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A continuation of some of the countless other fishing lure mfg. companies that have produced some very fascinating early baits for over a century and a half. These old lures are classified as Miscellaneous lures because there are far too many examples to catagorize them any other way. In most cases there were only a few variations produced by each company. These lures are very popular among antique lure collectors and many of them command a premium price to the serious collector. Some examples of these fabulous old lures and their boxes are shown on these pages, and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
I am always looking for old lures or boxes to add to these collections.
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C.R. Harris / Manistee, Michigan
Charles R. Harris is most noted for his 1897 patented Floating Cork Frog. This frog is found in two variations and sizes. All display attached belly hooks as well as belly hung lead weights at times. They are beautiful works of art and all display the hat pin eyes as are also associated with the very few and very rare Heddon hand carved frogs. Maybe there is a connection, as it is said that Harris was a personal friend and a fishing partner of James Heddon. Also of great importance is the Manistee Minnow which he made in Manistee, Michigan. He is known to have produced a few other lures known as the Featherbone Minnow, the Bullet Bait (made from an actual shell cartridge), and a Rotary Head Globe type bait. All of his fishing lures are considered rare and are very highly prized among antique fishing lure collectors. Some examples of these fascinating old lures are shown below.
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Harris Cork Frog. / c. 1897
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Harris Cork Frog. / c. 1897
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"Baby" Manistee Surface Minnow / c. 1908 / Courtesy of Harry Jones collection.
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Harris Cork Frog. / c. 1897
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Harris Cork Frog. / c. 1897
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Livingston S. Hinckley / Newark, New Jersey
Livingston S. Hinckley patented this hollow body, rotating head lure in 1897. It is found in four sizes and two paint schemes. The unpainted aluminum lures are known as the Fish Phantom Float and the Yellow (gold spotted) lures are known as Yellowbirds. The sizes start with the small single hook Trout size model and work their way up to the large Musky size. I would have to guess that the other two would be considered Bass and Pike sizes. As old as these are, they would not be considered uncommon, although the boxes rarely turn up. Some examples of these very early lures and their boxes are shown below.
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Hinckley Pike Size Silverbird and Box. / c.1897
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Hinckley Baby Phantom Yellowbird and Box. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Baby Phantom Float and Box with Paperwork. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Baby Phantom Yellowbird and Box. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Baby Phantom Float and Box. / c.
1897
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Hinckley Silver Bird Fish Phantom and Box. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Silver Bird Fish Phantom. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Musky Size Silverbird and Box. / c. 1897
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Single Hook Fish Phantom. / c. 1897
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Hinckley Yellow Bird Fish Phantom and Box. / c. 1897
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Jacob Hansen-Adolph Arntz / Muskegon, Michigan
Jacob Hansen invented and patented the Michigan Lifelike Minnow in 1908, and it is known that they were distributed through Adolph Arntz, an early sporting goods dealer from Muskegon, Michigan. These are found in both three and five hook configurations. They are nearly always found with paint condition issues, and to find one in excellent condition doesn't happen very often. He is also known for inventing and manufacturing the Muskegon Spoon Jack Minnow. It has been found in many different varieties and from what I have seen, it is hard to find two that look alike. They all have the predominent large spoon at the nose and came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Also of importance is the "Pull Me Slow" lure that also sports a very large front prop. All of the examples of this lure that I have seen have had a red head and white body. All of Hansen's lures are considered quite rare, and the boxes are few and far between. A few examples of these very unique antique lures are shown below.
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Michigan Life-Like 3-hook Minnow (unpainted). / c. 1908
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Michigan Life-Like 3-hook Minnow. / c. 1908
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Muskegon Spoon Jack Minnow. / c.1920
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Michigan Life-Like 3-hook Minnow. / c. 1908
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H.C. Kaufman & Company / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The H.C. Kaufman Company seems to have began around 1903. Sometime in the late 1910's it became known as the Pequea Works. It is best known for the Harkauf Minnows and the Harkauf Plug Bait (a rotary head wood plug similar to the globe). Earliest versions had painted eyes and rather crude tri-bladed propellors. Later versions had yellow glass eyes and bowtie props. They are found in single, three, and 5 hook configurations. Harkauf also produced a very unusual trout and bass size minnow that had a fly attached in front of the nose, as well as a metal bass spinner. These are very desirable lures to the collector, and few examples are shown below.
