I've always been a fan of Randy B I feel bad for him with all the hate he's been getting over the whole FFS thing. Respect to him for standing his ground.
Excellent video. Back in the Retro Lure History saddle. Fantastic! You covered all bases here. My opinion of the best topwater lure of all time says its the Jitterbug, but the Zara Spook certainly vies with Fred's creation for that spot. Your discussion of techinques to get the Spook to walk are excellent. Great job, Chris.
@@RetroBassin You might do another Heddon lure. You could build on this video, with some of the history already taken care of. Or you could maybe pick another topwater lure, whichever seems to be the consensus best topwater lure other than the Zara Spook. That would make a nice bookend to this video, imo. Because you've got the perfect follow-up: "Lots of folks said such-and-such was their favorite topwater, so today we're going to look at that lure." Also, I neglected to mention earlier, I have that same tee-shirt. Love it! lol
Hello from Sweden! Very interesting video, I picked up my very first Zara Spook late this September, I went down to the lake close to where I live and started throwing along the edges from land trying to get the technique down. After maybe 10 minutes a pike made a vicious strike and now I'm just completely in love with this lures!
For sure my #1 topwater confidence bait. I am certain 90% of all my largemouths have come on a wacky worm or the Zara Spook, they are just what I have always reached for. Even when Musky fishing I use a Zara copy (Musky sized, lol) from Poes called the Giant Jackpot. The action just drives the toothy critters crazy. Love this type of content! Can't wait for an eventual Mepps and Eppinger episode if the branding is a hint of things to come, both outstanding American icons as well!
One of your best videos to date. Very well put together, with a ton of good information. Been thoroughly enjoying the history of the lures that you have featured. Favorite old school top waters are the jitterbug and the Zara spook. Can’t pick just one!. Would love to see something on the history of the Arbogast Mudbug. My favorite old-school crank bait.
This brought back so many memories. Keep up the informative content. Everyone today seems to be focusing on the electronics side of fishing. These old lures still catch fish.
I was fishing from the shore a few years ago and had a Zara Spook Jr tied on when someone came by and saw what I was using. He referred to it as a "grandpa lure". What he didn't see was how battered that lure was from the mountain of fish I had caught with it over the years.
Zara puppy hands down my favorite. I’ve caught more and bigger fish on that lure than any topwater lure I’ve ever used. In one month I caught 5 bass that ranged from 9 pounds to 12 pounds. I was hooked from then on.
Cool really enjoyed all of your videos. I guess in many ways I am an old school angler at heart. It would be cool to buy some of those old baits you run across about the country.
This is thee number one topwater lure of all time, period ! I’m glad you announced the cities name right in this video, so many people have butchered trying to pronounce it and have failed it miserably! lol! Great work on the video ! With elaztech plastic they could come back out with the weedless version again, hint hint! Talk to them about it! lol! It’s time for them to back as the powerhouse they. Once was!
Outstanding video! Loved the pics of the "G" finish models. Not many around that haven't flaked off. I have the black and blue Color C Lector Zara, would love to find the big master packs of the Zara that had the 6 of them together.
I think the heddon propbait's come is second after not knowing that technique getting around cove with the Zara Spook that I now know thank to you. And thank you for that.
Caught a lot of big bass on the bullfrog spook and when I was 12 I had to cut one out of my step dad’s back and I have never gotten that image out of my mind lol. Great video as always👍🎣
I think that multiple casts in the same place help get fish mad and make them eat and also I have found that walking the spook around grass and shallow cover that technique works great
@@RetroBassin I have also found that if you know there is a fish or a school in a particular spot in a pond or area of a lake and they have been hit hard I take a Zara puppy and pick apart all the tiny good looking spots and not really cover water with it just really pick 6”-2’ areas apart with it and walking it around cover really helps especially with the small spots
"If" I was to give the nod to Heddon I'd be pointing to the red head or scale of the River Runt & Vamp Spook's that dominated the market here in Canada (& I suspect North Eastern US)for over 50yrs. After that I'd go with the Creek Chub Pikie Wood Fishing Lures that turned up in tackle box's right next to the previous lure for over 50yrs In fact I never saw a Zara Spook till the Covid pandemic & started watching southern US fishing shows on UA-cam during lock down.
