I just got myself an original red/white stripe Eppinger Dardevl spoon after hearing that these lures have been around for a long while. My questions are; are these lures good for Largemouth Bass? I do mostly shore fishing, so is this lure suitable for old fashion cast and reel? Also, what kind of knot should I use to allow this lure to maneuver like its supposed to (Rapala knot, improved clinch knot?)

Yes, yes, and yes.

This spoon has been effective on bass since its invention, and if you fish it right you'll catch fish. I think it was probably designed for trolling, but it is fine for shore fishing, provided your rod and reel are good at casting it -- you'll need distance and accuracy out of your outfit in order to cover the water efficiently. A Rapala knot will work just fine.

Be aware that this spoon will sink like a stone if you're not actively retrieving it, so be careful around heavy vegetation and submerged cover like snags and deadfall -- it'll hook up on a branch or something and you'll never see it again. If you're fishing around such hazards, keep the lure high in the water with shorter casts and more active retrieves.

well in the medditarrian sea there is a beach on the shore and this old local man was catching tons and tons of fish, i was fishing with lures like i do in america. He said he used bread, so i used bread but it doesn't stay on the hook any tips?
thx
it is in a marnia, so there is no waves

I see your problem, firstly use a small hook, barbless works well, then before you use the bread soak in a little water, make it into balls in your hands then apply around the hook shank, don't use too much or it will fall off, you can also use the crust of the bread that has not been soaked in water. You can also soak it in some fish oils to give it more scent and make it stick together better. The saltwater fish were most likely saltwater mullet, they live in most marinas and they love bread for bait. If the bread still keeps falling off take one of the old plastic camera film canisters, drill it with holes in the sides and one in the lid and the bottom , fill it with bread dough, then thread it onto you line like you would a float or a bobber, then attach your hook below with a little bread, this will attract fish.

Now is the time of the year where I make my occasional forray in to Bass fishing. I guess you can say I'm "old school" because I don't use plastic worms, I do use the following and catch my share of nice fish.

1. Lazy Ike
2. Mirro-Lure
3. Jitterbug / Hula-Popper
4. Rebel Crayfish
5. Mister Twister (original) 3" yellow and black

I went with a friend of mine who is a serious tournament angler
and he laughed his tail off when I took my little tackle box and
hanful of lures. I caught as many as he did. My question is that do any of you use some of these "old school" lures during a tournament, and if so, how do they perform ?
"so long as you fish them right on an ugly stik rod with a Penn reel..."

What else would I use ? LOL

I don't tournament fish any more , but I'll tell you something that you already know- fish tend to hit lures that is not thrown at them every day, all day long. Something that they have not seen, or perhaps ever seen can sometimes be deadly. And the lures that you have mentioned have stood the test of time, they caught fish when they were new, and they still catch fish. I have several "old reliables" in my box that I sometimes have to go to when the fishing gets too slow .There have been a lot of lures that took the market by storm, and after about 4 years, you couldn't pay a fish to bite them- They will never attain the status of "old reliable" You see, evidently the fish didn't know that they were not supposed to hit your lures.

I know deeper waters and slower retrieve...but its still tempting to use my old standby a light colored jitterbug. Is it pointless to use a top floating jig in the winter? I fished a rattletrap and jig & pig at Ronkonkoma for six hours yesterday with nary a bite. Has anyone fished the Northwestern side(opposite of the falls) of Southard's with any success? Whats the best overall advice for today's trip? Thanks!!!

Sounds like you got everything covered.

Try to fish steeper banks.Bass like to move vertically in cold winter water. A jig and pig really cant be beat IMO for cold weather fishin'. Just crawl it along the bottom, and give it a little twitch once and a while. Being that it's cold don't expect a lot of bits. You can also give the good ole' plastic worm a try.

You also might want to try Jigging a spoon just straight up and down. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but its something different when the bass have a case of lockjaw. Remember when your fishing in cold water bass aren't going to chase your bait so 90% of the time your going to have to run it right in front of his face.

Hope this helps...Good Luck

I was just wondering if there are any lure collectors out there and what do you collect. I mainly collect Rapala lures, but I also collect older Cotton Cordell lures as well as Rebel Bait-fish series lures.

