Old fishing lures have timeless appeal. They take one back to a simpler time, where small craft product production was the norm. Innovation, variety and nostalgia make this hobby rewarding.

If you are a fisherman who has come across and old tackle box full of lures, you know the magic that comes from collecting old vintage fishing lures and tackle. Although the old lures may be dusty, even a little rusted, they are artifacts of a simpler time in America.

Innovation Of The Small-Scale Entrepreneur

During the golden age of fishing tackle, the late 20th century, small lure manufacturers dominated the industry. The few national brands that did exist were not really mass-marketed in the sense that we know today. Most lures were regional contraptions, made in some hardy soul’s garage or basement.

Without having to please mass-market discount stores, the small lure maker could truly innovate. Strange and quirky designs made their way onto shelves of hardware stores and tackle shops.

Heavy Lures Were The Norm

Most antique lures are large - huge, in fact by today’s standards. They were designed to be cast with the crude level-wind reels and stiff rods of the time, and were generally heavy, and ran in shallow water, or were fished topwater.

It was not until the advent of modern lines and backlash-free reels that the smaller lures we know today began to dominate.

Lures To Look Out For

When going through the old tackle box, look for wooden plugs with these names stenciled on them: Heddon, Arbogast, South Bend and Creek Chub.

Although you’ll find lures by these companies produced now, look for older, larger wood models. Lures with the original box and paperwork are considered more valuable to collectors.

Lure Materials

Old fishing plugs are made from a variety of woods, including red and white cedar, basswood and balsa, although most any hardwood could be used.

Hook technology was not as advanced as today, and you’ll most likely find rust on the hooks of older lures, unless they were kept dry.

Paint And Finish

Most vintage lures were painted with a combination of colored lacquer, followed by a coat of clear. One of the most enjoyable aspects of collecting the older lures is the variety and ingenuity of the paint patters.

Old plugs might have intricate airbrushed scale and color patterns, applied by expert craftsmen. While still attractive, this old finish probably would not survive being used regularly, so it’s better not the use these lures, but keep them for enjoyment off the water.

Revolution In Tackle Industry

In the 1970’s we saw the explosion of fishing from a cottage industry to a full-blown mass market. Bass tournaments, large catalog houses and mass market retailers have made lure manufacturing strictly a made-overseas proposition.

With the advent of the Internet, some small batch lure companies can get enough of a market to survive.

Modern Lures Aren’t As Much Fun

Although modern lures have better paint, sharper hooks and run truer in the water, they lack to romance of their older counterparts.

No mass-produced product can equal the mystique and nostalgia of the small-batch, custom made lures of the mid-to-late 20th Century.

These lures will always be popular with collectors, and are steadily increasing in value as the years go by.

I hope this article helps everyone understand the magic of antique lure collecting, a hobby that has fascinated anglers for many years.

About the Author

More Antique Fishing info here.

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Fishing rods come in all shapes and sizes, and certainly there is a big difference between salt water fishing rods and fresh water fishing rods. A good fisherman knows that finding the perfect fishing rod is the first step to catching lots of fish. That is to say, a good fishing rod is just as important as the bait used to catch the fish (if not more important). In others words, if you buy a cheap rod your chances of getting consistent and good bites becomes less likely.

Some might think this is because the fishing rod is the arms and hands of the fisherman (well, at least the extension of the arms and hands). It is the way the fisherman communicates with the water and allows the ocean or river or stream to feel his subtle attack, and of course it goes the other way too. In that, I mean the fishing rod helps the fisherman feel the ocean and the rod tells the fisherman everything they should need to know to get acquainted with the currents, aggressiveness of the fish and overall likely-hood of catching a lot of fish or none at all.

The fishing rod at first, like any other tool man uses to provide a means to an end, is going to feel strange, even if it is an expensive rod. This is because it has not become an extension of the fisherman yet. But soon enough, the fisherman knows his rod like the back of his hand, and uses it as he does his own arms and fingers; ever-so gently pulling the line, easing on the reel and creating tension, resistance and slack in order to guide the bait to the desired area (hopefully the fish).

