Once many years ago in the parking lot of a nearby lake, as I was putting my boat in the water I noticed a decrepit, black, disgusting looking old beat up stick type piece of plastic laying on the ramp. I picked it up. It had obviously been laying out there forever because it was extremely pliable, soft and flimsy and had a few hook holes here and there. The poor thing. I slung it into the boat. At some time during that early morning I put it on a worm hook, weightless. I proceeded to catch bass until just after noon, until I lost it to a fish. I had a large collection of every lure known to man (and Mann) but I could not get bit on anything. I went back to the ramp to see if there was another on of these "things" laying around. Nothing.

That was my first introduction to the sluggo and plastic jerk baits. I cannot imagine how much money I spent trying to reproduce that one bait I found and I've done really well with those baits since, but what an odd scenario.

Have you ever found a lure on the lake and used it successfully? Ever learned a new "trick" with it?

Not really found on the lake but back about 25 years ago my late brother and I would go fishing every chance we got and he would kick my butt with a lake fork french fry. THis happened over and over again until one day I received a four count sample pack of a new bait with my BASS subscription renewal. Thought they looked stupid, tied one on anyway and all of a sudden it was on and it was I who started doing the butt kicking and was never beat by that french fry again. It was a 5 inch green pumpkin Senko. I believe other people have had some success with that bait as well.

Not too exciting but I've gotten bit on a white Snag Proof popping frog I found last year. Looked brand new and was easy to retrieve, so I'm not sure why the angler who lost didn't just grab it.

When I was a kid I found a chrome with a black back Big O on the Tyler State Park lake, best dang bait. I think I still have it somewhere.

I was at a pay to fish bass pond place and found a orange spinner bait with big orange Colorado blades.
Tied it on, and caught fish after fish at that place up to #4-#5 pounds. I've tried it at Fork, Monticello, Welsh, Holbrook,
and others,......not a bite !

Not really a "lure" story, When I was about 13 I was fishing Bob Hall Pier once and ran out of bait. Weekday night, not a soul on the pier. I walked up and down till I went to one of the fish cleaning stations and found a few fish pieces. Took those and put them on a hook and proceeded to catch bigger perch. Cut up the bigger perch and caught a stingray. Cut up the stingray and caught 5 sharks that night. Had the best time!!

I found a crazy looking crankbait once. It was a bat/Batman themed crankbait that I've never seen since. This was back in Korea so I doubt they have it here. It was black back faded to a white belly. Had a Batman bat logo on the head. It had the bat wing shaped bill and two brass bat wing shaped blades on the side held on with eyelets.

I've caught exactly one fish on a crankbait in my life. It was literaly on the only cast I ever made with that free bait. The next cast it got hung up and I lost it...

In my younger years, half a century ago, I didn’t have much money and walked the banks fishing and looking for lures. I have boxes full of lures I have found. Some of the best were a hula-popper, Mann razor back, and Mann Finn. I caught hundreds of bass on these lures. The razor back in the center is the only lure I actually went diving to retrieve.

I always know what lure that I have in the boat will work. There is only one. Guaranteed to catch a fish and equally guaranteed to break off on the next cast and guaranteed that nothing in the boat will work after that. Happens ALL the time.

I had recently moved to Texas from the Midwest, this was back in 2011. I was having trouble adapting and catching fish. I was walking around a small lake one day with my son and found a 2-inch white curly tail on a jig head. Never used such a lure before. We weren't fishing that day. Next outing for me and I started catching fish on it, including a pile of crappie that eventually wore it out. I could not find a similar looking one anywhere. Mister Twister produces a good curly tail, but nothing beats that lucky find!

After one of the big tournaments on Sam Rayburn I’ll go down and fish around the popular spots in the area I live. Always find some good lures hanging in the trees or buck brush. 6th sense , whopper ploppers, Livingston lures, z man chatter baits. Strike king. All kinds of stuff. Kinda fun actually. One of my favorite 6 XD baits I found in a cypress tree. Lol

Had high hopes for this one, Yo-Zuri 3DB in Prism Parrot color.. nada. Have thrown it several times and know yozuri makes quality baits as I’ve used their salt water stuff.



Haven’t thrown this one but think it might be a winner.. no name on it. Interesting design. Can’t remember where I found it.

Where abouts did you find this white 2 inch curly tail? I primarily use such a bait that I brought back from Asia. Damiki brand I believe. I lose them fairly often and I don't see any American brands that look similar. Just a guess.

Found it in on the banks of a small lake in George Bush park west of Houston off hwy 6.

3 Years of lures washing up on my property(Toledo Bend}...