The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

As some of you know I have had a great deal of fun recently catching pike on lures. Especially good fun are the surface lures I bought. It's really exciting, on a level comparable with surface fishing for carp - but perhaps even more so!!

I remembered seeing an old surface lure on Total Fishing once and thought that it looked a bit mad. I remembered it was a something crawler and I knew there was alliteration in there somewhere too. Anyway I spotted one while window shopping on eBay using the general search term "Vintage Fishing", like I'm sure a lot of us do when we are kept away from the bank for one reason or another. I just had to have it.

It was just over a tenner - perhaps two or three times as expensive as the lures I normally buy - but I think it was a good deal. It's in great condition. I think I'll fish with it once after changing the old hooks for modern, barbless, and more important for fish catching - sharp ones. I'll use my Hardy LRH and with them I'll hopefully christen my Hardy Altex no 3 (when I get the reel fixed). Then put it into retirement with the original hooks.







I hope this isn't the start of something terrible - like vintage lure collecting.

You will enjoy this lure MD, they work well. Before fishing it I would consider removing those brutal looking hooks though, add a small butchers ring (like a keyring but only say 5mm diameter) to each loop then add the trebles of choice to the butchers rings..more movement in a better hook and easier to change in future..
I have been criticising lure makers for years about the size and type of hook they fit to lures as I've seen some horrible damage done to Pike with oversize lure hooks.. better that they did not fit any frankly . Thankfully, I would guess over 50% of lures purchased never see water.

You're on a very slippery slope MD to collecting vintage lures which can be very addictive. Lures are well known for catching more anglers than fish! So stop now for your own good before you achieve cabinets full of Devon minnows and the like!

Sandiago is right.
I must have well over a thousand lures. Many have never seen water and some real specials never will especially the big game ones over a foot long. One of my passions is collecting Quill Devons. As a kid [60 years ago] I caught loads of trout out of the River Chess at Rickmansworth on them, sometimes poaching the MGM private water. Today I would not risk loosing one although easily replaced via thief bay.
Mike

Yeah but a Crazy Crawler? Everybody should have a Crazy Crawler. Along with the Jitterbug there can be few lures that are more fun to play with. Any 'take' on them is heart stopping and they just look so damned stupid in action. A drop of oil on the hinges doesn't go amiss MD

One of my Jitterbugs has some impressive teeth marks in it ........ from an alligator - be careful MD, be very careful

Dave, the lady lure expert on Total Fishing was talking about spraying them with WD40 and how that was an attractor for perch if I remember rightly.

An alligator? Don't think there are many of them in the Weaver. I should be okay.

The 'Lure Lady' is Sue Harris of Harris Angling MD. I bought my wife a pair of those earrings

But seriously, don't get too carried away with lures, especially vintage ones, its a rocky road for all but the mega rich. For pike a few mepps or ondex spinners, some spinner baits (really, really effective) and a few shads will catch you plenty.

I don't remember the earrings.

I don't think I'll really get carried away. Too many rods and reels on the list yet.

I don't have many lures at all. Perhaps eight. I have no any spinner baits and only two spinners. I've always thought spinner baitslooked a bit odd, and nothing like a fish. Might give them a go though.

MaggotDrowner wrote:
I don't think I'll really get carried away. Might give them a go though.

Lol !.... It's started !

Robbi wrote:

MaggotDrowner wrote:
I don't think I'll really get carried away. Might give them a go though.

Lol !.... It's started !