Contributed by David Galassi, Catalogs.com Info Guru

Long lazy summer days fishing with grandpa make great childhood memories.

My grandpa had a tackle box that we would put on the dining room table every February. In anticipation of warmer weather, we would sort through our tackle, tally up our fishing lures, and make a list of what we needed to add.

Here is my list of my top ten “historic” freshwater fishing lures that stood the test of time.

10. Bucktail Jig

A walleye and trout favorite designed to bounce off the bottom in an up-down motion. Night crawlers and minnows were popular add-ons. Your box could hold every color as they never took up much space.

9. Mepps Spinner

Available in all sizes and with a interchangeable bucktail, this casting treble hook lure could be used for pan fish all the way up to Muskie. Add a minnow to whet the appetite of your favorite fresh water sport fish.

8. Hook and Bobber

The old mainstay for pan fish, you could hold your gear in your pocket. Attach a red worm or night crawler or perhaps a minnow or grub. Fill your stringer with Blue Gills, Sunfish and Crappie as you sat in the summer sun at the local pond.

7. Mister Twister Jelly Worm

Connected to a jig this plastic gummy worm fluttered as it was reeled in or jigged in suspension. Driving walleye and crappie mad, the color variety was endless. Modern times have come out with glitter styles and minnow shapes.

6. Wolf River Jig

Made famous in Fremont Wisconsin the Wolf River Jig was invented for White Bass and Walleye. Featuring a 3-way swivel with one end carrying a bell sinker and trail lead sporting a hook and minnow. The bell sinker dragged the river bottom as the trail end with hook and minnow shook 36 inches behind to catch white bass during their spawn in spring.

5. Suick Jerk Bait

Used primarily for large Pike and Muskies and ranging from 6 to 14 inches it was popularized to fish for Muskies in Hayward Wisconsin. Toss it out, reel and jerk it back. Figure 8 your retrieve at the boat for that follower. Some were even homemade out of wood scraps and spray painted black, silver, red, etc. Even the homemade version works in the dark murky waters of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.

4. June Bug spinner

Easy to rig, this casting bait could be baited with a shiner minnow or night crawler. Retrieved fast or slow, deep or shallow pan fish and larger game fish alike would look at this as a tasty treat.

3. The original RAPALA

Designed back in 1938, this treble hook laden diving minnow was broke back or whole minnow in structure. Although it snagged often it was great for Bass, Crappie and river fishing.

2. The Johnson silver spoon

Take some chrome polish to this main stay and it’s good to go again. Walleye, Bass, Pike, Muskie and almost any aggressive freshwater fish took a liking to this spoon. Meant to resemble a minnow, it’s weedless design was always very popular.

1. Creek chub broke back minnow

This is a classic. Used across Canada and the US, this old favorite is great for Pike, Muskie and Bass. In a wide variety of sizes, no old tackle box was ever without at least one or two.