Jumpin Minnow

[TTU Wader]

Anyone use these? I tried it out the other day and caught a couple of trout on it. It came with some freshwater hooks so I swaped them out and they seemed to hold up pretty well. It was only 2.50 at academy, seems like a good deal. Only drawback is that it's very light and you can't cast it as far as other topwaters. It worked well when there was no wind and the water was slick as glass.

http://i46.tinypic.com/33y74zm.jpg

[imhammer]

I have some of the big ones I used for Bass 20 years ago. They are much heavier and I caught a lot of bass on them.

[Gilbert]

I've never used that one. mirrolure came out with a jumping mullet but I haven't bought that one either. I need a bigger tackle box before I buy more lures.

[shallowist]

That was THE topwater in the early to mid 90's.

Okay all you younguns' gather round whilst I tell you a few fishin stories..... We didn't see the real advent of serious saltwater top waters until around 1995 here. The Rebel Jumpin Minnow was around since about 1990. They also had the popular Swimmin Minnow which was the same as above with the addition of a lip to make it dive.

NO! I'm not THAT old, just been fishing all my life.... :)

[FlatoutFishin]

That was THE topwater in the early to mid 90's.

Okay all you younguns' gather round whilst I tell you a few fishin stories..... We didn't see the real advent of serious saltwater top waters until around 1995 here. The Rebel Jumpin Minnow was around since about 1990. They also had the popular Swimmin Minnow which was the same as above with the addition of a lip to make it dive.

NO! I'm not THAT old, just been fishing all my life.... :)


Yeah and before those were the broken backs...I'm talken mid to late 80's here. Chrome/ black for trout, gold/black for reds...not much has changed.

[TTU Wader]

Cool, I wonder why there not that popular anymore?

[FlatoutFishin]

Cool, I wonder why there not that popular anymore?

I still carry one, especially the gold. They have a crankbait style lip that will allow you to reel and run it under the water. Sometimes this is effective on reds, or trout, that are slapping and short striking. Puts a little back pressure on the lure, and you get a hook up instead of a the other. The ED Special is a similiar lure that is popular down in Matagorda and put togethre by a local guy there. I'll post a picture of it when I get home.

[shallowist]

They are not as popular because we all started using the walking baits. Too much fun, too much excitement, and toooooo many tournaments won. They still work great, just like a spoon. They just don't get talked about anymore.

[imhammer]

That was THE topwater in the early to mid 90's.

Okay all you younguns' gather round whilst I tell you a few fishin stories..... We didn't see the real advent of serious saltwater top waters until around 1995 here. The Rebel Jumpin Minnow was around since about 1990. They also had the popular Swimmin Minnow which was the same as above with the addition of a lip to make it dive.

NO! I'm not THAT old, just been fishing all my life.... :)

I was using Jumping Minnows for Bass in the Late 70s to early 80s, so they have been around longer than that,

[shallowist]

yup, they just didn't migrate to salt with any seriouisness until the late 80's. Really became a big thing in the early 90's. Still a great bait, I prefer the spook or dog, for the level float when still. Seems a bit more natural and the fish will eat it between twitches.

[imhammer]

Yeah......I haven't even thrown them in salt, but have thought about it. I may break one out in the spring.

[Gilbert]

cotton cordell jointed red-fin. great old lure that still works but its not the newest lure so it gets over looked.

[imhammer]

cotton cordell jointed red-fin. great old lure that still works but its not the newest lure so it gets over looked.

I've got 2 chrome ones that I throw in salt.

[Coon]

That was THE topwater in the early to mid 90's.

Okay all you younguns' gather round whilst I tell you a few fishin stories..... We didn't see the real advent of serious saltwater top waters until around 1995 here. The Rebel Jumpin Minnow was around since about 1990. They also had the popular Swimmin Minnow which was the same as above with the addition of a lip to make it dive.

NO! I'm not THAT old, just been fishing all my life.... :)

Uncle Shallowist is right all you young whipper snappers..this was THE TOPWATER plug for us after the 89' freeze...can you say freeze?

Chartruese/Gold and Orange/Gold were both staples in Uncle Coon's wading box back then. It accounted for A LOT of BIG trout in EMB in the mid 90's...back when people looked at us funny for standing in knee deep mud, and the only boats you saw in winter (or heard on foggy days) in EMB were tug boats headed down the ICW....and no, I'm not that old either..just feel like it sometimes....

God I miss those days! Long live the Rebel Jumpin Minnow!

[lurefisher]

Ok so when the the GHOAST come out?

[FlatoutFishin]

89-90 as being way back...God I'm old! :(

[lurefisher]

Yeh FOF i have a few of them see threw red ones i still throw.

[Coon]

Ok so when the the GHOAST come out?

The Producer (ghost) came out shortly thereafter....

[lurefisher]

Yeh then heddon said they copied or somethen then they were gone.

[wetluers]

If Rebel hadn't of changed something-or-other in the way they made Jumpin' Minnow's, I'd still be throwing them today. Great lure back in the day, the bone and the gold/chartreuse back and belly worked best for me. Not sure what they did or didn't do to the lure, but they just stopped working right.

The newest versions, the little 3/8oz. Jumpin' Minnow that TTU Wader posted on work ok, I've thrown them during trips when downsizing was the key to catching, but they still aren't what the old models where.

