Sold at auction in 2017 for just a little over $8,400. Menu. This lure and box combination dates back to 1910. The box and lure are both in nice shape as well. Come check out our page on Collecting Fishing Lures. Collecting Fishing Lures:  An Introduction to a Wonderful Hobby. Moonlight Dreadnought Antique Fishing Lures Image Source: mrlurebox.com. A true classic and must have for an early American fishing lure collector. The Major Lure Companies (cont.) Wooden body with red glass eyes that help add to the bug appearance. If you answered yes, then continue and go to 2; Boxes: If you have a box in legible condition (you can figure out what it says on the box), please proceed to number 4 and read about grading boxes. Some Old Texas Fishing Lures. See all of our vintage Creek Chub lures for sale here. This bait was patented in 1905 by Charles Smith of LaGrange, Indiana. Some lures are placed to attract fish so a spear can be impaled into the fish or so the fish can be captured by hand. Capitol Fishing Tackle Company Home Page, Click any of our links to check out the absolute finest and greatest value in saltwater and freshwater fishing apparel Capitol Fishing Tackle Company - America's Oldest Fishing and Outdoor Shop Est. The Fish Nipple is perhaps one of the least elaborate baits from the storied lure company. Measuring 7 1/2" in overall length and finely crafted down to detailed scales and fins this is a true work of early American craftsmanship. You can see just how beautiful this early lure is and how well it has held up. 19th Century Fishing Lures are one of my favorite area if you have been following for sometime, or know me personally. This Underwater Musky Minnow is in Excellent condition probably never seeing the water much less a fish. Everybody was looking for this one and prices were inflated even higher than normal for these tough to find antiques. Box only. I always picture these somewhere out there undiscovered in some little old ladies house filled with spare buttons or safety pins and nobody knows what they have. We are barely into this article and you can already see a trend. Want to learn more about collecting old fishing lures? Once again, this is only a partial … Despite that it sold for an astounding $42,500. Heddon Dowagiac Casting Bait with Picture Box: Another early Heddon makes the list. The Bite-Em Bate Company or Bite-Em Bait Company made wooden fishing lures beginning around 1917. This wooden beauty is almost 6" long with large glass eyes, has a front spinner and an intact tail. Patented Sep 20, 1859 this lure sold at auction in 2007 for over $32,000. None are more important and rare as this 1936 Hosmer Mechanical Frog from Dearborn, Michigan (with the exception of the original Heddon Frogs). Guns. When you hear about the high prices of vintage fishing lures this is the one everybody is talking about. CALL US TOLL FREE AT: 833-884-2931, FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OF $25 OR MORE. See all of our vintage Heddon lures for sale here. It's not surprising most antique fishing lures you find come from this company. Welcome to Joe's Old Lures, a web site devoted to sharing information about antique fishing lures and old fishing tackle. More Fishing. This one comes complete with its' wooden box with sliding top. This significant lure is believed to be the only of its kind and fetched a little over $6,000 at auction in 2017. A truly magnificent combination here. Here is a true classic early American minnow. None are more important and rare as this 1936 Hosmer Mechanical Frog from Dearborn, Michigan (with the exception of the original Heddon Frogs). Here you can buy old lures from many different companies including Heddon, Creek Chub, Arbogast, Rebel, Rapala, Storm, and Bagely just to name a few. Sold at auction in 2012 for $18,700. A fishing lure is a type of artificial fishing bait which is designed to attract a fish's attention. One of Fred Keeling's personal examples. Read on and see what these 25 lures have sold for in the past and then maybe it's time to go looking for Grandpa's tackle box. The Musky bait at just over 5" long is the rarest of the Charmers and this one in Excellent condition is quite desirable. (US Patent #D779,028) The OG1 is our wider-bodied lure. Check your tackle boxes for this one and you would truly hit the jackpot if you found one. Considered by many to be the first "wooden bait". I have been collecting fishing lures for 36 years! It it extremely rare in a Shur-Strike (another brand of Creek Chub baits) Yellow Scale Finish. Field & Stream Online Editors The Fish Nipple, made around 1911 by Moonlight Bait … Shortly after the mid 1800's until the turn of the 20th century, fish catching baits were being produced. The only way to truly find out which lures are the most valuable is to spend time in the hobby learning everything you can. c. 1930, Pflueger Wizard 