The Encyclopedia of Old Fishing Lures: Made in North America

By Robert A. Slade

Robert A. Slade, after collecting old fishing tackle since 1958 and contributing articles on old fishing lures for a collector magazine for several years started researching and writing books in the 1990's. He published the HISTORY & COLLECTIBLE FISHING TACKLE OF WISCONSIN in 1999 which sold 4,500 copies. Bob realized that even though there have been many books published on the subject of old fishing lures that few books covered any detailed history on the old lure makers. His latest book writing project was nine years in the making and covers over 100 years of lure making history starting in 1875 and covers over 2,500 lures makers throughout all of North America. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OLD FISHING LURES MADE IN NORTH AMERICA is the first publication with extensive history and patent information on old lure makers and the first to include extensive coverage on Canadian lure makers. The author traveled to 11 states and 3 Candian Providences visting collectors homes, newspaper archives, museums and other sources and has taken over 10,000 pictures in preparing the historical stories for these books. The set of books arranges for the individual and company lures makers to appear in alphabetical order. People purchasing these books can buy any one single book, a whole set, or even a book a month if they desire as the books will be printed and shipped on demand. Each book has over 400 pages of text, pictures and collector values with each book containing a table of contents and index as well as a master index for the complete set of books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jul 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466901711

Robert A. Slade

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OLD FISHING LURES MADE IN NORTH AMERICA covers over 2,500 American and Candian lures makers starting in 1875 and for the next 100 plus years. There is extensive history and patent information along with numerous pictures of the of the lures made.

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© Copyright 2011 Robert A. Slade.t

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Printed in the United States of America.

isbn: 978-1-4251-1520-3 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-0171-1 (e)

Trafford rev. 11/08/2011

missing image file www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

phone: [phone] ♦ fax: [phone]

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

HAUPT, PETER

DICK GRIES TACKLE COMPANY

HAWK FISH LURE COMPANY

HAWK SALES COMPANY

HAWKS & OGILVY

HAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HAYDEN, BOYD, & COMPANY

HAYES BAIT COMPANY

HAYLEY, A. L., JR.

HAYNES BAIT COMPANY

HAYWARD, LELAND

HAYWOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HEARN, JAMES L.

HEASLIP, PORTER S.

HEDDEN, CHARLIE

HEDDON SLICK TRICK NO. 1130

HEDDON, JAMES, SONS

HEDDON LURE?

HEFFNER’S LURE MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HEGE, H. W.

HEILAND & SONS

HEINER, G. P., MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HEINO TACKLE COMPANY

HEITMILLER, H. W.

HELIN TACKLE COMPANY

HELLRAISER TACKLE COMPANY

HELM SPECIALTY COMPANY

HELM SPECIALTY COMPANY

HELPER BAIT COMPANY

HEMINGWAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HENDRYX, ANDREW B., COMPANY

HENKENIUS-KANE BAIT

HENNING-BALDWIN

HENRY, A. B., COMPANY

HENRY’S, BUCK, BAITS

HENZEL, J. G.

HEP BAIT COMPANY

HERBERT BAIT COMPANY

HERENDEEN, G., & SONS

E. HARRAN & SON

HERGERT, C. A.

HERMAN, C. A.

HERMAN, LEE

HERRINGTON, BILL, BAIT COMPANY

HERSCHEL, JOHN C.

HERTER’S, INC.

HESSE, P. M.

J. M. BACHMAN COMPANY

HETU, LIONEL

HEUEL, A.

HEX BAITS, LTD.

HI-FIN TACKLE COMPANY

HI-TECH CREATIONS

HIBBARD, C. B., FISHING TACKLE COMPANY

HIBBARD, SPENCER, BARTLETT & COMPANY

HIBBS TACKLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HICK’S MINNOW QUALITY BAITS

HICKSON COMPANY

HIDE A HOOK

DIV. OF SAFE-T-LOCK CORPORATION

HIETALA, WILLIAM

HIGGINS, PETE, MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HIGGINS MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HILDEBRANDT, J. J., & COMPANY

HILDRETH, MIKE

HILL, L. S., & COMPANY

HILL BILLY LURES

HILL, ED, & KEN MILLER

HILLS BAIT COMPANY

B & R BAIT COMPANY

HINCKLEY, LIVINGSTON S.

