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The Major Lure Companies
Over the last century and much longer there have been many manufactures of fishing lures. They ranged from early Home-Made Folk-Art and small "Mom & Pop" shop businesses, only producing handfuls of bench made baits to use themselves or sell to the locals, all the way to large production line companies producing mass quanities of fishing lures made of wood, metal, and even early rubber and plastic materials. Below are some examples of the five largest and most sucessful lure companies. They include James Heddon & Sons, William Shakespeare Company, Creek Chub Bait Company, Pflueger Enterprise Company, and The South Bend Bait Company. As well as a few others on the next page that run a very close second like Fred Keeling, Moonlight, Biff Bait Company, Bite-Em Bait Company, Jamison, and Hastings Sporting Goods.
I am always looking for old lures or boxes to add to these collections.
James Heddon and Sons / Dowagiac, Michigan / c. 1902
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One of the largest and possibly the most popular of all the major lure companies. Opinions can hardly deny that Heddon is arguably king of the hill among many antique lure collectors. It is noted that the company had it's beginings in 1902, but it's roots may actually travel as far back as the mid to late 1800's. At the turn of the century, James Heddon whittled his first hand carved frog, and thus the Heddon saga began. From that point forward it was history in the making, and to this day the remnants of this lure manufacturing giant are still being used by anglers worldwide, although manufactured under a different name. Below are just a few examples of this historic company's magnificent lures.
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Heddon 100 Hi-Forehead 3-hook Dowagiac Minnow / c. 1905
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Heddon 100 3-hook Dowagiac Minnow with Wood Box / c. 1910
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Heddon 150 5-hook Dowagiac Minnow with Wood Box / c. 1910
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Heddon 150 Hi-Forehead 5-hook Dowagiac Minnow / c. 1905
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Heddon Bucktail Surface Minnow / c. 1908
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Heddon Artistic Minnow with Weight Bouy / c. 1907
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Heddon 5-hook Dowagiac Minnow with Box / c. 1917
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Heddon Spindiver / c.1918
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Heddon #300 Surface Minnow / c. 1918
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Heddon Dowagiac 900 Swimming Minnow / c. 1910
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Heddon 350 Musky Surfusser / c. 1937
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Heddon #00 5-hook Dowagiac Minnow / c. 1915
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Heddon #450 Killer Minnow / c. 1905
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Heddon Dowagiac Perfect Surface Casting Bait / c. 1904
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Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Expert / c. 1904
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Heddon Dowagiac 4-hook Slopenose / c. 1904
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Heddon Tad Polly with Intro Box / c. 1924
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Heddon Zig-Wag with Box / c. 1928
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Heddon Dummy-Double Minnow with Box and Papers / c. 1913
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Heddon Baby Crab Wiggler with Box / c. 1916
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Heddon Artistic Minnow with Weight Bouy and Box / c. 1907
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Heddon Luny Frog and Box. / c. 1927
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Heddon Wilder-Dilg Lure and Box.
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Heddon Wilder-Dilg Lure and Box.
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Heddon Bass Bug and Box.
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Heddon Crab Wiggler and Box. / c. 1916
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Heddon Flaptail Jr. / c. 1935
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Heddon 740 Punkinseed / c. 1940
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Heddon "Head-On" Basser / c. 1921
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Heddon 740 Punkinseed / c. 1940
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Heddon Zaragossa / c. 1920
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Creek Chub Bait Company / Garrett, Indiana / c. 1906
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Another very important and highly significant piece of our early American fishing lure heritage is the Creek Chub Bait Company from Garrett, Indiana. It is also one of the most popular among collectors due to the vast assortment of types and colors that were made available through the years since it's creation in 1906. Creek Chub is given credit for it's patent on the diving lip in 1920, that is still used today, and also for developing a method of spray painting scales through netting on the lure body, which was patented one year previous to that. Of special note is George Perry's world record largemouth bass that was caught on a Creek Chub Wigglefish lure in 1932 and still stands strong. There is much to be said about this very popular fishing lure company, and much information can be found on it through many resources that are available on the web and elsewhere. Below are just a few examples of these amazingly beautiful old fishing lures and their boxes.