I have caught as many fish or more on the Torpedo and the Crazy Crawler, two other Heddon classics. And yes, the Jitterbug and Hula Popper, but really, the topwater bait that has probably outfished any of these in the last 30 years is the Rebel Pop-R, just because more fisherman using it over the older topwater designs. Doesn’t mean it’s really any better, they are all good at times.
what about the jitterbug N hollapopR both Arbogast(sp) designs and should be hung next to a daredevil and Mepps but maybe that's just the great lakes fisherman in me.
Have to agree with the spook as #1. I'm getting into bfs but I do have a eagle claw 4ft 10in pistol grip rod paired with a bps pro finnesse lite model PRL05HB with 6lb mono that use with the zarra puppy and tiny torpedo for 30 years now. Could you please do a video on the torpedo?
Heddon's zara spook is the all time best topwater lure you can use, period. Can be fished in multiple ways and always a producer!! Tie one on and see for yourselves. ✌️🤠
It is a great lure.. but when you look at the spook and it's NUMEROUS grandchildren in the stickbait category.. I think mr heddon wins. Probably 80% of bass boats have a walking bait tied on just about all the time. Except for maybe in the depths of winter after a cold front.
One more comment 😂. I never twitch the rod to make a spook style lure walk. I use a reel technique that o can change easily wiyhin a retrieve from slow methotical to fast fleeing minnow. Its all timing and reel bursts.
Best topwater lure of all time ehhh not really but it's one of the best for sure. The crazy crawler, jitterbug, pop r and most importantly the buzzbait all have claim to that best topwater list and all are still made. But three are the most popular. The spook, buzzbait and popper. Those three have the claim to best ever topwater designed.
You left out the Devil Horse. Grew up on ( my back yard) the St John's river. Wade fishing on the grass lines, around landing docks, and up among the cypress knees it was always my top lure of choice. The other lure if you can call it that I always had with me was a red headed feather jig.
@@ronaldowens5025 the devils horse although a great toowater hasn't ever been as popular as the others I mentioned and isn't found as easy today as the others I mentioned. That's style but larger can be used in saltwater and for other species though. The devils horse and a few other prop style baits is what lead to the plopper design which is way more popular these days. It's a great lure I agree but i feel it's just not in the top for best topwater or best topwater of all time. As it's feel off so far in popularity after the plopper was introduced. Others and their style of lures are still widely used and popular.
Old school. Still works. Love the Zara Spook.
What’s your go-to color, Tex?
@@RetroBassin Simple colors for me. Whites and blacks.
LOVE THIS !! glad to see the old days are alive!!
Alive and well, good buddy!
I've always been a fan of Randy B
I feel bad for him with all the hate he's been getting over the whole FFS thing. Respect to him for standing his ground.
Best topwater ever produced 🤙🏻❤️I always have some sort of spook tied up all year long because it catches
What's your favorite color?
@@RetroBassin Bone or some type of Shad pattern
Excellent video. Back in the Retro Lure History saddle. Fantastic! You covered all bases here. My opinion of the best topwater lure of all time says its the Jitterbug, but the Zara Spook certainly vies with Fred's creation for that spot. Your discussion of techinques to get the Spook to walk are excellent. Great job, Chris.
Thanks, Dave! This one was waaay overdue! Which "History Of" should be next???
@@RetroBassin You might do another Heddon lure. You could build on this video, with some of the history already taken care of. Or you could maybe pick another topwater lure, whichever seems to be the consensus best topwater lure other than the Zara Spook. That would make a nice bookend to this video, imo. Because you've got the perfect follow-up: "Lots of folks said such-and-such was their favorite topwater, so today we're going to look at that lure." Also, I neglected to mention earlier, I have that same tee-shirt. Love it! lol
That's exactly what I said. The jitterbug was and is amazing.