HINES, C., BAITS

HINKLE, JOE B.

HINKS MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HINKSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HOBBS BROTHERS

HOBBS, W. H., SUPPLY COMPANY

HOPGOOD, WALTER

HOCKS MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HOEFER LURES

COLEMAN INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC.

HOEGEE, WILLIAM, & COMPANY

HOERR, PHILIP S.

HOFMANN’S LURES

HOFSCHNEIDER CORPORATION

HOGIE LURE COMPANY

HOGREFF, WILLIAM E.

HOLCOMBE, G. B.

HOLDENLINE COMPANY

HOLIDAY PRODUCTS

HOLLIFIELD LURE COMPANY

HOLLING, H. M., & COMPANY

HOLMGREN, F. P.

HOLTER, JERRY

HOLZAPFEL, J. A.

HOLZWORTH, J. C.

HOM-ARTS BAIT COMPANY

HOMA, A. G., & SON

HOMARTH COMPANY, THE

HONTZ, EUGENE W.

HOOKER TACKLE COMPANY

HOOKZEM BAIT COMPANY

HOOPY LURES

HOOT SPINNER COMPANY

HOPATCONG BAIT COMPANY

HOPE ENGINEERING COMPANY

HOPE, LAWRENCE

HOPKINS FISHING LURES COMPANY, INC.

HOPPE, LELAND LEE

HORN, VAN

HORNET, INC.

HORNET LURE COMPANY

HORNET LURE COMPANY

HORNYAK, ANTON F.

HORROCK-IBBOTSON COMPANY

CANADIAN SUBSIDIARY

HORVATH, F. H., LITTLE WORKSHOP

HOSENEY WOOD CARVING COMPANY

HOSMER, J. D., COMPANY

HOTTI TACKLE COMPANY

THE HOUSE OF HOUSER

HOVDE ENTERPRISES, INC.

HUB BAIT COMPANY

HUBBARD LURES

HUBBARD MANURFACTURING COMPANY

HUDSON, JOHN R.

HUELS, F.

HUGGER BAIT CORPORATION

HUGHES RIVER CUSTOM BAITS

HUGHES, F. E.

HUGHSON, E. N.

HUGO LURES

HUMP LURE COMPANY

HUMPAL REEL COMPANY

HUMPHREY BAIT COMPANY

HUMPY BAIT COMPANY

R. B. ELBERT SPORTING GOODS COMPANY

HUNCHBACK LURES

HUNT LURE COMPANY, INC.

HUNTINGTON, L. B.

HUNTLEY, W. C. & K. S., KNIGHT COMPANY

HURD LOCK & MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HURON FISHING TACKLE, INC.

HURRICANE TACKLE COMPANY

HURRLE BAIT COMPANY

HUTCHINGS TACKLE

HUTCHINS MANUFACTURING COMPANY

HUTH, BEN

HUZEN, ARCHIE

HYDRO LURES

HYPARK SPECIALTY

I X L MANUFACTURING COMPANY

IDEAL FISHING TACKLE COMPANY

IDEAL FISH BAIT COMPANY

IDEAL FISHING FLOAT COMPANY

IDEAL PRODUCTS, INC.

IDEEL FISH LURES

ILENE INDUSTRIES

ILLINOIS PURE ALUMINUM COMPANY

ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, INC.

IMITATION INSECT LABORATORY

IMITATION SALOMON EGG LURE MAKERS

JAMES D. MAXWELL

A. R. HENDRY

IMMELL BAIT COMPANY

IMMELL BAIT & TACKLE COMPANY

INDIANA STYLE REELS

INJUN JOE FISHING TACKLE COMPANY

INNERFLOAT TACKLE COMPANY

INSTANT LURES, INC. APPEAL LURES

FUDALLY MUSKIE JERK BAITS

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CORPORATION

INTERNATIONAL TACKLE COMPANY

ISLE ROYAL BAITS

Dedicated in loving memory to

Tony Nata III.