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Harkauf Wooden Minnow. / c. 1904
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Reliance Wooden Minnow and Wood Box. mfg. by Harkauf. / c. 1905
Harkauf Underwater Minnow. / c. 1905
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Harkauf Underwater Minnow. / c. 1905
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Keller / Rochester, Indiana
Meyers-Spellman / Shelby, Michigan
These two lure companies are very confusing, to me at least, and I believe there are still a lot of mysteries concerning these old baits yet to be discovered. Aside from the fact that their names are stamped on their backs, they are very similar and very hard to tell apart. One being made in Michigan and the other being made in Indiana is the general concensus of many experts, and only distinguishable difference I can find. It is really difficult on the lures that have no markings, although they do share hardware and styles that make it fairly easy for one to class into this group. Some of the unmarked lures do seem to vary in body style, and have a folk art look to them with paint schemes that are fairly recognisable. Some examples of these peculiar antique lures can be seen below.
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Keller 3-hook Minnow. / c. 1916
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Keller 3-hook Minnow & Gets-Em (bottom). / c. 1916
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Meyers and Spellman Bait. / c. 1914
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K & K Manufacturing Company / Toledo, Ohio
This small company from Toledo, Ohio began in 1907 or earlier by J.D. Kreisser. He produced only a few lures and they are very significant to antique lure collectors. Those being the K&K Minnow, The Minnoette, and the Ghost. The first two are jointed and are possibly the first jointed fishing lures ever designed. At some point in time they started being produced in Boston, Massachusetts by William Bead & Sons. I do not any details of the connection. They are very hard to find in any condition, and most that are found have serious paint issues. Those that do have all of the paint on them are very difficult to find. Once again poor or no priming took it's toll on these ancient fishing lures. A few examples of these old lures are shown below.
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K&K Minnoette. / c. 1907
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K&K Minnoette. / c. 1907
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K&K Animated Minnow. / c. 1907
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K&K Minnoette. / c.1907
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K&K Animated Minnow. / c. 1907
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C.W. Lane Manufacturing Company / Madrid, New York
This small lure manufacturer dates back to 1913 when Charles W. Lane patented his Lanes Automatic Minnow. He developed several lures and harnesses but his most significant were the "Automatic Minnow" and the later "Wonder Wagtail Wonders" which were patented much later in 1920. I am aware of two sizes of this minnow and the baby version is very scarce. A few examples of Lanes fishing lures are shown below.
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Lane's Wonder Wagtail Wobbler. / c. 1924
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Lane's "Baby" Wonder Wagtail Wobbler. / c. 1924
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Lane's Wonder Wagtail Wobbler. / c. 1924
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E.J. Lockhart Company / Galesburg, Michigan
This small lure company began in 1909 when E.J. Lockhart patented the Wagtail Witch. This small business personifies the term "mom & pop" shop, as he and his wife partnered and produced these fascinating old lures together. Some other lures that he is noted for inventing are the Water Wasp, Water Wizard, the Jersey Skeeter, and the Wobbler Wizard. Some examples of this lure and box are shown below.
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Lockhart Pollywog (top), 2 & 3 hook Wagtail Witch Lures, and a Eureka Wobbler (bottom). / c. 1915
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Lockhart's Wagtail Witch and Box. / c. 1909
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Three Lockhart Lures and Box. / c. 1909
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Oscar C. Schaefer / Racine, Wisconsin
Oscar C. Schaefer started developing his line of Turbulent Lures in the late 1940's. A short lived production, but during that time he managed to produce a whole myriad of hand carved and painted lures very unique by nature. At least eleven lures in eight color combinations grace this platter. These are very fascinating fishing lures and must have been a sight to see buzzing through the water. And, as these were invented in Wisconsin Musky country, I'm sure that plenty of Muskies had there attention provoked by these curiositys. A few examples of these elaborite antique lures and boxes are shown below.
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Turbulent Lure and Intro Box. / c. 1946
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Turbulent Lures and Intro Box. / c. 1946
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Turbulent Lure and Intro Box. / c. 1946
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Outing Manufacturing Company / Elkhart, Indiana
The Outing Manufacturing Company was originally founded by Clarence L. Dewey of Elkhart, Indiana in 1923. Lasting only four short years, it was then purchased by James Heddon and Son's of Dowagiac, Mich. in 1927. In it's brief period of existence, Outing sold several very interesting lures, some of them made of hollow bronze. Some of these lures include the Du-Getum, the Bassy Getum, the Pikey Getum, the Floater Getum, the Feather Getum, the Porky Getum, the Bucky Getum, and the Lucky Getum. The company was also known for selling many other hunting, fishing, and camping supplies as can be seen by the very large catalog inserts that came with their boxed lures. Some examples of these old lures and boxes are shown below.