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Creek Chub #6000 Baby Beetle with Box / c. 1931
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Creek Chub #3800 Beetle / c. 1931
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Creek Chub #6000 Baby Beetle with Box / c. 1931
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Creek Chub #4100 Jigger with Box / c. 1933
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Creek Chub #1800 5-hook Underwater Spinner Minnow / c. 1924
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Creek Chub #4100 Jigger with Box / c. 1933
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Creek Chub #2100 Fin Tail Shiner Minnow / c. 1930
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Creek Chub #2900 Green Gar Minnow with Box / c. 1927
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Creek Chub #2900Natural Gar Minnow with Box / c. 1927
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Creek Chub #2600 Jointed Pikie Minnow with under-chin line tie / c. 1926
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Creek Chub #700 Pikie Minnow / c. 1920
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Creek Chub #2000 Darter Minnow with Box / c. 1924
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Creek Chub #900 Baby Pikie Minnow with Box / c. 1921
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Creek Chub #2800 Weed Bug / c. 1927
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Early Creek Chub #700 Pikie Minnow with Box / c. 1920
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Creek Chub #2000 Darter Minnow with Box / c. 1924
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Creek Chub #900 Baby Pikie Minnow with Box / c. 1921
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Creek Chub #300 Crawdad with Box/ c. 1916
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Creek Chub #300 Crawdad. / c. 1916
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Creek Chub #800 DeLuxe Wag Tail Chub / c. 1918
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Creek Chub #3900 Yellow Sucker Minnow / c. 1932
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Creek Chub #1400 Big Bug Wiggler. / c. 1920
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Creek Chub #1700 Pollywiggle with Weed Guard / c. 1924
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Creek Chub #200 Baby Wiggler with Box / c. 1917
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Creek Chub #8000 Midget Darter with Box / c. 1938
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Creek Chub #2200 Midget Pikie with Box / c. 1924
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Creek Chub #200 Baby Wiggler with Box / c. 1917
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Creek Chub #2700 Jointed Baby Pikie with Box / c. 1927
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Creek Chub #2600 Jointed Pike with Box / c. 1926
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Creek Chub #3000 Jointed Husky Pikie with Box / c. 1931
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Creek Chub #2700 Jointed Pickeral Pikie / c. 1927
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Creek Chub #100 Wiggler with Box / c. 1906
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Creek Chub #1400 Big Creek Bug Wiggler with Box / c. 1920
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Creek Chub #3200 Plunker with Box / c. 1927
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Creek Chub #400 Baby Crawdad with Box / c. 1918
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William Shakespeare Company / Kalamazoo. Michigan
J.B. Rhodes Kalamazoo Tackle Company
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Another very significant and very old lure and tackle company is the William Shakespeare Company. It's origins began in the late 1800's when William Shakespeare Jr. founded it. Shortly after the turn of the century Mr. Shakespeare purchased the Rhodes Kalamazoo Tackle Company, also from Kalamazoo, and the company flourished for over the next half century. The earliest Rhodes Minnows are highly prized and sought after by collectors as there are very few known to exist. The hollow aluminum Revolution Baits are some of the earliest produced by the Shakespeare Company. This company also manufactured many other fishing items aside from fishing lures. They were one of the largest competing producers of fishing reels in their time. Some of these reels can be viewed in the "Fishing Reel Gallery" section of this website. Shakespeare has always been a very popular fishing tackle company among collectors for many years. Some examples of their amazing lures are pictured below.
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Shakespeare Whirlwind Spinner / c. 1910
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Shakespeare Musky Revolution (center), Baby Revolution (left), Baby Revolution (right). / c. 1902-1909
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Shakespeare Whirlwind Spinner / c. 1910
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Shakespeare Painted Revolution / c. 1909
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Case of Shakespeare Revolution Lures. / c. 1909
Shakespeare Painted Worden Bucktail Revolution / c. 1909
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Shakespeare Painted Revolution / c. 1909
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Rhodes 3-hook Kalamazoo Minnow / c. 1904
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Shakespeare 5-hook Underwater Minnow with Wood Box / c. 1918
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Rhodes 5-hook Kalamazoo Minnow / c. 1904
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Shakespeare Rubber Frog / c. 1910
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Rhodes Mechanical Frog / c. 1909
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Shakespeare Waukazoo Surface Spinner / c. 1930
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The Enterprise Mfg. Company & E.A. Pflueger Company / Akron, Ohio
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Most likely the oldest of the major lure companies would be the E.F. Pflueger or the Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron, Ohio. Shortly after the mid 1800's until the turn of the 20th century, fish catching baits were being produced. Although not produced in large numbers, these lures were simpler and mostly made of metal and other materials, unlike the later and more extravagant wooden models that would appear early in the 20th century. They were still very popular with the fishermen and would eventually help them rise to become the super power that they were. These early pre 1900 lures are highly prized by collectors. Pflueger would also become one the most significant fishing reel manufacturers of the world through the first half of the 20th century. In fact, during their later years of business, the reel industry would grow to be their bread and butter. Some examples of these fabulous lures and their boxes can be seen below.
