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Discontinued Lures That Are Part of Your Arsenal

There are a handful of lures/baits that are part of my arsenal that are no longer made commercially. No doubt there are others that are similar or knock-offs, but it just doesn't ever seem to work the same. I'm curious to know what you may use regularly that is no longer made.

Here's a short list of mine:

Yamamoto 6" Hula Grub or 6" Double Tail Grub
Reaction Innovations 4" Boom Boom Tube
Phenix Vibrator Jigs (Yeah I know they knocked off the original chatterbait but I liked the phenix version)
The GLX rods that had the titanium guides - now have transitions to the standard ceramic guides
Original Storm Wiggle Wart

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on January 25, 2013 at 10:35am

Agree with Jordan on the Phenix Vibrator and Storm Wiggle Warts. Also on the Curado D's.
Here's a good one...Luhr Jensen Nip-I-Diddee

Permalink Reply by Phil Mehrtens on January 25, 2013 at 4:18pm

Heddon Hellbender

Permalink Reply by D.J. LaRoche on January 27, 2013 at 10:31am

I also loved the 6" Hula grub. I finally ran out at the end of last year. What a sad day.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Nail on January 27, 2013 at 2:52pm

New to this site, first time posting. Two baits that I miss are the old Mister Twister Smelly Nightcrawler and the old wooden Dalton Special and Dalton Twist baits. I used to be able to find the Smelly Nightcrawlers (looks very similar to a Yamamoto Kut Tail) at Payless Drugs, the only place that carried them and I would buy every one they had in stock at several store in my area. Mister Twister discontinued them about 15 years ago and I used my last one 2 years ago- a sad day indeed. The Dalton baits were hand carved plugs made in the 60's to early 80's. Luhr Jensen took over production in mid 80's but changed from wood to plastic after a while and then discontinued production altogether toward the end of the 80's. The Special was a simple glider/prop bait that can be either subtle or aggressive depending on how you fish it. The Twist had a Jitterbug lip and prop on the back and they are obnoxious. Just the ticket for large bass in low light conditions. I have taken to carving my own versions but the Jitterbug lip is hard to duplicate. I will buy the knock off versions of jitterbugs just to get the lips but that is not the most cost effective way to do things.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Grimes on January 27, 2013 at 6:15pm

This may be more of a Midwest bait, but I still use a Jitterbug every once in a while for Largemouth. I still carry a Hula Popper as well, but haven't used it in a while. Also in my Box is an old Devil's Horse and a Torpedo and Tiny Torpedo by Heddon.

I also have a lot of confidence in the original Wiggle wart

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on January 27, 2013 at 10:04pm

Yamamoto used to make a smoke w/ red +black flake colored tube I used to really like for smallmouth. I have tried other manufacturers tubes in the same color and they are all either closer to black or much more transparent than the Yamamoto version was.

+1 on the Daiwa Fuego reels for me as well. I have both the spinning and casting versions and they are my favorite reels I own in both models. Got them brand new after they were discontinued for a steal as well. :)

Permalink Reply by Brian Walters on January 28, 2013 at 10:02am

Hula Popper and Jitterbug man those are baits that work for sure. I used them all the time growing up in Texas. Still have a few of them.

Jeff Grimes said:

This may be more of a Midwest bait, but I still use a Jitterbug every once in a while for Largemouth. I still carry a Hula Popper as well, but haven't used it in a while. Also in my Box is an old Devil's Horse and a Torpedo and Tiny Torpedo by Heddon.

I also have a lot of confidence in the original Wiggle wart

Permalink Reply by Daniel Caffrey on January 29, 2013 at 7:36pm

Clearwater plastics. I have a few packs left of a few different types. But they're my favorite winter baits.

Permalink Reply by Joe Keith on February 1, 2013 at 1:47pm

I hear you there . I was lucky enough to find my dads old crankbait box from the mid seventies and eighties and it is full of the old wiggle warts in 20 colors and no to selling them and yes a lot of them found their way into mine.

Shawn McDaniel said:

Im totally in agreement with you Jordan on the hula grubs and deffinetley the original wiggle warts...those crankbaits can be deadly . Thats the only crankbait my dad threw back in the day. I will gladly buy any originals if there is anyone on here that has some and doesnt care for them. Anyone? Dez?

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on February 5, 2013 at 9:04am

If anyone is looking to get some Boom Boom Tubes Anglers choice has about 5 colors left approx 4 packs of each. I picked up some yesterday myself.

Permalink Reply by Ronald Hobbs, Jr. on February 6, 2013 at 3:43am

3/8, 1/2, 3/4

Joel Alinen said:

Ron I'll definitely take some junebug jigs off ya, what sizes to you have?

Ronald Hobbs, Jr. said:
What color terminator jigs you looking for and what sizes, I have a bunch I want to part with in junebug color and blue olive, I also have a bunch of the other two you mentioned....hundreds.....I am not willing to sale but I will let you look at them! Just call me text or whatever

Joel Alinen said:
Good topic...
Old terminator pro jig
Clear water sand color tape worm
Old speed traps and hot lips
The green pumpkin candy chigger craw...can't seem to find that anymore...anyone know where I can find that?