Yesterday we posted a piece about Rip Nunnery and a record that will never be broken. Rip’s 15-bass one-day limit out of Lake Eufaula, AL in 1969. Today I have more Rip Nunnery, but this time more about his bait company, Bandit Bass Lures.
As I wrote yesterday, Rip was a mentor of mine as a kid in southern California. But he wasn’t just my mentor. He mentored a few kids that hung out at the local tackle shops and one of those kids was Jon Kuch. Jon and I were fishing partners until I left California in the early 90s.
Jon was kind enough to send me some pics of some of Rip’s old baits, still in the package and an old pic of Rip and Blanchard, that Rip gave him, from the 1969 Eufaula tournament.
In the lead-in picture, there’s Rip and Gerald Blanchard holding his day-one record limit as well as the combined boat record of 180 pounds. I don’t think this picture was ever published.
The other pictures show a couple of Rip’s baits, his Bush Hog Spinnerbait, version 1 and 2, along with a bait he called a Twig Pig. The Twig Pig is a Matty-style bait – a jig with a spinner blade attached to the hook. I can’t believe this bait hasn’t been resurrected since the 70s – it was a killer ledge bait then and would be today (I want the proceeds from any company that reintroduces it from now on!).
The Matty, or Twig Pig as Rip called his version, was made from original football head molds (I mean molds made from the guy who invented the football head, Larry McCain), and were dressed with a vinyl skirt, piece of red plastic worm and then a #2 Colorado or #2 Indiana blade was affixed to the hook via a barrel swivel.
Cast the bait out on top of a ledge and let it sink to the bottom. Then, grind the reel three or four turns and stop, let the bait sink and repeat. One of the times you let the bait fall, that familiar “tap” would happen and then in typical Rip Nunnery fashion, you’d reel like a mad man until the bend in your rod was to the point you couldn’t hold the rod up anymore and then you’d set the hook. The outcome would either be a fish in the boat or a broken rod handle and a fish in the boat.
Rip Nunnery’s Bandit Bass Lures Brush Hog spinnerbait, version 1. 1968 through 1984. Photo courtesy of Jon Kuch.
Rip Nunnery’s Bandit Bass Lures Brush Hog version 2, 1984 though his death. Photo courtesy of Jon Kuch.
Rip Nunnery’s Bandit Bass Lures Twig Pig. 1968 through his death. Photo courtesy of Jon Kuch.
Hello, this is awesome! Rip Douglas Nunnery is my grandfather. He would make Bandit Bass Lures in the garage at his home in California. I remember being told to not run around bare feet on the floor because pieces of lead gets everywhere. He was a interesting man and loved to fish. Thanks for posting this story. I ran in to this archive because I now own all of Rip Nunnery’s mounted bass fish and as much as I’m am proud to honor my grandfather’s achievements, I would much rather the fishing community enjoy these proud moments as well. Does anyone know what I can do with the mounted bass and or anyone I could possibly connect with regarding that?
Thanks,
Ashtin Nunnery
Ashtin, can you please email me at terry.battisti@gmail.com. I grew up with those fish in Fisherman’s Paradise and from what I understand, they’re still in Bob’s Tackle now.
The bass I have were displayed in my grandparents home. Two of them say Otay Lake Feb 5th 1975 10lb 3oz & 10lb 13oz. Another one says Lake Sutherland Feb 1974 9lbs 13oz. Also, two more mounts that have nothing plated. Total of 5 mounted Bass I got here.
I’m not exactly sure where a couple of these bass come from. The ones I have were on the walls displayed in my grandparents home. Two of them say Otay Lake Feb 5th 1975 10lb 3oz & 10lb 13oz. Another one says Lake Sutherland Feb 1974 9lbs 13oz. Two mounts that have nothing. Total of 5 mounted Bass I got here. I emailed you and I’ll take some better pictures of it all too.
Hi, my Dad was Gerald Blanchard, so it’s really great to see this photo. I will pass it along to my family. Nice to meet you Ashtin as well. Glad my dad and your grandfather made a little history there.
Hi Jay! Thank you for commenting on this post! I have more images of your dad on here as well as some of his tournament write-ups. I’d love to talk with you sometime about him, and see if you have anything else you’d like to share. If you feel like it, email me at terry@bass-archives.com. Thanks!