Innovations in bass fishing tackle are always around us, though we take many for granted. I’m always amazed by how fast things progress. Over the course of one generation, past gear becomes almost unrecognizable. These truly are changing times, often for the better.
Some of you may recognize me as an elder in the sport, though it seems like just yesterday that the bass club guys were calling me “kid.” Now, 30-plus years into serious angling, I’ve seen some major changes in the way we try to make things that appeal to bass. Join me as I revisit tackle transformations that seem monumental. They’ve replaced archaic programs that, in reality, aren’t that old.
It’s amazing what we once put up with.
Worm-proof tackle boxes
We’ll start with one that may blow your mind. In my youth, tackle boxes were incapable of storing any soft-plastic lures. It’s true. Early organizers reacted with the baits, causing them to “melt” into the box, ruining lures and creating a horrible mess. It wasn’t until Plano unveiled “worm-proof” boxes that we could begin storing soft-plastics outside of their original packaging and safely in tackle boxes. Believe it or not, I still have a few boxes (memory makers) that include the imprints of old plastic worms.
Weight-transfer systems
More modern here. If you fished a few decades ago, you’ll remember crankbaits and jerkbaits that were impossible to cast. It just came with the territory. Lures like Bomber 7As and Rattlin’ Rogues caught a bunch of fish, but could only be tossed 20 feet in a wind. Many anglers went to more flexible rods, even spinning gear to get the job done. Others mastered a slack-line cast. Today, we take for granted that most hardbaits throw as well as anything else, creating maximum efficiency in our fishing. This is thanks, in part, to weighting systems originally developed by Japanese lure companies. Thank goodness someone was thinking outside the box.
Suspending lures
Similar, but different. In the early days, anglers recognized that suspending lures – especially jerkbaits – caught more bass in cold water. Lures of the time, however, either floated or sank. Savvy anglers began weighting lures to balance idly in cold water. This was done through a number of methods; everything from drilling and pouring to wrapping hooks with solder, even using lead tape intended for golf clubs. A few manufacturers made lead stickers just for the job. Today, lures perfectly suspend right out of the package, like they should.
Silicone skirts
Here’a another that will surprise the young guns. Early on, spinnerbait and jig skirts were not made from silicone fibers, but instead crafted from vinyl or “living rubber”. This stuff looked good and caught fish but was a real hassle to maintain. If put away wet and left unattended, the skirts clumped up and became essentially useless. In hot tackle boxes, skirts would melt, destroying other lures stored around them. Skirts were good for a couple of uses, max, and only came in a handful of solid colors. When silicone strands came on the scene, they were a Godsend for hardcore blade and jig anglers.
Chemically sharpened hooks
At one time, a hook sharpener was the most valuable tool in my box. Not long ago, hooks were honed, and needed routine sharpening to maintain a good point. A pre-tournament ritual became sharpening dozens of hooks at a time. Often, sharpened hooks easily rusted once coatings were removed. After a while, points would roll, calling for total replacements. Hooks were a lot of work. Today, of course, we have razor-sharp points that can be quickly swapped and require no maintenance.
Weight pegging systems
The pros taught us the importance of pegging our sinkers. We did so using toothpicks. Once pegged, a weight was pegged for good, until a tiny, homemade tool could be located to push the toothpick back out. Those same picks could easily damage fishing line, too, something we needed to be cautious of. Not so today. Bobber stops easily attach and can be removed with a quick snip of the line. Custom models and sizes are available. Easy, breezy.
Plastic trailers
Okay, this one really dates me. When I started, there were few, if any, plastic trailers. None were used on jigs. Instead, we turned to pork. Uncle Josh owned most of the market, and Super Pork was a temporary big deal. It seems ridiculous now, but we tipped our lures with crude “frog” shapes that mimicked the claws of a crayfish. Supposedly bass loved the salty taste of pork and it worked well in cold water. Colors were basic black, blue, and white with green spots (what were they thinking?). There was a frog, a little frog, a big frog, a jumbo frog and a Spring Lizard. I can’t believe we caught what we did, but those, as they say, were the good ol’ days.
There are times I wish I could go back them. In truth, I’d be tempted to trade my modern gear for time travel, when bass stormed the shoreline and the biggest decision was black and brown, or brown and black.
Maybe the good ol’ days are gone. The tackle certainly is. What remains, however, is a lot fewer headaches.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