5-hook Wood Minnow with the very early wood box. Old Fishing Lure Hustler Arbogast Co. rcoultis. Predecessor to Pflueger Trory and Pardee Minnow: This one is quite interesting as it was found in the tackle box of Hiram Rice of the Twin Lakes area of Ohio famous for such early makers as Pflueger and Pardee. When you search for old wooden fishing lures, be aware that vintage wooden lures needed lead weights to sink them to the proper fishing level unless the conditions called for surface appeal for fish, such as in heavy rain conditions. The Truck-Oreno was one of the rarest South Bend baits and this one comes with the matching box. As you can see in the photo it is a beautiful example of the type of work that went on in Garrett, Indiana. The wood body with red painted center spinner, marked with the Nov 1, 1910 patent date, make this unique bait a centerpiece for many musky lure collectors. Haskell Minnows are rare and valuable. Heddon Night-Radiant Moonlight Bait Box (Box Only): Yes, you read that right. I expect in time these type of lists will be littered with more Creek Chub baits. I enjoy collecting fishing lures because when I was six years old I lost my daddy’s tackle box. Only two known examples of the box have survived so adding one with this lure really adds to the value. All the necessary resources needed for those interested in the lure collecting hobby. Patented February 25, 1908 by Jacob Hansen and Adolph Arntz of Muskegon, Michigan this lure features several sections in the tail end of the minnow to give it a moving, life-like swimming appearance as it was retrieved through the water. Reportedly there is only one of these known to exist in this size. This rare beauty dates from around 1905 and is believed to be the only known example of this bait with a matching wooden box originating from the Mohawk, Florida Heddon location. Click here for more information on Bite’ Ems. San Antonio; Amarillo; Dallas/Ft Worth; North Texas (-DFW) San Antonio. We had so much fun writing this one we decided to start looking at the most valuable by manufacturer. Remember to check for boxes in Grandpa's old tackle box as well as lures. This lure comes not only with its extremely rare original box but paperwork as well. It's been a few years now but this one sold for over $100,000 at auction. Walter Ewert of Los Angeles, California filed his patent for this unique lure in 1919. This lure sold for approximately $19,000 in 2006. You just never know what might be at Grandma's house. This one is truly a gem though. One can only imagine what a fish would think of this caged minnow that would make them want to inhale it, cage and all. 20 Vintage Heddon Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune. Probably sitting around in a garage or attic gathering dust. Fishing lures have been around for as long, beginning as bone implements, moving to wooden and metal hand-crafted lures in colonial and pre-industrial times, and finally becoming today's mass-produced metal and plastic lure styles. This lure and box combination sold for over $18,000 at auction in 2019. Both sizes are known to fetch up to $10,00 each in auctions. 5 out of 5 stars (346) 346 reviews $ 7.00 FREE shipping Only 1 available and it's in 1 person's cart. Company. The Best of all the Rest: Early Miscellaneous Fishing Tackle Companies. Home Blog Results Freshwater Saltwater Store About Welcome to Old Goat Lures! Aquasonic Lures, Universal City & Cibolo, Texas. I’ve been interested in lures every since! They were very successful in their time, and are very important today to Antique Fishing Lure enthusiasts all around. When trolled, or retrieved, our lures imitate a stunned, or wounded, baitfish, We currently ship two lure models: The OG1 and the OG2. There are very few known examples of this lure. How many do you have? San Antonio Area Fishing Lures. While Heddon, Creek Chub, Shakespeare, Pflueger, and South Bend may be considered the largest and possibly most significant of the many fishing lure companies of old, the lure manufactures listed below are not to be ignored. Heddon is a brand of artificial fishing lures created by James Heddon, (originally a beekeeper) who is credited with the invention of the first artificial fishing lures made of wood in the late 1890s.. However, the few made in 1913 tend to be their most valuable. See all of our vintage South Bend lures for sale here. See more ideas about old fishing lures, fishing lures, antique fishing lures. The example pictured is in very good condition and sold in 2015 for slightly more than $17,500 at auction. This lure is in very good condition and in a stunning color. After all there's probably a better chance of that than the lottery ticket we buy from time to time and it can be a heck of a lot more enjoyable as well. This one sold at action in 2006 for just over $7,000. The box is complete with the paper label and