I am a Rapala lure collector as well. Right now I am trying to complete my DRFR collection. Mostly I just need the overseas colors and the specials. I also need a few salmon specials and shallow fat raps. I am also always looking for rare shallow shad raps, CDSR, F18, F13, JSR, DT, J13, and CDJ lures.

ok im new to fishing im 14 years old and ive been looking at some lures the main kind of fish i want are the following: catfish,trout,bass,and panfish. ive been looking at lures and ive seen things called crankbait and i hear that alot of people swear by them but what are they and what fish take hold of them and i also heard of weedless lures whats that? i would also like to know what kind of fish go for certain lures? and is there anykind of universal lure that all fish go to?

Here are some types of freshwater lures in category's:

1. Jigs

2. Crankbait

3. Stickbait

4. Topwater

5. Spoon

6. Spinnerbaits/Inline Spinners

7. Soft plastic

8. Rattle-Trap or "Rattle Baits"

As a new fisherman you should concentrate on the Soft Plastic, Stickbait & Inline Spinner category's.

Why?

Soft plastic's- This category catches the most fish. (Period) More Bass/Crappie/Panfish/Walleye are taken on Soft plastic's than ANY other type of lure.

For Bass- Plastic Worms, Lizzards, "Senkos", Etc. You will need some "offset" hooks in size 3/0-4/0, (Gamakatsu being a good brand). You will want to rig-up your Senko's & worms "Texas-Style".

Some good brands to purchase??- Berkley Powerbait (or "Gulp"), Gary Yamamoto "Senko", Zoom, YUM, Culprit, Etc.

Crappie- Small 1" Soft Plastic Tubes and 3" plastic Grub-body's with a jig take more Crappie than any other lure. Add a "Jig Spinner" or just purchase a "Beetle Spin" for a different presentation. Brands??- Berkley, Zoom, YUM, Etc.

Trout- Small Berkley "Trout Worms" can be VERY effective! As are Berkley "Trout Nuggets".

Stickbaits- One of the most famous lure's of all time is the original Rapala Floating Minnow! There is a reason it is still famous. It still WORKS!

Bass, Bluegill, Trout, Crappie, Northerns, Walleye, all will take a Rapala!

Inline Spinners- Bass, Trout, Crappie, Walleye, Salmon, Etc. Almost everything will eat a Mepps inline spinner!

Inline spinners are esp deadly on Trout!

Concentrate your wallet on these 3 lure types before going out and buying 40 lures from each category.

Many a fish has been taken by a young fisherman with only 1-2 bags of Plastic worms, a couple Rapala's, and 2 or 3 inline spinners!

CATFISH- Catfish CAN be caught with lures but it is usually an accident. If you want to catch a mess of Cats you must use a Bait.

Baits for a begginer- Old Hotdogs, Old cheese, Nightcrawlers fished on the bottom, Etc. There are as many good baits for Cats as there are category's of lures!

Hope this helps? Good luck!

PS- If your not on a budget Jigs would be another good choice for Bass, Crappie, Walleye, & general panfish!

I need a rod for fishing the inlet. And what kind of lures should i use to catch bluefish there.

I do this kind of fishing in Ocean City NJ. And I always get Blues with anything shiny and metal including spoons, hopkins and jigs.

You're in this new bass tournament out in the deep south, where bass grow huge. The water is far from clear, so there is no sight fishing. You enter the tournament thinking it's just any old tournament, and to find out, you can only take 5 lures with you. FIVE!!! What would they be? Here's what i would take. (NO SOFT PLASTICS, they are not allowed in the tournament, only hard-baits.)

1.) Cotton Cordell Super Spot. In some situations, i like it better than a Rat-L-Trap, and it has proved to be MORE productive than the Rat-L-Trap. Even though i think they are both great lures.

2.) Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. They will bring in bass in the muddiest of waters, around the world. I would stick to a bright color, such as firetiger, or chartreuse.

3.) 1/2 oz. Booyah Spinnerbait. The bass should be able to feel, and see the big spinnerbait. I would have a chartreuse/white skirted one.

4.) Strike King Pro Model 1/4 oz. Crankbait, yea you guessed it, in Sexy Shad color.

5.) Rebel Pop-R in Green Perch. Even though hardly any tournaments are won with poppers, i would still want to see a bass hit one hard, and it may be more productive than the other lures.

What would you bring?

shiny ones