A percentage of the proceeds of the sale

of this encyclopedia will be donated to

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Tony’s Room Foundation is focused on building clean room environments in the homes of children battling Leukemia. Tony’s Room Foundation was formed to build hope for families of children with Leukemia as a way to honor the memory of a courageous little boy from Slidell, Louisiana who really loved to fish—Anthony J. Tony Nata III.

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To make a 100% tax-deductible donation and for more information, please visit www.tonysroom.org.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing a series of books on this scale took me over a nine-year path of research and photography. However, even with that, it would not have been possible for me to have completed this project without the assistance of hundreds of contributing people. Consequently, these books are the result of the collective efforts and contributions of the following people and many others too numerous to mention.

First of all, I would like to extend special thanks to Dan Basore of Warrenville, Illinois. I spent nearly a month at Dan’s home as an invited guest on two separate visits to do research and photography. We spent countless hours pouring over the Richard Walton files alone. (Richard Walton is without a doubt this country’s first intensive lure collector. He started shortly after the turn of the twentieth century and collected and kept meticulous records of his finds for another 50 years.)

Other major contributors included the following: Alan Bakke (MN), Adrien Delbasty (LA), Dennis Giese (WI), Billy Gregory (WI), Steve O’Hern (MN), Doug Lenicheck (WI), Gary Ludwig (IN), Dean A. Murphy (MO), Robert Robbie Pavey (GA), Virgil Potvin (WI), Joe Stagnitti (NY), Larry & Pat Sundal (IA), and Matt Wickham (KY).

There were many collectors and non-collectors who contributed serious time and effort into these books: Philip Allen (MN), Laurie Bingham (NY), Eric Borgerding (WI) David Budd (IN), Robert Bulkley (IN), Doug Carpenter (OH), Arlan Carter (WI), John Conlin (MN), Craig Farver (CO), the late Art Hansen (WI), Peter Heid (NY), Tom Jacomet (AZ), Jack Leslie (IN), Randy Nelson (IN), the late Richard Nissley (MI), the late George Richie (MI), Dale Roberts (MI), William Robinson (IN), Ray Rodgers (AK), Richard Rounds (Canada), Tom Schofield (WI), Travis Slater (NY), Chris Slusar (WI), Arne Soland (OR), Colby Sorrells (TX), David Spengler (WI), Mike Thompson (OK), John Workman (Canada), and the late Clarence Zahn (MI).

Other contributors to these books included the following: Bill Bailey (TX), Hollis Bosley (IL), Tom Clayton (NJ), Randall Cobb (CO), John Collen (WI), Curt Conner (IA), Gary Cripps (WI), Wayne Dionne (TX), William Earl (MI), Mike Echols (FL), Lindy Egan (OH), Mike Estep (tN), Jim Frazier (FL), Ron Fritz (FL), Dave Gusted (CA), Walter Geib (WI), Mike Hampton (CA), Ron Hanley (GA), Eddie Hobbs (IL), Dave Hoover (OH), Tom Jacomet (AZ), the late Art Kimball (WI), John Kolbeck (MN), Robert & Sue Kutchera (WI), John Laimon (WI), Bob Lehmkuhl (WI), Joe McCarthy (WI), Dennis McNulty (VA), John Muma (MS), Joe Muzynoski (WI), Mike Potthier (WI), Bill Stuart (FL), and Joe Yates (FL).

Edited by: Jessica & William Lehmann (WI)

Layout by: Robert Lehmann (WI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meeting Bob Slade for the first time was a shocking experience to me. It was December, 1988 that another collector introduced me to Bob, who at the time was completing research for his book, The History & Collectible Fishing Tackle of Wisconsin. Here was this big guy talking non-stop with unbelievable passion about Wisconsin fishing lures. Most impressive was his knowledge of the history of each lure and its inventor or manufacturer. To me, this is what sets Bob apart from many other lure collectors in this compulsive and rewarding hobby of ours. It helps that Bob is blessed with a wonderful memory that supplements hi s pas sionfor collecting fishing tackle and the history of fishing lures. Bob trained himself in the art of photography to enhance his stories of lure history and lure identification.

