Top 5 Hardbaits of All Time

[MK49]

Just for the numbers of fish (the size doesn't matter here), what are your top 5 lures?

For me,

1. Rapala Floating Minnow F11
2. Rapala DT16 Crankbait
3. Lobina Rio Roco
4. Megabass Giant DogX
5. Team Daiwa Vibe (TDV 107S or something. 1/2oz Lipless Crankbait from about 20yrs ago.)

These lures caught at least a few thousands bass each.

[Hulkster]

in no particular order:

Mepps Dressed Black Fury in Red and Black (usually #4 or 5 for bass)
Mepps Dressed Aglia in gold and orange
Rapala Jointed Shad (perch color)
Classic Reed Runner Spinnerbait 1/2 oz usually in white
Lipless Crankbait (either Rat L trap or Rippin Rap)

[Thunderblack1984]

1. Megabass vision 110
2. Rapala jointed
3. Rapala Xrap XR10
4. jitterbug
5. Hula popper

[hoohoorjoo]

-Rapala Shad Rap SSR5 or SSR7
-Jackall Bling 55
-Rapala F11 Minnow
-OG Wiggle Wart
-1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap (chrome with black back)

[MK49]

-Rapala Shad Rap SSR5 or SSR7
-Jackall Bling 55
-Rapala F11 Minnow
-OG Wiggle Wart
-1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap (chrome with black back)

Very cool to see more from Rapala. A question for you. I've never really liked Shad Rap. Do you use it like a jerkbait or a crankbait? I have caught some fish using it as a jerkbait, but it never really worked better than the F11 for me. It casted better than the F11, though. I still have half a dozen of Shad Rap.

Also, it's cool that you mentioned the 1/2oz Rat L Trap. That would be my #6. I and my friend caught over 100 bass in 1.5hrs with the chrome/blue back. That was almost every cast for both of us. The next day, we went back to the same place around the same time. We didn't get a bite, so we kept moving, and the same thing happened about 80 yards down the river. I will never forget that. We caught a few hundred bass (mostly, 3 ~ 4lbs) in a few hours. Pretty insane.

[MK49]

in no particular order:

Mepps Dressed Black Fury in Red and Black (usually #4 or 5 for bass)
Mepps Dressed Aglia in gold and orange
Rapala Jointed Shad (perch color)
Classic Reed Runner Spinnerbait 1/2 oz usually in white
Lipless Crankbait (either Rat L trap or Rippin Rap)

Very interesting. I've never used those spinners for bass fishing. Do they normally catch small bass or some big ones? The closest one I used was Mann's Little George, when I was a kid, over 40 years ago, and I caught bunch of small bass.

[hoohoorjoo]

-Rapala Shad Rap SSR5 or SSR7
-Jackall Bling 55
-Rapala F11 Minnow
-OG Wiggle Wart
-1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap (chrome with black back)

Very cool to see more from Rapala. A question for you. I've never really liked Shad Rap. Do you use it like a jerkbait or a crankbait? I have caught some fish using it as a jerkbait, but it never really worked better than the F11 for me. It casted better than the F11, though. I still have half a dozen of Shad Rap.

Also, it's cool that you mentioned the 1/2oz Rat L Trap. That would be my #6. I and my friend caught over 100 bass in 1.5hrs with the chrome/blue back. That was almost every cast for both of us. The next day, we went back to the same place around the same time. We didn't get a bite, so we kept moving, and the same thing happened about 80 yards down the river. I will never forget that. We caught a few hundred bass (mostly, 3 ~ 4lbs) in a few hours. Pretty insane.

I just cast and retrieve the shad rap. I'll speed up and slow down occasionally on every cast, though. That's one I fish all thru the winter.

[Hulkster]

they can catch good sized bass as well as pike.

this fish was caught on a #5 mepps black fury red and black

[MK49]

Very cool to see more from Rapala. A question for you. I've never really liked Shad Rap. Do you use it like a jerkbait or a crankbait? I have caught some fish using it as a jerkbait, but it never really worked better than the F11 for me. It casted better than the F11, though. I still have half a dozen of Shad Rap.

I just cast and retrieve the shad rap. I'll speed up and slow down occasionally on every cast, though. That's one I fish all thru the winter.
[/quote]

Thanks. That's not the way I used them. I'll try them again.

Winter? So, you're talking about the Shad Rap with the longer bill? I have some long ones and the short ones. Originally, I thought you were talking about short ones (kinda like a L shaped bill), just because that's what I used more 20 years ago.

[MK49]

they can catch good sized bass as well as pike.

this fish was caught on a #5 mepps black fury red and black

Very nice. I guess I will have to try those, when nothing else gets a bite.

[hoohoorjoo]

Very cool to see more from Rapala. A question for you. I've never really liked Shad Rap. Do you use it like a jerkbait or a crankbait? I have caught some fish using it as a jerkbait, but it never really worked better than the F11 for me. It casted better than the F11, though. I still have half a dozen of Shad Rap.

I just cast and retrieve the shad rap. I'll speed up and slow down occasionally on every cast, though. That's one I fish all thru the winter.

Thanks. That's not the way I used them. I'll try them again.

Winter? So, you're talking about the Shad Rap with the longer bill? I have some long ones and the short ones. Originally, I thought you were talking about short ones (kinda like a L shaped bill), just because that's what I used more 20 years ago.
[/quote]

Yes, the shallow ones with the weird angle bills. They dive 5-6' on a long cast with 10# straight braid, which is how I fish them. The ponds I fish don't exceed 12' depth. I do fish the standard ones, but not as much.

[slipperybob]

Honestly I don't know as since I do tend to favor throwing newer stuff more often over my older stuff that are proven reliable. So maybe going back on memory lane...top five...hmmmm.

1. Owner Floating Rip'n Minnow
2. Rebel Zara Spook puppy
3. Salmo Sting Suspending
4. Yo-Zuri Bass Arms Swisher
5. Owner Gobo Popper

But if I just don't know...these I always bring.
1. Acme Kastmaster Spoon
2. Mepps Aglia spinner
3. Bay De Noc Swedish Pimple Spoon
4. Wardens Rooster Tail spinner
5. Yo-Zuri Pins minnow

Kastmaster spoon probably caught me more fish than anything else. I also probably will use it more often than anything else in various water conditions from lakes to fast moving currents. Since I also ice fish, this lure doubles the take. With the Swedish Pimple Spoon a very close second.

Mepps Aglia Spinner is surprisingly one of my secret Summer Night fishing lure. Who would think throwing an inline spinner in the dark is practical. It's not but if the fish are biting, they're biting. For some reason #5 size is hot sauce, especially the undressed plain one.

[godshippy]

Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill
Lucky Craft Gunfish 115
Lucky Craft Pointer 100sp
Lucky Craft Staysee 90sp
Lucky Craft LV500

[Larry 2020 Niagara]

In no particular order:

Norman Deep Little “N”
Bagley DB-3 (original)
Strike King KVD 2.5 HC Squarebill
Spro Aruko Shad
Rebel Deep Wee-R

[MK49]

It's interesting to see many people listed jerkbaits, topwater, crankbaits and lipless crankbats. Those are definitely my go to baits, as I mentioned in the 1st post.