Lookin' deeeee-lish.
In April 1986, a US Bass tournament on Rayburn was won by flipping a Chickenfoot. And if you’re not a crappie fisherman, you might be asking, What’s a Chickenfoot?
To quote the official website, “It’s a silly name for a band – and album – that kicks a donkey’s ass six ways to Sunday and back again.” Here you go:
Okay, gratuitous rock reference. Can’t have enough rock ‘n’ roll, man!
Far as I know, no one sells Chickenfeet (Chickenfoots?) as bass lures anymore and don’t know if anyone ever did, but Bass Pro Shops still sells Chicken Foot crappie baits and you might be able to buy a mold big enough for bass. Who knows.
A crappie Chicken Foot (BPS photo).
Anyhow, here’s what I want to know: Has anyone you know fished a Chickenfoot for bass? Has anyone else won a tourney on this bait?
12 Comments
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Trey Smith
March 15, 2011 at 2:13 pm
whopperbaits.com makes a bait called a chickenfoot. It is a remake of a bait that is no longer in production now.
Brian
March 15, 2011 at 2:51 pm
I had some of the originals way back when, but was never much of a plastics guy, so when I ran out of the few I had I never replaced them. Caught fish, but never won anything on them myself, though others in the area did. They were pretty popular in the Indiana/Kentucky area at one time, meybe elsewhere, too.
There was also a local worm designed originally in Indiana (I believe Terre Haute) that was called something like the ‘corkscrew worm’ or ‘hawgtail’, I can’t remember now. Basically a long twin curled tail worm. Haven’t found any of those in quite a while either.
Jody White
March 15, 2011 at 3:31 pm
The Whopper baits one looks a lot like the Rage Tail Smokin’ Rooster. And that has a chickeny ring to it.
Jason
March 15, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Not a huge Satch guy, but Chad Smith is a beast.
Oh, and I’ve never fished or eaten a chicken foot.
Kevin
March 15, 2011 at 7:22 pm
The chickenfoot worm I used to fish looked nothing like the crappie Chickenfoot in the pic. It was a curl tail worm with two curly tails sticking out from the sides about where u would bury the hook point. Mine were generic, but I think Gene Larew made a version called Chikenfoot, without the second “c”. That was back in the late ’80s. I think I still have a few from back then. I caught a lot of farm pond fish on them, but never had much luck on big waters.
Jay
March 15, 2011 at 8:19 pm
The version of that worm I always fished was called a Salty Sensation. That was back when metallic flake and fire tails were all the rage.
Avidbasser
March 15, 2011 at 9:43 pm
When I was a kid in the ’70’s and 80’s I used a Salty Sensation that was a chickenfoot style bait- a worm with 3 curly appendages. Tequila Sunrise Sensations were killer on ponds back in the day!
The “other Chickenfoot” sounded like a great idea, but much like other “supergroup” collaborations fell way short of my expectations. Satch is a bada$$ though, still.
Crispin Powley
March 18, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I’m guessing that the bait that is being referenced is the old “Chicken-Foot” that was made by Hugh Harville of Harville Lures out of Henderson, TN. He was probably most noted for his “Baby Huey” which was a 10″ spade/paddle tail worm. Harville lures had a regional cult following and are still widely regarded as some of the best big worms on the TN River chain. The Chicken foot was a “creature” style bait that was somewhat before it’s time. It was basically a 7″ hook tail worm with two appendages. One off of each side. The profile of it favored a chicken’s foot. To the best of my knowledge Hugh sold out and his molds were dispersed. Some were sold locally and the Baby Huey and possibly a few of his other baits are still be manufactured and sold by Luck-E-Strike.Maybe this fills in some of the gaps.
admin (mostly Jay)
March 18, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Awesome info Crispin, thanks!
jwfflipper
March 19, 2011 at 10:31 pm
I also believe that Harvilles plant burned down. The original chicken foot was a long kept secret in N.C. for years.
Crystal Clayton
October 1, 2011 at 9:00 am
Hugh Harvile was my uncle. How did you find out so much information about him?
Eddie Hunter
November 16, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Is Hugh still alive? I’ve often wondered what happened to him. I still have some of his original baits and would about give up my boat for some more of those original worms and crawls with that Git Bit scent. We still use them and they still catch fish. I have a buddy that got word that they were about gone and he bought everyone out in TN and AL that he could find.