"Don't Overlook the Tried-and-True"

That was the advice of bass legend Bill Dance back in a 2010 article. He was referring to old-timers...lures, that is, not people.

"Seriously," he said, "I'm talking about 're-discovering' an old lure, one that might have gotten buried in the bottom of a tacklebox or perhaps is hanging in the garage or a workshop. You know...an age-old bait that once was the hottest thing on the market, an absolute must-have to hook hawgs.

"And if you've been around as long as I have," continued Dance, "then you've seen many baits grab their share of the immediate spotlight, only to have others take center stage."

He went on to explain that many worked extremely well and still are on the market. Over time, however, a new fishing fad, technique, tactic, trend, or whatever turned angling attention elsewhere, and that one-time hot-ticket bait was left in the wake. Fishing folks might have forgotten about it as they simply blasted off to the next latest and greatest thing to hit the market.

That fact, though, only means there are many back-burner baits out there that still do a heckuva job putting bass in the boat.

"Sure, some anglers say bass get conditioned to certain lures," said Dance, "but I'm not so sure about that. I've never known a bass to have had a personal one-on-one conversation with an angler. They also don't read websites or magazines, nor do they watch TV fishing shows. That said, all bass do have one thing in common: They eat. And they are aggressive, thank goodness. Further, they will bite a 'tried-and-true thing,' as well as a 'latest thing'."

One such "tried-and-true thing" is the Heddon Sonar, an old-timer that dates back to the 1950s.

Explained Dance, "Now I caught a lot of bass on this lure in the 1960s and '70s. I used it as a 'search bait' when I did a lot of deep, open-water structure fishing. And now, as then, it remains a super bait for locating deep schools quickly. And it works all over the country.

"I'm sure it always will remain an excellent lure. Though many will tell you it's outstanding for when the water cools, it can produce great bass action at other times of the year, too. It's compact, casts like a bullet, and can be fished at a variety of depths. You can cast and retrieve it, jig it vertically, or slow-troll or jig it along the bottom. The lure's flash and vibration makes it hard to pass up, even if it is an 'old-timer'."

A quick tip on using the Heddon Sonar is never to overpower it. According to Dance, "You may work it a little faster in the warmer months, but remember to create the lure action more with the wrist than the arm, and you will get bit more often."

This lure still is available in multiple colors in both 1/2- and 1/4-ounce sizes. And while it's plain-Jane looking and won't win any beauty contests, the lure can catch bass.

So take Dance's final piece of advice and snoop around the bottom of your tackleboxes, in the garage, and any storage buildings to see if there are some "old-timers" just waiting to be pressed back into service. "I'll bet that, like the Sonar, many are still on the market today. Go buy yourself some new 'old friends', tie 'em on, and give 'em a fling," he concluded.