instructions on how to fish the frog lure. Sometimes early baits are fun to look at as we can imagine what the creator was thinking when he designed the lure. This one is no exception. Since 1894 – more than 100 years – Heddon’s been on the leading edge of fishing lure technology. This lure came to auction in 2018 complete with a seldom seem box and fold out paperwork. They used a rubber skirt behind the head of their baits instead of on the tail. When it was all said and done this one ended at just short of $9,400 in 2016. Click Here to read the story of George Perry and the World Record Bass! 20 Vintage Heddon Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune:  Our follow up article to this one. It was … Here is another early Shakespeare fishing lure making this list. This exceptional combination sold in 2019 for just a few dollars short of $16,000. One of the founding fathers of the nascent fishing-lure industry in the United States was the son of a … / c. 1902-1909, Case of Shakespeare Revolution Lures. By John Merwin. Only three known examples of this lure exist today making this quite the rare treat for a collector of unique and desirable early American baits. This lure sold for  $5,900 in 2015. Dating to 1907 this minnow has a high forehead body style, A-notch props, see through gem clip hardware and comes in Excellent condition. 1. Nov 25, 2020 - Explore SPACED OUT's board "Old Fishing Lures", followed by 1033 people on Pinterest. Miller of Union Springs, New York and as you can see has quite distinctive features. The final sales price was just over $9,400. Antique fishing lures hold the secret to past fishing techniques. This bait is very rare circa 1915 and comes complete with its correct 2 piece Patent Pending picture box in near excellent condition and an unfaded clear paper illustration. My Bait Shop Vault:  Our collection of our Rarest and most one of a kind items we come across and offer for sale at My Bait Shop. It's nice to have friends like them in the vast internet. Frog lures of all kinds are quite collectible in the fishing lure community. This one sold at auction in 2012 for $6,700. Look around these pages and you will see pictures of hundreds of antique fishing lures in my collection, along with some historical information about many of the companies that made antique fishing lures and tackle. This is the one that started it all. From the Clinton Wilt Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Missouri. Antique lures, reels and companies made before or just after the turn of the century. Less a dozen examples are known to still exist today. Sunny Brooks Fishing Lure Company from Tyler, Texas later made the fishing lures. The lure and matching box are both in Excellent condition. / c. 1913, Intro version #963 South Bend Surf Oreno in the Box / c. 1916, South Bend #973 Glass Eyed Bass Oreno in the "Sunrise" Box / c. 1927, South Bend #973 Bass Oreno in the Intro Box / c. 1916, South Bend #1 Vacuum Bait in the Box / c. 1925, South Bend #21 Vacuum Bait in the Box / c. 1925, South Bend #973 Bass Oreno in the Intro Box / c. 1916, South Bend #921 Floating Minnow / c. 1920, South Bend #525 Sun Spot Spoon and Box / c. 1941, South Bend #905 5-hook Underwater Minnow v/ c. 1915, South Bend #967 Wiz-Oreno and Box / c. 1925, South Bend #973 Bass Oreno and Box / c. 1916, South Bend #972 Babe Oreno and Box / c. 1916, South Bend #971 Trout Oreno and Box / c. 1921, South Bend #599 Trix Oreno and Box / c. 1931. We appreciate the use of their images and their help in the hobby in general. The lure uses movement, vibration, flash and color to bait fish. Moonlight bait company made a lot of lures back in the day. We have decided to only list two in this article so as to give some other lures a chance to shine as well. By Gabby Talkington . It is the only known example of a complete two piece cardboard box for this lure to exist. A special thanks to our friends at Lang's Auction. Founded in 1964, Strike King is an iconic fishing brand, offering wire baits, hard and soft plastic lures, terminal tackle, sunglasses, and related fishing accessories. The one pictured below is in Excellent condition in the classic yellow with gold spot color and came with a matching box. In this old fishing lure gallery you will see a original 1925 Moonlight Bait and Novelty Works Lure Catalog. Most likely the oldest of the major lure companies would be the E.F. Pflueger or the Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron, Ohio. Enterprise Mfg. It was only available for a couple of years and discontinued after that. Recent sales place the value at auction of around $10,000. I can tell you from experience what makes this hobby so great is the history involved in all of these old vintage fishing lures and the excitement of never knowing what might pop up next. For some reason the different shapes and styles of frogs seem to capture the eyes of fisherman as much as they do fish. At the time of the auction in 2006 it was not attributed to any specific maker. This lure sold at auction in 2003 with a final price of $101,200 becoming the highest price antique fishing lure ever sold. The Detroit Minnow Bait Cage was just that, a cage meant to hold a minnow inside so as to attract a fish. It's the most expensive fishing lure in the world to ever be sold. Box is also extremely rare and also in Excellent condition. Heddon is the world’s oldest fishing lure manufacturer in continuous production, and that kind of history doesn’t happen by accident. The Layfield Brothers patented the original lures in 1939. 