Hello from Sweden! Very interesting video, I picked up my very first Zara Spook late this September, I went down to the lake close to where I live and started throwing along the edges from land trying to get the technique down. After maybe 10 minutes a pike made a vicious strike and now I'm just completely in love with this lures!
My favorite is a toss up between the Arbogast jitterbug in any model & Mann's -1 in any model
Hearing that a lot with this video!
Not even a conversation to be had. Zara Spook is the best topwater lure ever.
It catches big bass for sure and it’s definitely a top 5 of all time if not top 3
Sounds like I need to do a Top 10 topwaters of all time…maybe via Bassin’ Bud poll!
Guess you forgot or have never used a jitterbug.
Is it still good even though it has not rattle like other spooks?
For sure my #1 topwater confidence bait. I am certain 90% of all my largemouths have come on a wacky worm or the Zara Spook, they are just what I have always reached for. Even when Musky fishing I use a Zara copy (Musky sized, lol) from Poes called the Giant Jackpot. The action just drives the toothy critters crazy.
Love this type of content! Can't wait for an eventual Mepps and Eppinger episode if the branding is a hint of things to come, both outstanding American icons as well!
A great one-two punch, Robert!
Love the "History of" series! I throw some old school zara spooks because I feel they sound different than the ones at the store today
Super spook jr. Has been my go to lure for 5 years. An absolute blast to fish a spook.
One of your best videos to date. Very well put together, with a ton of good information. Been thoroughly enjoying the history of the lures that you have featured. Favorite old school top waters are the jitterbug and the Zara spook. Can’t pick just one!. Would love to see something on the history of the Arbogast Mudbug. My favorite old-school crank bait.
Thanks, ol’ pal! I am hearing Jitterbug a lot…that one may be next…
This brought back so many memories. Keep up the informative content. Everyone today seems to be focusing on the electronics side of fishing. These old lures still catch fish.
I couldn’t agree more, good buddy!
Great presentation. I’ve never fished with one before but I’m going to get one. I’m not a top water kinda guy but I’ll get one now and try it.
I love the work you put into every video man, keep it up
This one took a little research...glad you enjoyed!
I was fishing from the shore a few years ago and had a Zara Spook Jr tied on when someone came by and saw what I was using. He referred to it as a "grandpa lure".
What he didn't see was how battered that lure was from the mountain of fish I had caught with it over the years.
Great tale!
Catches a lot of Grandpa fish size fish.
Great video. Like the history and you showing the lures you have
Makes me realize I need more Spooks!
Zara puppy hands down my favorite. I’ve caught more and bigger fish on that lure than any topwater lure I’ve ever used. In one month I caught 5 bass that ranged from 9 pounds to 12 pounds. I was hooked from then on.
Glad to see the RayBans back!
For me they’re part of the iconic retro character! ✌🏼🕶️✨
Haha, happy to not disappoint…there’s a sneaky reason I wear them for these videos!
Great video as always very informative could put one together on the old DALTON Specials thanks again.
That one is in the works!
Cool really enjoyed all of your videos. I guess in many ways I am an old school angler at heart. It would be cool to buy some of those old baits you run across about the country.
One day we all become old school!
I call the spook the adrenaline rush. Great video
You know it!
Nobody dose the History of Any old Fishing lure
Thanks for that, good buddy! So which lure is next???
@@RetroBassin The Heddon Tiny Runt ! Or The old pre tied creame Worm
Great video dude! Love your channel. Love your passion for the sport and the tackle. Be safe. Be happy. And fish on!
Thanks, ol’ pal!
Geeat video. I really want to try those techniques now, especially tye deep water one
Me too, actually. Let us know how they work!
This is thee number one topwater lure of all time, period ! I’m glad you announced the cities name right in this video, so many people have butchered trying to pronounce it and have failed it miserably! lol!
Great work on the video ! With elaztech plastic they could come back out with the weedless version again, hint hint! Talk to them about it! lol!
It’s time for them to back as the powerhouse they. Once was!
