Gear

McCaghren’s 5 Favorite classic lures

Five old favorites that still get bit.

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<p>Elite Series pro Billy McCaghren has access to the newest and flashiest baits on the market, but often he relies on old favorites to fill out a limit or scare up a kicker fish. "I can't say for sure why older baits work so well, but in the right circumstances they really do," he said. "Maybe it's because people have forgotten about them or because the fish haven't seem them in a while. Either way, I've always got a few old favorites with me." Here are Billy McCaghren's 5 favorite classic baits.</p>
Elite Series pro Billy McCaghren has access to the newest and flashiest baits on the market, but often he relies on old favorites to fill out a limit or scare up a kicker fish. “I can’t say for sure why older baits work so well, but in the right circumstances they really do,” he said. “Maybe it’s because people have forgotten about them or because the fish haven’t seem them in a while. Either way, I’ve always got a few old favorites with me.” Here are Billy McCaghren’s 5 favorite classic baits.
<p><strong>5. Ribbontail worm</strong></p> <p>McCaghren likes a traditional 7 1/2-inch ribbontail so much that when the company that makes them was going under, he ordered 2,000. "I really like this worm called the Lake Conway worm that I've been fishing since I was a kid. I think the color was a mispour; it was supposed to be electric blue or something, but it looks more like a grape worm with blue in it. I haven't seen it anywhere but where I Iive." He Texas rigs this like any other worm. A Culprit Fat Max is shown as a representation of a ribbontail.</p>
5. Ribbontail worm
McCaghren likes a traditional 7 1/2-inch ribbontail so much that when the company that makes them was going under, he ordered 2,000. “I really like this worm called the Lake Conway worm that I’ve been fishing since I was a kid. I think the color was a mispour; it was supposed to be electric blue or something, but it looks more like a grape worm with blue in it. I haven’t seen it anywhere but where I Iive.” He Texas rigs this like any other worm. A Culprit Fat Max is shown as a representation of a ribbontail.
<p> </p> <p><strong>4. Old style spinnerbait</strong></p> <p>It's not necessarily the head, arm or blades of these classics that McCaghren likes, it's the old chalky straight-strand skirts. "I love that flat rubber; it seems to swim and pulsate more in the water," he said. "I keep a bag of 'em [the skirts] and will sometimes replace a new silicon one with a flat rubber one. They seem to 'breathe'  in the water."</p>
 
4. Old style spinnerbait
It’s not necessarily the head, arm or blades of these classics that McCaghren likes, it’s the old chalky straight-strand skirts. “I love that flat rubber; it seems to swim and pulsate more in the water,” he said. “I keep a bag of ’em [the skirts] and will sometimes replace a new silicon one with a flat rubber one. They seem to ‘breathe’  in the water.”
<p><strong>3. Rebel Wee R</strong></p> <p>"This is the first crankbait that I learned to use as a kid," he said. "It comes off of cover like stumps and rock unbelievably well, and you never see it thrown anymore. It's really good when the bite is tough; it'll flat catch some fish."</p>
3. Rebel Wee R
“This is the first crankbait that I learned to use as a kid,” he said. “It comes off of cover like stumps and rock unbelievably well, and you never see it thrown anymore. It’s really good when the bite is tough; it’ll flat catch some fish.”
<p><strong>2. Worden's Rooster Tail</strong></p> <p>"I know this isn't out of production or anything, but a lot of people don't even think of bass fishing with a Rooster Tail. Sometimes folks will look at you funny if you've got one tied on. But it's killing 'em right now at home on the Arkansas River. I like to take a 1/2- or 1-ounce model and lob it at schooling fish. You can cast the bigger one a half mile." McCaghren will throw this when the fish are active but not active enough to come up and hit a topwater like a Zara Spook.</p>
2. Worden’s Rooster Tail
“I know this isn’t out of production or anything, but a lot of people don’t even think of bass fishing with a Rooster Tail. Sometimes folks will look at you funny if you’ve got one tied on. But it’s killing ’em right now at home on the Arkansas River. I like to take a 1/2- or 1-ounce model and lob it at schooling fish. You can cast the bigger one a half mile.” McCaghren will throw this when the fish are active but not active enough to come up and hit a topwater like a Zara Spook.
<p><strong>1. Wiggle Wart</strong></p> <p>"Before I made it to the Elites, I won more money on a Wiggle Wart than anything else," McCaghren said. "It's more of a craw imitation, and some people think it's only for White River lakes that are deep and rocky, but I've caught fish on a Wiggle Wart over grass where other guys are throwing Rat-L-Traps or spinnerbaits. It's got a wide wobble and catches bigger fish a lot of the time. Plus it kind of 'tracks' or 'hunts' which is something a lot of crankbaits don't do nowadays. You don't have to deflect it off of cover to get bit."</p>
1. Wiggle Wart
“Before I made it to the Elites, I won more money on a Wiggle Wart than anything else,” McCaghren said. “It’s more of a craw imitation, and some people think it’s only for White River lakes that are deep and rocky, but I’ve caught fish on a Wiggle Wart over grass where other guys are throwing Rat-L-Traps or spinnerbaits. It’s got a wide wobble and catches bigger fish a lot of the time. Plus it kind of ‘tracks’ or ‘hunts’ which is something a lot of crankbaits don’t do nowadays. You don’t have to deflect it off of cover to get bit.”

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