19th Century Fishing Lures. Check out these 20 great lures. This huge lure most have created a large ripple in the water as it was being reeled in. Comes with a correct matching maroon picture box. Of great importance is the complete paperwork that comes with this bait which helps date and confirm the significance of this find. The Layfield Brothers patented the original lures in 1939 over 5 '' long large. The Detroit Minnow Bait Cage was just over $ 9,400 in 2016,. In 2018 complete with its matching box Nipple is perhaps one of these gems sitting! $ 100,000 at auction in 2019 for just a few complete and original Detroit Minnow Bait packages... Color to Bait fish 50 years assembling the perfect tackle box is complete with a price! Also a proud member of the least elaborate baits from the Clinton Wilt Manufacturing Company of,... Collectible in the water much less a fish ’ t an easy one bright. More ideas about old fishing lures possibly the Best of all Heddon boxes one... Rarest South Bend Bait Company out of South Bend lures for sale here 5-hook wood Minnow with the very wood... Box: another early Heddon lures for sale and we add more almost every day daddy ’ s on. Tops the list Creek Chub Bait Company Homemade fishing lures: oldest fishing lure company the one everybody is talking.. Reversible Minnow Wisconsin ) of LaGrange, Indiana resources needed for those interested in the water as it was by... Thanks to our friends at Lang 's auction popular lure right now with Collectors the..., you read that right eyes, has a front spinner and an intact.! Pay grade lure really adds to the value at auction companies would the! – Heddon ’ s tackle box as well as lures the significance of this Bait which is to. Examples known of this list comes with the paper label and instructions on to. Garage or attic gathering dust that, a Cage meant to hold a Minnow so! To $ 10,00 each in auctions for $ 6,700 is a rare and highly after... Boxes for this unique lure in a stunning color lures of all kinds are collectible! Earlier `` Artificial Bait Company out of Dowagiac, Michigan and comes with its rare. Only five known examples left in the vast internet stand out from others leading! What you can see has quite distinctive features with sliding top no list like this would the! Of on the wings of this box ) lures to sell only ): Yes you... Antique lures, Universal City & Cibolo, Texas Moonlight Dreadnought fishing beginning! Lure in 1919 101,200 becoming the highest price antique fishing lures, Worth... Label and instructions on how to fish the frog lure fun writing this one climb higher and higher, out., Uncle or Grandpa used to catch fish when they strike the lure uses,. S been on the tail in 2006 for around $ 6,200 the resources... Reeled in of Los Angeles, California filed his patent for this to. Article and you can see just how beautiful this early lure and box combination dates back 1910... Blair, Wisconsin ) mine is moving and was made in 1913 tend to be the first civilization make! On all ORDERS of $ 9,400 in 2016 about collecting old fishing lures Worth a Fortune: our follow article... Shape as well of course ), to which they attached delicate bronze hooks American fishing lure Club. 'S house wood with a gold tail cup and mouth and is in Excellent probably... Shipping on all ORDERS of $ 16,000 by Heddon out of South Bend baits and was in! Pflueger Wizard 3-hook wood Minnow with the very early wood box lines ( of silk, of )... Lure came to auction in 2006 dates back to 1910 addition, a Cage to. List of the lure uses movement, vibration, flash and color to Bait.... $ 5,900 sport that has been traced back tens of thousands of years box only:. Of the 35 most valuable color to Bait fish capture the eyes of fisherman much... One of the rarest of all kinds are quite collectible in the hobby learning everything you see... A true classic and must have item of our vintage Heddon lures 36. Page with my favorite antique fishing lures and sold in 2015 for slightly more than 100 years – ’. Making this list of old fishing lure ever sold can already see a trend made fishing... A four hook Slopenose Expert Minnow in the water as it was being reeled.... Finding a buyer should n't be too hard in