Understanding the Magic of Old Fishing Lures
By: Erwan Go
Timeless appeal that's what people said for old fishing lures or back to simpler time, where small craft product production was the norm. Nostalgia, innovation, and variety make this hobby rewarding.
The Small-Scale Entrepreneur Innovation
In the late 20th century is the golden age of fishing tackle where small lure manufacturers dominated the industry. Some national brands which exist were not really mass marketed like today and because of the lure made in some hardy soul's basement and garage, most lures were regional contraptions. The small lure maker could truly innovate because they don't have to please mass market with discount store. Quirky and strange designs made their way onto shelves of tackle shops and hardware stores.
The Norm of Heavy Lures
It is far from standards lure today, most antique lures are huge and generally heavy and were designed to be cast with the crude level wind reels and stiff rods of the time and usually to fish at top water or ran in shallow water. But with today advent of backlash free reels and modern lines, smaller lures has began to dominate.
Lures That You Looking For
You can find these name stenciled on wooden plug in old tackle box like Arbogast, heddon, Creek Chub and South Bend. Even some of these companies still produced lures until now you still can look for older with larger wood models. For collector it is considered to be more valuable lures with the original box and paperwork.
The Lure Made From
Old fishing plug are made from variety of woods, including basswood and balsa, red and white cedar, and most hardwood can be used. You will find rust on the hooks of older lures unless they were kept dry not like hook today which made with advance technology make them rust resistance.
Finish and Paint
Combination of colored lacquer and followed by a coat of clear are most vintage lures were painted. The variety and ingenuity of the paint pattern have make collecting the older lures more enjoyable aspects. Expert craftsmen applied old plug with color pattern and intricate airbrushed scale. But this old finish might not be good being used regularly and it is better you just keep them for collection and enjoyment off the water.
Tackle Industry Revolution
The explosion of fishing from a cottage industry to a full blown mass market has been found in 1970's. The large catalog houses, bass tournaments and mass market retailers have made lure manufacturing strictly a made overseas proposition. Internet has made some small batch companies get enough of market to survive.
Even modern lures have sharper hooks, better paint and run truer in the water but they lack to romance of their older counterparts. The mystique and nostalgia of small batch won't be equal with the new lures.
Old fishing lures will always popular in the eyes of collectors and the value will steady increase along with the years go by.
Check out my other guide on and fly fishing magazine and bass fishing gear
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