So glad you made this ultra-light episode and highlighted those ultra-creative Rebel creature baits. I remember when ultra-light became very popular in the mid-1970s. A lot of us added those short, thin, buggy whip rods and small reels to our arsenals and, for a while at least, fished ultra-light almost to the exclusion of regular fishing gear. We didn't have a ton of small lure options back then so we gravitated towards spinners and live bait, like nightcrawlers (hooked in the old "Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers" tip of the head fashion), or we just tied on our regular heavy-weight baits. Man, when you hooked into a bluegill or small smallmouth it was crazy fun. Forget about it if you hooked a really nice fish or northern pike, it was like fighting a rollercoaster with a spaghetti noodle! What a blast! Rebel introduced those wonderful bug baits, but at the time we viewed them more as curiosities and gimmick lures, they were so unusual, and when we did buy them we did it mainly because they simply looked cool, like kids' toys. We rarely fished them. Thank goodness they introduced tiny minnow lures. Those were serious fishing baits. Ha!
Now you're speaking my language. my old Fenwick lunkerstik, Shakespeare 2052EC or Mitchell 308 reel, and a rebel super teeny wee R in fire tiger. I like the micro series as well, I've got the micro craw, micro pop-R, and the micro series crickhopper.
I hopped on the ultralight band wagon in the very early 80s. Jigs and twister tails were my main baits until I bought some Bagley Snap Beans that are currently made by Yo-Zuri and were probably also back then. They were hard to get the hang of due to their size. Now I always have several of the Crickhoppers and Teeney Wee Craws with me. Nice job.
I like the micro popper hopper. I think the little ones are just fun to use. Getting back into it a few years ago and now last year Bass fishing with my son got me to go. A lot to do with Bass fishing.
I remember the first rebel crickhopper I ever saw my, uncle had a yellow one & I had to have one. To this day the yellow crickhopper is one of the best stream / river baits for smallmouth and panfish in my area
I absolutelly like the rebel tiny creature lures, i caught many fish on them. I remember picking up that classic critters kit at walmart on sale and not thinking much about it, until I gave the teeny wee crawfish a chnace in the river 👍🏻
When I moved to Round Rock in 1990, I resided on Brushy Creek and I used a fire tiger crickhopper to smash the catfish in there. Love that little bait.
I had 13 of these mostly the older USA made ones and had them listed on Ebay for months with a buy it now price.The day or two after you made this video the lot sold.Thanks for the sale!!!
I have the 1979 BPS catalog and the same Rebel F-49 was offered, the page layout was essentially the same though the photo background is different, and the price had gone up 20 cents. Like now, those were inflationary days...
Bro! I'm loving the shirt! I'm loving the hat! I'm loving the sunglasses! Thanks for sharing this retro perspective on fishing and appreciating some of the older lures and tactics. I'm a fan! Keep doing your thing man.
This is inspiring I still have my old Plano and old lures even some 80’s Mexican made lures, I’m going to refresh everything and get an ultra light rig!
The Teeny Wee frog was one of my top baits for bass, crappie and bluegill in some ponds I used to fish. They went nuts for them. I sure miss fishing those ponds…Funny though, I haven’t caught one fish on any of my Crickhoppers. I’ll keep trying but it’s hard to use them much when those Wee frogs catch them so well. I also have a 1.5 inch Naturalized Minnow in a rainbow trout pattern that has netted my quite a few stream trout. Thanks for the trip back in time Rebel ultralight style.
@RetroBassin, I just cast and retrieve. I would vary my retrieve speed some and I’d reel just fast enough to keep it just under the surface. Those ponds had cattails along a lot of the shoreline so I’d find an opening, wade out just far enough to cast parallel to the shoreline along those cattails and they’d come out of them to hit it. Those ponds did have a lot of resident frogs.
The crickhopper! Money bait! Toss it out and let is settle/twitch on top then reel. Caught so many bass, crappie and bream on it my son dubbed it the "devil cricket:.
I fish my ultra lite lures on a Quantum micro lite combo , MS-54SUL , rated for line 1 to 4lb.I think they're discontinued, but i have had fish to 4lb. Great video as always .
@@RetroBassin my favorite lure is the crickhopper. The black and fire tiger are my favorite colors! If you have the origami ones like I do the black one is different than the new ones and the. Line tie is not on the bill, it’s on the nose of the body! I’ve caught 4 and 5 pound bass on these lures! On the show you forgot one, the tadpole one which can be a killer!
I've caught everything in the river on the bumblebug. I mean everything pickerel, gar, specs, bream, Bass... every once in a while I'll take the old Cricket Hopper out and vibrate it on top of the water when it don't seem like you can get a bite that thing will draw it in.
@@RetroBassin bounce rig, it looks like a drop shot rig, and that using heavy stick sinker, and put floating shallow runner lures. it's very useful for rock area on bottom. and tiny crankbaits are fitting just this rig.
Loved the review, putting together my own "Ultimate 80's" tacklebox compiled from my old baits in a big Plano Phantom. Let me know when u put some Rebel Talkin Spoons out for sale!
The tadfry is a fish slaying machine..lol I have 1 left and rarely throw it, scared to lose it. I really wish they would bring it back. It will out fish the micro Chinese crank baits 10 to 1.
you left out the tiny pop r and the tiny rattle trap type bait they made in the 1990's how old does a rod need to be before you consider it old school. I still use some of my Shimano sensilite spinning rods from the early 1990's befoe they discontinued them and brought them back under the compre casting and spinning rod brand?