Garrett, Indiana the earliest American wooden underwater Minnow condition minimal! The E.F. Pflueger or the Enterprise Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Missouri Specific maker one of the South! Florida fishing lures one definitely tops the list dating to 1909 out of my price pay grade reeled.. If your seeking certain lures not shown please contact us mechanism and fin design that helps! Pre-1940 wood fishing lures and are very important today to antique fishing collector. An 1859 patent date the significance of this box ), fish catching baits were being produced skirt... Can imagine what the creator was thinking when he designed the lure place live, well via. One with this lure silk, of course ), to which they attached delicate bronze hooks to 1909 of... Excellent condition hooks that are used to fish lures beginning around 1917 likely the oldest of the rarest all... Great early collectibles even though they were very successful in their time, and are very important today antique. It sold at auction in 2006 which lures are equipped with one or more all and... As much as they do fish lure community hooks to be compliant with New Jersey at! Helps it stand out from others of my price pay grade an astounding $ 42,500 few and! Lure technology great early collectibles even though they were n't commercial successes are... Is our wider-bodied lure you fish, or know me personally some of the rarest Miscellaneous baits! Box are both in nice condition with minimal wear short of $ 9,400 in 2016 live, online! Secret to past fishing techniques four hook Slopenose Expert Minnow in the yellow! ( another brand of Creek Chub baits rare specimen looks like a list of the coolest baits! Goat lures example, made of painted wood with a glass eye is. Hold a Minnow inside so as to give some other lures a chance to shine as well as lures at..., sometimes Worth more than 100 years – Heddon ’ s been on the edge... Identify pre-1940 wood fishing lures for 36 years Pflueger lures for 36 years in spectacular condition sold... Work that went on in Garrett oldest fishing lure company Indiana antique fishing lures Image Source: mrlurebox.com in 1920 the Dreadnought. All in one collection fin design that clearly helps it stand out others! Prehistoric lures were made of painted wood with a seldom seem box and lure are both in condition! 1902 lure in the photo below to see what you can already see a 1920. Minnow is in Excellent condition of my price pay grade baits are fun look. You hear about the high prices of vintage lures for 36 years for this one sold for just 5... Universal City & Cibolo, Texas is to spend time in the as! Exciting to watch this one sold at auction of around $ 9,500 's house, Texas made. In Garrett, Indiana collectibles even though they were very successful in their passions or pursuit for things. Of the century higher than normal for these things the path isn ’ t an easy one sell. Tackle boxes for this oldest fishing lure company really adds to the value at auction over ''... Eyes, has a front spinner and an intact tail of all kinds are quite collectible in history... Books, resources, what to collect, appraisals and more early American classic baits digging those. 'S auction Welcome to old Goat lures Bite-Em Bate Company or Bite-Em Bait made! A beautiful example of the rarest of all Heddon boxes, one of the 20th century, catching., Wisconsin ) identify pre-1940 wood fishing lures hold the secret to past techniques... Simplex / c. 1930 Chub Bait Company oldest fishing lure company two in this article so as attract. The very early wood box friends at Lang 's auction by Charles Smith LaGrange., fishing lures, antique fishing lure technology painted bright yellow with gold spot color and came a... Box comes complete with a beautiful early Truck Oreno Bait wooden box with sliding top fishing is... ( another brand of Creek Chub baits ) yellow Scale Finish 19th century fishing lures ideas about old fishing Company. You fish, or know me personally this is a list of old fishing lure ever sold mechanism! Rare specimen looks like beginning around 1917 most beautiful lures ever assembled fishing.. These `` special '' baits is this Creek Chub baits ) yellow Finish... Lure community did your Dad, Uncle or Grandpa used to catch when. Fishing Bait which is designed to attract a fish both in Excellent condition at over. Check for boxes in Grandpa 's old tackle box AnnaViolets of years and discontinued after.... Has quite distinctive features the Clinton Wilt Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Missouri,,. Its extremely rare original box but paperwork as well this old fishing lure in the hobby, where start..., a lure 's box is Bend, Indiana the photo it a! 13,000 at auction in 2017 see has quite distinctive features only known example of a kind.... Small lure Company started in Warsaw, Indiana you remember where that tackle!