Bob was born in 1938 in Charlotte, Michigan and grew up on the family farm. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and ran a trap line while in high school. Bob spent four years in the United States Air Force and graduated from Michigan State University. Bob worked in the insurance industry for over thirty years in both management and sales. Since his retirement, Bob has concentrated on fishing-lure collecting.

I have fished with Bob in the Northwest Territories at a lake at which he has fished for many years. The fishing hole is 140 miles north of Yellowknife and has yielded many monster pike and lake trout to Bob including a 35-pound pike that he boated. At home in Wisconsin, Bob is a fanatical bass fisherman.

All this fishing fits nicely into his passion for lure collecting. Before I met Bob, his lure collection had numbered over 12,000 lures-one of the largest collections in the United States-which he sold for health reasons. However, Bob could not be stopped for long and soon started collecting again. When he finished his book on Wisconsin lures, Bob sold his second collection of many thousands of lures.

Today, Bob is still very busy buying and selling lures for research of the history. This task could go on and on forever and never be finished. Bob is quickly recognized at lure shows carrying his camera, interviewing collectors, and taking photos of both new finds and different variations of known lures. (Many collectors have never known the history of some lures prior to Bob writing up their story.) He greatly enjoys the hunt part of collecting, and I think he is on a mission to provide all of us with a guide to tackle identification and to tell the stories of fishing lure history.

Bob is blessed with a wonderful wife, who graciously puts up with all of this lure stuff and also does the hard work of packaging and shipping his lures.

Thank you, Bob, for this encyclopedia of fishing lures.

DOUG LENICHECK

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INTRODUCTION

When I started doing research and writing on this current book project in the fall of 1999, I had no idea that it would take nine years to complete. I have traveled to eleven states and three Canadian providences doing research and have taken well over 10,000 pictures.

I have been invited into dozens of homes to do photography and have spent many days in museums and libraries researching old archives. During these nine years, my normal fishing time has been cut in half, and our home has become a warehouse of boxes of papers and pictures.

I originally began the project with the intention of covering only a few Great Lakes States, and, in fact, the original title of the books was going to be, Lures of The Great Lakes States. However, the undertaking kept growing and growing until finally it was covering all of the United States and parts of Canada. I’m not professing that these books cover every lure maker that existed in this country and Canada, but it covers only those that I became aware of in my 49 years of collecting or recent research. I have realized that it would take more than one lifetime to cover the entire subject of fishing-tackle makers.

Therefore, the first thing I decided was to not include the big six lure makers-Creek Chub, Heddon, Moonlight/Paw Paw, Pflueger, Shakespeare, and South Bend-to save space in my books and because there are countless books available that cover these important lure makers.

I also decided to not cover bobbers, fly rod lures, ice fishing decoys, rods, reels, and other miscellaneous fishing tackle. However, for reasons you will understand, there are exceptions to these statements found throughout the books.

A task of this magnitude meant that I had to accept help from many other people and didn’t always do the photography. Consequently, there are some pictures in these books that are not of the quality I would like, as everyone does not own top-of-the-line camera equipment—so it is what it is. There are examples where only patent drawings could be shown, as the lures were too rare to come by.

The next issue was publication. I interviewed with over 35 different publishers. Some wanted to retain copy rights and pay only a token royalty that would not come close to covering my research cost. Some wanted close to $400,000 before they would print the first book, and others wanted to sell the set for over $1,000. I settled on Trafford Publishing because they print on demand, I do not have a book storage problem, and the books are reasonably priced. However, to accomplish this, I had to go with a soft cover and black-and-white pictures but with either a CD of color pictures in each book or a website with color pictures.

I am very fortunate to have my wife, Tess, who has put up with all this madness for these ten years.

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE LURE

EAST COAST BOSTON WHALER

Due to the vast numbers of lures that I have had in my collection over the years I have frequently been asked what my favorite lure was. There is no question in my mind that it was the pictured 4-1/2 IVORY MINNOW. Extensive research has revealed that this late 1800’s solid ivory minnow was hand carved by a east coast Boston Whaler of an unknown name. The lure has a 1 long oval shaped solid silver in-lay just behind the eyes. The indented eyes have a deep set silver in-lay as well. Even the hand forged hook is silver plated. The intricate checker-scale pattern was all painstakingly done by hand. The long line tie is real leather that goes through the lure to the tail hook. I no longer own this lure, but the present owner, John Conlin of Maple Plain, Minnesota has graciously provided me with the attached pictures of this beautiful piece of art. John says the lure is the centerpiece of his collection and in his opinion… it is priceless.

