old timers

[Quillback]

I put the real worms and bobbers away (for the most part) and started bass fishing with lures when I was about 12, that would be about 1969.  We were living in Massachusetts at the time.  My dad had a 12" Appleby john boat that we paddled to get where we were going and sculled to move the boat around instead of using a trolling motor.  There are lots of car topper type lakes and ponds in Mass, and back then there was very few bass fishermen out there.  We primarily threw floating, jointed Rebel minnows to the bank or weed edges and twitched them on top.  Sometimes we might fish a Jitterbug or Hula Popper.  Every once in a while we'd drag Johnson Silver spoons with a pork frog trailer over lily pads.  Threw worms a bit, but not much, I do remember the Crème worms.  I also remember throwing Shyster and Mepps spinners early in the spring.

I knew nothing about jigs, drop shots, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs, and all of the other techniques I fish for bass with now.  I enjoyed bass fishing then and still enjoy it now, but things sure have changed.