Early bass fishing jigs in California 1960- 1970's

[hydro]

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1/2 - 5/8 oz football jig with vinyl skirt and typically fished with pork or plastic trailer (picture shown with spinner was a variation known as a "Matty /Mattie" or tail spinner to some )
originated Southern California in early 1960's

5/8 oz banana head hair jig with hand tied rope weed-guard modeled after the one Dee Thomas (and possibly other Tule dippers at the time)for Tule dipping Clear lake and Delta and later flippin . Actual date of origin unknown (to me anyway) but guessing some time around the mid 60's

5/8 oz Brawley Bass Bug made with square cut living rubber held to jig head with a piece of wire molded into the jig head. (Note the flared collar extending beyond the head ) . Lure came with a plastic worm that was as hard as a rock and no weed-guard .
Later versions did come equipped with a nylon "Y" type weed-Guard .
Patent was applied for this lure in 1969 and approved in 1971 . Originator Wayne Brawley of Modesto .

[BASNFAN]

Now there are some memories! Back in the early 70's, I fished both the Mattie and the Brawly Bass Bug at Oroville and Berryessa, with great success.

[JL]

Who remembers the " Binky Bug" back in the 80's?

[hydro]

Who remembers the " Binky Bug" back in the 80's?

I knew a guy who got a 10 lb bass at Don Pedro on a Binky bug around 1994-1995
I also knew a guy that got a 10 lb bass on a Brawley bass bug in 1977 at Lake Camanche.

[El Jefe]

Very cool.... that middle one looks like a similar head shape to the hair jigs WRB is always talking about. Wish I could find some with the hair pre tied.... I'd love to try a few.

[JL]

Who remembers the " Binky Bug" back in the 80's?

I knew a guy who got a 10 lb bass at Don Pedro on a Binky bug around 1994-1995
I also knew a guy that got a 10 lb bass on a Brawley bass bug in 1977 at Lake Camanche.

The " Binky Bug" was the S**t in the motherlode lakes back then.

[WRB]

The early bass jigs were Doll Fly hair jigs, a ball head design dating back to the 1930’s.
The football shape jigs started in SoCal by Larry McCain to the best of my knowledge. The football design help to prevent the jig rolling sideways snagging and had a wire weed guard option. Bill Haddock came out with a barrel head and sold them locally with vinyl skirts in the 60’s, PVJ “purple vinyl is final”
Banana head jigs are a mid west design popular with jig n minnow anglers because the thin tail end could go in the minnow mouth, out the gill opening hooking the minnow in the back used by walleye anglers.
The Arkie head used a 60 degree jig hook and used a fiber weed guard, popular flipping design.
My jig design dates back to 1971. This jig is a viper head design that is like a triangular football head that stands the hook upright and doesn’t roll sideways.
Caught my 12.4 lb PB Northern LMB on this at lake Casitas in the 1971 on this jig.
I credit the jig for serval hundred DD LMB since 1971 including the top 5 giant Florida LMB from lakes Casitas and Castaic; 19.3 lbs, 17.6 lbs, 17.4 lbs from lake Castiac and 18.6 lbs, 17.4 lbs lake Casitas all on this custom hair jig with pork rind trailers.
Tom

[Pat]

Also add in the Rodstrainer Panhead jig. I still have a few, but have migrated to football heads now. Brown and Orange 1/4 or 3/8 oz with a Yamamoto 180 (bluegill) grub worked, and still works, well on clearer water lakes like Oroville, Shasta, Collins and even Clear Lake. We have called this the "Hemphill Special" because it was one of Larry's go-to baits. Yamamoto no long makes the 180 color either, but I have a nice supply stashed away.

[Otay Michael]

any photos of this 'binky bug', don't see anything on the web.

Never mind, found it (unless it's not called the BITSY bug): https://www.strikeking.com/en/shop/jigs--spoons/bbj18

[WRB]

Strike King 1st jig was called a Bootlegger in the mid 80’s as I recall. The Betsy Bug jig was in the 90’s named by Bill Dance. I don’t recall the Binky jig?
Tom

[hydro]

any photos of this 'binky bug', don't see anything on the web.

Never mind, found it (unless it's not called the BITSY bug): https://www.strikeking.com/en/shop/jigs--spoons/bbj18

The best description of this bait would be if you took a "Pro Worm " 3" flat tail grub and made two oval shaped holes with a gap between them along the centerline of the paddle tail and then sliced the paddle tail between the end of the body and tip of the tail thru the two oval holes you made .
This will create two appendages that look like crawdad pinchers . Next put two strands of live rubber thru the body in three places creating legs . This bait was typically split shotted or C-rigged

[hydro]

OK here is my very bad rendition of a "Binky Bug " lure via Paint (photo is approximately actual size )

[jiggin4bass]

This is how I fish them

[JL]

OK here is my very bad rendition of a "Binky Bug " lure via Paint (photo is approximately actual size )

That is a "Binky Bug" Thanks Hydro!

[WRB]

Binky Bug isn’t a jig it’s a finesse soft plastic usually a split shot presentation.
The world of finesse jigs started in the mid 70’s with western bass pro’s like Dick Trask using darts, Don Iovino using Bill’s Chinelle body living rubber jigs and Skinny Bear jigs were popular in SoCal.
Tom

[hydro]

IN 1969 I was 11 years old and caught 3 LM bass on an 1/8 oz purple maribou crappie jig in California one day in May . I guess I was ahead of my time for finesse jigs ?

[JL]

Binky Bug isn’t a jig it’s a finesse soft plastic usually a split shot presentation.
The world of finesse jigs started in the mid 70’s with western bass pro’s like Dick Trask using darts, Don Iovino using Bill’s Chinelle body living rubber jigs and Skinny Bear jigs were popular in SoCal.
Tom

I used to fish the " Binky Bug" on a 3/16th darthead on 8lb test at Clear Lake around docks. Caught a lot of 5 lb + fish when the bite got tough.

[jiggin4bass]