[plugger]

Old lures still catch fish. I'm particularly fond of broken backs. Very versatile, lots of action/vibration, can work it fast or slow, shallow or down to 3-4 feet, stop it and it rises slowly to the surface. I always have the Ed's Special and some Mirrolure Snakedancers with me. :)

[Deke]

That is the same one I caught my first topwater red on years ago. The tail does drag, so if you fish areas on the lower coast it can cause some issues.

[SLPass-Assasin]

Shallowist is all over it ! The Rebel Jumpin' Minnow was IT back in the very early 90's. 'Bout all we had back then ........caught my first red on top in Snake Island Cove in '91.......proceded to catch about a half-thousand specks all over west bay in the 90's after that......specks were easier to come by back then. Same colors as today , chartreuse / gold , black / gold , black / chrome , blue / chrome and orange / chrome. The first ones with the checkered sides - painted were the best.....then they tried to get fancy with them due to paint problems and they went quickly downhill. Man , you could knock all the paint off one of them on one good fishing trip.
There are much better made topwaters on the market today but I still miss that lure. I've been fishing out of Sea Isle since '67 and didn't really explore topwaters until the late '80's.........it's been a ride !

[TC750]

Steve, you are so right, the Jumpin Minnow was the first top water I ever used in saltwater. And its by far, the best casting top water, cuz of the way its weighted. I had many trips to the surf where the Jumpin Minnow put a hurtin on them fish. I still use them today, especially the baby jumpin minnow. They only made it for a while back in the day, but they are back in production now, and you truly owe it to yourself carry one of these in your box. Pat Murray turned me on to the small ones, and these little dudes are deadly when the fish are just slappin at the bait.
Used to throw the broken backs also, great lure, but the only problem with them was that they didn't cast worth a flip, so didnt use em for very long. Dayum, I am feeling old now.........................!

[corndog]

Need Sneakypete to post the pics of some heavy stringers using the jumping Minnow back in the day. I have one in my wading belt to this day. Think i'll break it out!!!

[Jack]

Any one remember this one? It started me fishing top water in the 60's in Eckhart bayou. And you talk about old?
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/JackJr/th_DSCN1017.jpg

[plugger]

Lol !! :)

[Sneekypete]

Need Sneakypete to post the pics of some heavy stringers using the jumping Minnow back in the day. I have one in my wading belt to this day. Think i'll break it out!!!


Here's a couple using the jumping minnow...
the second picture was using the old strawberry ghost....30 incher and a 29 incher....

[imhammer]

Dang Rick........That was a few years ago! You wee a youngster!

[Muddskipper]

The jumping minnow started really catching on here in the mid- 80's ....

The demand got so big, that they had to mass produce them ... and the quality was LOST ... .they did'nt float the same, and the paint would come off ...... but that lead the way for the next generations of top waters here in TX ...

Mickey Eastmen used to love them back then...

When I was a kid, in the early 80's I would watch my dad work one in East Bay .... I remember a 20+ inch flounder hit it about 15' from the boat ..... BOOM ... I was hooked.

[Sneekypete]

Dang Rick........That was a few years ago! You wee a youngster!

Yipper... been catching them 30 inch specks for 20 plus years...in the 1st picture you can see the boat ramp in the background thats the one off 8 mile road...i'm standing on confederate reef right on the cut...i used to slay the trout there.

[lurefisher]

Yipper... been catching them 30 inch specks for 20 plus years...in the 1st picture you can see the boat ramp in the background thats the one off 8 mile road...i'm standing on confederate reef right on the cut...i used to slay the trout there.

I think that was way back when you took me under your wing,i must have been 15 then.Dang i remember them trips like it was yesterday.Thanks Rick!

[corndog]

Here's a couple using the jumping minnow...
the second picture was using the old strawberry ghost....30 incher and a 29 incher....

Thats the pic I was talking about!! that was back when we were room mates!!! If I remember right yall took the canoe to the spot using the electric trolling motor!!! We sure ate good back then. I think i have some pics of a couploe of stringers we took in Chocalate!!! If I cant find them I'll just post for mexico pics!!!

[Sneekypete]

heck yea corndog...remember me caring that plastic boat inside that van for over a year...loaded on the couch and cooking inside the van on my ole smokey cause it would be raining outside...i had all the smoked piped out the front...sure must have been a sight to see all that coming down the beach....

[Robalo]

I always liked the jumpin minnow-was neat starting out with blue/chrome or black/chrome and by end of day, it was bone colored with all the paint gone-then I would just paint em with some pink nail polish and seemed to not matter-it was pretty much 99% action, not color. I liked working them but shoulder/elbow would wear out after all day throwing them. In those back lagoons in WMB and the reefs of Chocolate, we'd do pretty darn good.

I have thrown the she dogs and they just don't work as well for me and my biggest trout was caught on a broken back in East bay in the late 80s. I still have quite a few of them (broken backs and jumpin minnows), but need to replace the hooks since they're all rusty. I never have thrown or bought a Brown lure and look forward to trying one, but I will get frustrated quick if I don't catch with it and I understand there is a special way to work them-I hope Chip or Sneeky or someone can explain and maybe show me what the trick is-until I know how to work it, I aint spending $10 on a lure. Yep, I'm a cheapazz.

[GHSmacker]

I enjoyed reading this thread...and i like seeing those old fishing pics too.

Hell i'm still young and i've caught fish on those silver/black broken backs y'all talk of. We use to switch to em when the fish were short striking topwaters. I haven't thrown one in a while.