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Outing's Feather Getum with Early Box. / c. 1925
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Outing's Du Getum and Box. / c. 1925
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Dewey's Du Getum with Intro Box. / c. 1923
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Outing's Du Getum and Box. / c. 1925
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Outing's Bassy Getum and Box. / c. 1926
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Wise Sportsman Supply / Chicago, Illinois
The Jim-Dandy Lure was originally invented by Henry H. Schillinger from Paw Paw, Michigan in the form of hand carved and painted lures. Patent was granted and he then sold the rights to the Wise Sportsman's Supply Company from Chicago, Illinois in 1915. For the next decade, the company manufactured three different lures and then sold the rights to the William Shakespeare Company. The Jim Dandy Single Spinner and Double Spinner are very scarce lures and difficult to find. All three of the examples of this companies lures and boxes are shown below.
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Wise Jim Dandy Wobbler and Box. / c. 1915
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Wise Jim Dandy Double Spinner and Box. / c. 1915
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Wise Jim Dandy Single Spinner and Box. / c. 1915
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F.C. Woods and Company / Alliance, Ohio
Franklin C. Woods patented his Expert Minnow in 1903. He is also known for patenting the detachable treble hooks that Expert Minnows are most commonly known for. Woods Experts are known for their blunted bow-tie style propellors having holes drilled in them (earliest version are found that are not drilled), and their small yellow eyes. He was also somehow associated with Charles C. Schaffer, another partner in the Expert family tree. Woods Experts were sold in wood slide top boxes and also cardboard boxes. He eventually sold his rights to Fred C. Keeling of Rockford, Illinois in 1914. Expert Minnows are very popular among antique lure collectors. Some examples of these early lures and boxes are shown below.
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F.C. Woods 3-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 5-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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Early Flatside Woods 3-hook Expert Minnow. Economy line version sometimes known as the Patent Model. / c. 1903
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F.C.Woods 5-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 3-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 3-hook Round Body Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 5-Hook Round Body Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 5-hook Expert Minnow with Wood Box. / c. 1903
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Early Holzworth 5-hook Expert Minnow. No holes drilled in props.
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F.C. Woods 5-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 5-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 5-hook Round Body Expert Minnow and Box. / c. 1903
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F.C. Woods 3-hook Expert Minnow. / c. 1903
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F.G Worden / South Bend, Indiana
Specialty Manufacturing Company / Goshen, Indiana
F.G. Worden began making his fishing lures from his kitchen in the late 1800's until 1906 when his business grew large enough to move to a local hardware store. By 1909 he sold out to three stock investors who then formed The South Bend Bait Company. This company grew to be one of the major fishing tackle contenders of the twenieth century. Some examples of these very significant and important early fishing lures are shown below.
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Ketch-Em Minnow. / c. 1905
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Worden Wooden Minnow. / c. 1905
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Worden Underwater Minnow (top) & Worden Bucktail Minnow (bottom). / c. 1905
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Worden Weedless Surface Minnow. / c. 1908
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Worden Spinner Bait. / c. 1905
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Yipsilanti Bait Company / Hillsdale, Michigan
It is believed that this early Michigan lure company began in 1909 and lasted until 1920. It seems that the earliest models had no eyes and blunted props centered with red painted indentations. Most that are found have painted eyes and a sponged type painted color scheme. Some of the latest versions that I am familiar with do have glass eyes and are very similar to the earliest slender bodied South Bend Surf-Orenos. The earliest Yipsi Minnows that I have seen, have soldered washers on the screw eyes which hold the belly hook. This would prevent the hooks from swinging into the lure body. As with many other lures of this time period, poor or no priming lead to severe paint issues. Unfortunately they are rarely found with all of the paint on them. Some examples of these fascinating old lures are shown below.
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Ypsilanti Minnow / c. 1909
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Three stages of the Ypsilanti development / c. 1909
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Ypsilanti Minnow / c. 1909
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