I actually had to Google how to say Dowagiac! Hopefully I was close...
The lure wall is looking strong💪
Thanks, good buddy! Need to thin it out a bit…
The Soft Classics Zara Puppy has been duplicated by DOA with the PT-7. They're getting some traction on the Texas coast but I have yet to throw one.
I didn’t know that!
Were is r intro❤
It'll be back, Dan! Just fixing the video clips...
Outstanding video! Loved the pics of the "G" finish models. Not many around that haven't flaked off. I have the black and blue Color C Lector Zara, would love to find the big master packs of the Zara that had the 6 of them together.
I have a large collection of spooks i have caught alot of big bass with them over the years it is a special bait
Have any wooden ones?
@@RetroBassin i think maybe two or three are wood most are 80s era
I think the heddon propbait's come is second after not knowing that technique getting around cove with the Zara Spook that I now know thank to you. And thank you for that.
The Torpedo is a hammer!
Caught a lot of big bass on the bullfrog spook and when I was 12 I had to cut one out of my step dad’s back and I have never gotten that image out of my mind lol. Great video as always👍🎣
Who put it there!?
I think that multiple casts in the same place help get fish mad and make them eat and also I have found that walking the spook around grass and shallow cover that technique works great
Great tip, Sam!
@@RetroBassin I have also found that if you know there is a fish or a school in a particular spot in a pond or area of a lake and they have been hit hard I take a Zara puppy and pick apart all the tiny good looking spots and not really cover water with it just really pick 6”-2’ areas apart with it and walking it around cover really helps especially with the small spots
19:01 the soft classic looks like that JDM turd bait that was the rage for a few minutes 😅
True! But I think those JDM versions are sinkers.
@@RetroBassin makes sense turds do sink 😂
I think it is the GOAT over all. I still fish its copies on the daily as you know. Definitely bring those weedless versions out on our next trip 🎣
They are already packed, Ted!
great video thanks for sharing
Love this, thanks 👍👊
Yeah, buddy!
I switched hooks to single 2/0. Safer, much easier to catch and release, less injury to fish. And, surprisingly, more hookups.
Good tip!
This was awesome.
As always your podcast are top notch 👍🏻🎣
Love it keep them coming
Thanks, good buddy!
"If" I was to give the nod to Heddon I'd be pointing to the red head or scale of the River Runt & Vamp Spook's that dominated the market here in Canada (& I suspect North Eastern US)for over 50yrs. After that I'd go with the Creek Chub Pikie Wood Fishing Lures that turned up in tackle box's right next to the previous lure for over 50yrs
In fact I never saw a Zara Spook till the Covid pandemic & started watching southern US fishing shows on UA-cam during lock down.
The River Runt is a killer!
I love fishing a spook !
What's your favorite color?
@@RetroBassin I use black mostly but I like to mix it up
@@Motorcyclefisherman Thanks!
Great video!!!! Greatest of all time? Maybe, I’d put the jitterbug up there just because its ease of use. Great history lesson!!!
The Jitterbug is an all-time great, for sure!
Those micro soft plastic ones would be killer during a cinder worm hatch in the Northeast
Have you done any videos on the whooper stopper line?
I have caught as many fish or more on the Torpedo and the Crazy Crawler, two other Heddon classics. And yes, the Jitterbug and Hula Popper, but really, the topwater bait that has probably outfished any of these in the last 30 years is the Rebel Pop-R, just because more fisherman using it over the older topwater designs. Doesn’t mean it’s really any better, they are all good at times.
The Crazy Crawler doesn’t get enough play!
Love the spook👍
What size do you throw?
@@RetroBassin I use the baby spook and the wounded spook.
Zara spook is also popular in japan.
There are some great lure colors in Japan!
Well done buddy 👏 😁
Thanks, Todd!
nice fly fishing plug.
what about the jitterbug N hollapopR both Arbogast(sp) designs and should be hung next to a daredevil and Mepps but maybe that's just the great lakes fisherman in me.