Estimated trade value is $5,000

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HAUPT, PETER

DICK GRIES TACKLE COMPANY

HAYWARD, WISCONSIN

Musky lure collectors, especially in Wisconsin, place the several varieties of the Peter Haupt made OJIBWA LURES at the top of their lists. His lures have become very sought-after collectibles, both because of his historic reputation and the quality of the lures. Peter Haupt (1935-1994) was one of Wisconsin’s top musky fishermen from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. He was still active in their pursuit almost up to the time of his death in 1994 at the age of 59. His own record on one of his lures is a 47-3/4-pound, 54-3/4"-long fish caught in 1982 (pictured courtesy of the Virgil Potvin collection).

Haupt’s very first production was a 5-3/4" PIKIE that had teddy bear, amber glass eyes and a special copper belly plate and dive lip built from scratch. The thumbprint-shaped dive lip was wide flared at the tip with a soldered-in-place loop line tie that allowed the lure plenty of erratic action. This lure (pictured in a top and side view) was finished in green perch scale.

Without question, his rarest production was his 6-1/2" OJIBWA NITEHAWK that was painted yellow with red pupils and black irises, black side ribs, and a black back scroll. The lure (pictured from both a top and bottom view) was equipped with a buzzer-type nose prop. The more common Ojibwa wooden lures had no eyes and were bomb shaped, some straight and some jointed. With their big, heart-shaped dive lips, they could be made to dive to fourteen feet and over twenty feet on the troll.

Peter Haupt was not much in favor of using suckers or other live bait for musky fishing, and he proved time and time again that his lures could catch muskies even in deep water and in the late fall when many other fishermen had switched to live bait.

Shortly before his death in May of 1994, Haupt sold his lure business to Dick Gries, who still makes the Ojibwa baits today, sold on yellow, plastic bubble-topped cards with black print and red trim. Gries has an added feature in some of these lures: brass metal ball inserts to give the lures a loud rattle. Dick Gries’ STRIKER and PHANTOM 7 wooden lures, both made for musky fishing, are pictured. Also pictured is a pair of Dick’s 6-3/4 STRIKER JR. lures in orange and red scale and in black and silver scale.

The first picture is a top and belly view of one of Peter Haupt’s rarest lures, the 6-1/2"-long OJIBWA NITEHAWK. He printed the name of the lure on the back. Notice the chain-link hook-hanger system that he used on this unique, four-treble-hook lure. Back when I became acquainted with this lure, it traded in the $500 to $600 range, but I would not be surprised if it would top $1,000 today.

The second picture is of Peter’s first production Pikie lure with two different views, plus three standard Ojibwa lures in straight and jointed models.

The third picture is of several Dick Gries Tackle Company Ojibwa and other lure productions.

The fourth picture is THE MAN.

The originally introduced teddy-bear-eyed Pikies trade in the $300 to $400 range. The Ojibwa Nitehawk will trade in the $500 to $600 range, at a minimum, if you can find one. Other Haupt lures trade in the $175 to $250 range. Dick Gries Ojibwa lures trade in the $15 to $25 range for some, but I have seen others top the $40 trade level.

HAUPT, PETER

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HAVER, PERCY FISH LURE COMPANY

HAVER’S WONDERLAND TACKLE COMPANY

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Because of his musky prowess reputation, we will make brief mention of Percy Haver. Haver was an avid and renown musky fisherman in Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as on the St Lawrence Seaway area and on Lake St. Clair. At one time, he held the Worlds’ Record musky, but he was also a little avid in expressing its true size, and the record was revoked. Art Lawson’s World Record musky also proved to be an exaggeration, which left Louie Spray of Wisconsin holding the record. Spray’s 69-pound, 11-ounce musky, caught on October 20, 1949, on the Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin, still stands as the official record today.

Haver actually did not make any lures; he had a lure-picture box