Now, just like with hard crankbaits, modern improvements are often used in combination with plastic worms. Newer, better-designed and more efficient hooks are the most obvious improvement, but not the only one.

Nose sinkers have also come a long way in the last 40 years. Lead weights have been replaced in large measure by small, heavier products. Tungsten has become all the rage among professionals and weekenders alike, and is being marketed in a wide array of sizes, designs and even colors. Tru-Tungsten offers them in June bug, transparent chartreuse, blood red and black, among others.

So once again we get down to what counts -- catching fish. The fish that falls for your Texas-rigged worm doesn't know that her grandma committed the same mistake. She isn't conditioned to that bait, unless, of course, it's being used extensively on her lake and she has learned from experience. The pros and top amateurs know this. That's one of the reasons why they catch the most fish.

Another lure that deserves special mention is the Abrogast Jitterbug, designed and originally made by Fred Abrogast. Like many early luremakers, he didn't earn his living in the fishing industry. He was a full-time employee of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Nevertheless, he had a passion for fishing. That passion led him to develop a number of lures, including the legendary Jitterbug.

It displays a short, fat body with a large, concave metal lip stretching horizontally across its face. When retrieved, it crawls across the water's surface with a loud, distinct plop, plop, plop sound that has attracted bass and other game fish for decades.

This one is still made and sold in a wide variety of sizes and colors -- although the old ones seem to float a bit higher. Much like VanDam's Rogue, the Jitterbug is a specialized tool. It allows for a surface commotion much like a buzzbait but at a much slower speed. It's at its best on calm, slick early-morning or late-evening water. And, unlike many lures, it seems to be most effective when retrieved with a steady cadence back to the boat or shoreline. It is more popular with recreational anglers than with the pros, although they all seem to know about it and praise its fish-catching abilities.

Another old lure that will catch a ton of bass is the Devil's Horse, a great surface lure with a thin body and props attached to each end. It's great for a subtle topwater presentation.

If the fish are deeper but still shallow, try a Lazy Ike. It has an action like no other lure on the market.

To get down deep and show them something they haven't seen before, dig out a Mud Bug or an old Bomber. They'll still catch fish.

To acquire a few of these old lures, you don't need to spend a fortune in the antique lure market. All you need to do is check old tackle boxes in your basement or your neighbor's garage. Once you find them, it's just a matter of cleaning them up a bit, replacing any necessary hardware and catching a few fish with your "new" lures -- new to the fish anyway. With a judicious mix of new and old lures, an angler can be outfitted for any circumstance. Both should have a place in the tackle box.

It is, however, important not to gloat at the dock. That shows a lack of manners. But you can play rock and roll as loud as you want at the dock!