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Pflueger 3-hook Surprise Minnow with Maroon Box / c. 1915
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Pflueger 2-hook Surprise Minnow / c. 1922
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Pflueger All-In-One Minnow / c. 1916
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Pflueger 3-hook Surprise Minnow with Maroon Box / c. 1915
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Pflueger T.N.T. Minnow in the earlier "Artificial Bait" Box / c. 1930
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Pflueger 3-hook Neverfail in Wood Box marked Simplex / c. 1907. Enterprise Mfg. Company.
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Group of 3 Pflueger Metalized Minnows / c. 1912
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Pflueger Conrad Rubber Frog in the later "Famous Bait" Box / c. 1931
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Hi Henry Special. This is a 5-hook Trade Minnow manufactured by Pflueger. c. 1930
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Pflueger Wizard 5-hook Wood Minnow with the very early wood box. / c. 1903
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Pflueger Wizard 3-hook Wood Minnow with the very early wood box. c. / 1903
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Portage Electric Wood Minnow. This is a 3-hook Trade Minnow manufactured by Pflueger. / c. 1930
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Pflueger Champion Wood Minnow. / c. 1912
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Mizzoo Wood Minnow / Diamond Mfg. Company / Pflueger Trade Minnow.
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Pflueger Magnet and Box. / c. 1916
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Triumph Wood Minnow / Diamond Mfg. Company / Pflueger Trade Minnow.
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Group of Pflueger Peerless Wood Minnows. / c. 1913
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The South Bend Bait Company / South Bend, Indiana
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Also included in the list of prolific super powers of the 20th century bait and tackle industry would be the South Bend Bait Company from South Bend, Indiana. The earliest known examples of this company are very rare and desirable. There is not a lot known of the early days of development of this company, but it is thought to have had some affiliation with the William Shakespeare Jr. Tackle Company, and sometime around 1910 the Worden Bait Company merged into The South Bend Bait Company. F.G. Worden had been making his early minnows for at least a decade previous to selling them through the South Bend Company. Some examples of his lures can be seen on the "Misc. Lure Companies" page on this site. The company's trademark was the "Oreno" name that was present on every lure that they produced. They are best known for the Bass-Oreno lure which was likely one of the most sucessful lures of all time. South Bend was also a leader and heavy competitor in the fishing reel industry. Some examples of the companies early reels and boxes can be seen on the "Fishing Reel Gallery" of this site. South Bend has always been a favorite of many collectors due to the vast variety of styles and colors produced in it's line of fishing lures. Below are just a few of the examples of lures and boxes that this very important company produced.
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Intro version #963 South Bend Surf Oreno in the Box / c. 1916
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South Bend #973 Glass Eyed Bass Oreno in the "Sunrise" Box / c. 1927
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South Bend #973 Bass Oreno in the Intro Box / c. 1916
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South Bend #1 Vacuum Bait in the Box / c. 1925
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South Bend #21 Vacuum Bait in the Box / c. 1925
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South Bend #973 Bass Oreno in the Intro Box / c. 1916
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South Bend #921 Floating Minnow / c. 1920
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South Bend #525 Sun Spot Spoon and Box / c. 1941
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South Bend #905 5-hook Underwater Minnow v/ c. 1915
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South Bend #967 Wiz-Oreno and Box / c. 1925
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South Bend #973 Bass Oreno and Box / c. 1916
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South Bend #972 Babe Oreno and Box / c. 1916
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South Bend #971 Trout Oreno and Box / c. 1921
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South Bend Weedless Spinner Hook on Card
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South Bend #599 Trix Oreno and Box / c. 1931
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