I’m back on the loose in the garage, sifting through baits to find a few topwaters that’ll inspire Pete to relive his angling history and tackle-buying addiction. Now that I’ve found them, I’m putting these gems in my bag for Anglers Inn in June. Maybe they’ll help me catch a big bass or two that haven’t seen anything similar.

For the most part, modern lure staples are better than their discontinued predecessors. They are better engineered, with better components. At the same time, there will always be past versions that are proven or perceived to be better – like the old school Wiggle Warts that command a handsome price. Here are a few that have come back or been improved upon in recent months.

I’ve previously written about some of the lures that every old-timer on the Potomac River had placed on their deck, as well as a very special river buzzbait that’s no longer made. I may have also been the one to introduce the concept of “spongeworthiness” to fishing, but now I’m going to take it one step further. I’m going to meld those past columns and describe three Potomac River killers that are in short supply – at least in my boat and my garage.

Sometimes it’s worth it to get your butt kicked by a fellow angler if it’ll introduce you to a new lure or a new technique. That’s what I’d hoped would happen when a new club member crushed me with his favorite discontinued buzzbait. Unfortunately, it didn’t worked out the way that I’d hoped.