Love it chris
Have to agree with the spook as #1. I'm getting into bfs but I do have a eagle claw 4ft 10in pistol grip rod paired with a bps pro finnesse lite model PRL05HB with 6lb mono that use with the zarra puppy and tiny torpedo for 30 years now. Could you please do a video on the torpedo?
My favorite lure is Heddon lure.
All of them!
I'd say the FROG is the best top water lure ever
Which toad?
@@RetroBassinhollow body frog. Alfred Williams was just inducted into the BFHOF as well.
The only lure allowed in heaven!!! The best lure of all time! Period!
I love the debate! Maybe need to do a top 10…
Hold on to your dookie. It's about to get spooky.
Haha
The jitterbug,if theirs a fish there, you caught it
A case could be made!
@@RetroBassinplease do a video on the jitterbug
Its good, but I sure love my Pop'R too.
Me, too!
Heddon's zara spook is the all time best topwater lure you can use, period. Can be fished in multiple ways and always a producer!! Tie one on and see for yourselves.
✌️🤠
You have enough of them to know, D!
@RetroBassin just a lil bit! I did get to add another drop zara to the group!
OK Arbogast's Jitter Bug has been the best topwater of all time for 60yrs
I need to do a Jitterbug history!
@@RetroBassinYES PLEASE DO A JITTERBUG HISTORY VIDEO PLEASE!! I Love the jitterbug and the history behind it along with all the stories I have heard.
It is a great lure.. but when you look at the spook and it's NUMEROUS grandchildren in the stickbait category.. I think mr heddon wins.
Probably 80% of bass boats have a walking bait tied on just about all the time. Except for maybe in the depths of winter after a cold front.
@@mattfleming86 Well up here after a cold front we have to cut through the ice to fish & there isn't any top water action ;) 😆🥶🤧🥶
@@thims1961 I'm lucky im that ice here is temporary and usually isolated to the shallowest of creeks.
One more comment 😂. I never twitch the rod to make a spook style lure walk. I use a reel technique that o can change easily wiyhin a retrieve from slow methotical to fast fleeing minnow. Its all timing and reel bursts.
Great pointer, BlindEye!
With out a doubt it's the # One Top Water Bait! A close second would be the Original Rapala Minnow! Fished as a jerk bait!
Good point, the Rapala could definitely be considered a topwater, depending how you fish it.
Guess you have never used or heard of a jitterbug.
Best topwater lure of all time ehhh not really but it's one of the best for sure. The crazy crawler, jitterbug, pop r and most importantly the buzzbait all have claim to that best topwater list and all are still made. But three are the most popular. The spook, buzzbait and popper. Those three have the claim to best ever topwater designed.
Oh and all three of the best imo are and can be used in multiple species plus salt and freshwater to catch fish lol
I shoulda mentioned the buzzbait...maybe need a full video!
You left out the Devil Horse. Grew up on ( my back yard) the St John's river. Wade fishing on the grass lines, around landing docks, and up among the cypress knees it was always my top lure of choice. The other lure if you can call it that I always had with me was a red headed feather jig.
@@ronaldowens5025 the devils horse although a great toowater hasn't ever been as popular as the others I mentioned and isn't found as easy today as the others I mentioned. That's style but larger can be used in saltwater and for other species though. The devils horse and a few other prop style baits is what lead to the plopper design which is way more popular these days. It's a great lure I agree but i feel it's just not in the top for best topwater or best topwater of all time. As it's feel off so far in popularity after the plopper was introduced. Others and their style of lures are still widely used and popular.
Best top water ever is my Chuck Woolery moto chug and moto minnow. 😁😁😁
Don't tempt me, Josh!
I have a couple Chuck Woolery frogs in black and white and the feet wiggle when you give it a jerk. Would love to see a video about them
A.C shiner
I see you!
No love for the storm bug plug on UA-cam I see
Your also missing out on the Cordell super shad
I disagree..it's right up there with the best. But a jitterbug is amazing as well.
I done better with a Jitterbug and Heddon Torpedo
Both good ones!
great vid! we would love to have you on the ifitswims podcast to chat.