true finesse situations.
One adjustment that he makes with the smallest Shad Raps is to upsize the hooks. He’s a firm believer in EWG style trebles for most of his crankbaits and topwaters, and will use thin-wire versions with these smaller lures. That runs contrary to the advice of many of his peers who prefer round-bend trebles, and he’s says that’s okay – find the type that fit your fishing style and your body mechanics and stick with them. If fish aren’t getting hooked or staying hooked, then you can change.
When it comes to crankbaits, two old ones that he likes are the original Storm Wiggle Wart, the ultimate Ozarks region crawfish imitator, and the wide-wobbling Bagley’s Killer B. The latter is exceptional in current because it immediately starts thumping on a slow retrieve, unlike flatter baits that have to be retrieved faster to attain the desired action.
Another favorite that most middle-aged bass fans will remember is the original Mann’s Jelly Worm. It was the worm that Gluszek used when he learned to Texas-rig, and he still uses it today, especially in heavy cover or on offshore structure. It’s meaty in the middle, so it holds a big straight-shank flipping hook, and it falls erratically every time.
Want to know one of his favorite colors?
While he uses plenty of watermelon and green-pumpkin like most serious anglers, Gluszek often relies on old-school black grape, especially in dirty water. It doesn’t look like many things you’d see in nature, but it’s “so visible under so many different water conditions,” and perhaps more importantly, many of this generation’s bass haven’t seen it before.
If you want to know how, where and why Gluszek fishes a Johnson’s Silver Minnow, a Silver Buddy, a Chug Bug and a Super Spook, check out his full video seminar about old school gems, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