The fishing rod is more an extension of the fisherman in streams and lakes, where the fisherman is always holding on to his rod and using it in many different varieties of water in short periods of time. Ocean fishing rods on the other hand, are going to be more useful simply as a tool for casting and pulling in larger fish. This does not diminish the importance of having a very good rod, on the contrary, it is equally important to have a good salt-water fishing rod as it is a good freshwater fishing rod. The difference has to do with what you should look for in each.

Some of the better freshwater fishing rod companies include Daiwa, G-Loomis, Sage Spinning Rods, Kistler, Frenwick, Rogue, Shimano and e21 freshwater rods.

Some of the more popular saltwater fishing rods include Cape Fear, Penn, Kistler, Fenwick, Star, Bluefin, Star, Shimano, OceanGirl, e21, Accurate Xnergy Boss & SR Rods and the list goes on and on.

No one article can provide even a fraction of all the information needed to purchase that perfect freshwater or saltwater fishing rod. Every rod is different, as every fishing rod company is different as every fisherman has different preferences and requirements.

The most important thing to remember about fishing rods, saltwater or freshwater is that it is important not to go the cheap route, and also to find the perfect fishing rod for your needs. That is to say that you need to do your homework, go out and try these rods in person, talk to your fishing buddies, try out their rods (if they’ll let you) and truly find that rod that becomes an extension of yours arms and fingers and helps you communicate with the water more efficiently.

Above all else, you want your fishing rod to help you feel the water and the currents and be easy to use with all the subtlety necessary to catch fish and have a great time doing it. There is no doubt that fishing is an art form, and having the right paint brush for the job is as important as any other part of the equation. Do your homework and you will find the fishing rod of your dreams in no time at all.

About the Author

John is Webmaster for SaltWaterTackleSite.com. For more information about fishing rods and fishing rod equipment go to SaltWaterTackle.Com

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Its time of the Lindsay Central Exhibition, and I can hear the Truck and Tractor pulling event going on in the distance as I make my casts in this cool September night.  This is the second year that the Lindsay Ex. is being held at its new fairgrounds on the south edge of the town of Lindsay.

I had been been stuck in the house all day today working on another project called Mopeds and Scooters | Save on Gas and felt it was about time I went out for some fresh air. So what if I hadn’t cooked dinner yet.  I had had a late lunch, and a much needed respite was necessary.

It was about 8pm. when I decided to go out and fish, but before that I had to retie my fishing line with a new snaphook - snagged the last hook in the rocks and snapped the line. Anyway it only took a few minutes and I was soon off to try my luck first at the dock.

The moon had not risen yet, as the darkness of night emerges even quicker with every passing day of September.  Cast after cast and not much happening until - fish on!  Not a keeper but a good little fight.  Had to use the pliers to pry out the hook.  A few more casts and then I got bored with this location so my next move was to fish from under the bridge.

Its a steep descent along uneven ground down the river bank at the bridge, and at night a slippery one at that. A little more difficult tonight than usual but I arrived standing up at the large boulders under the bridge at one of my favourite spots.  Next problem was to get properly balanced on the uneven shaped boulders.  Too cool for a dip, especially at night - lol.

Almost an hour had passed from when I first ventured out and no more luck tonight.  By now a bright full moon was rising and it reminded me of my girlfriend who currently happens to be thousands of miles away.  In the past on many a moon-filled night, I composed poems to her and this night with its beautiful full moon, who else could I be thinking of but her :_]

Okay, you want me to get back to the fishing, so, I was using the same hook as tied on earlier, a Mustad size #4, with a 3″ Yum Walleye grub (green body and orange tail) slipped onto it, which helped land the first little fighter this night.  But a rumbling tummy and the thought of having to cook dinnner when I got back to the house, seemed like it was time to quit. However, like most anglers out there, I had to try just a few more times.  Determined to catch something better, I changed the Walleye Grub with a 3″ white original scent Berkely PowerBait Power Grub.  I used to have lots of success with this and hoped that the same would be the case tonight.  Thank goodness my persistence was rewarded.  Casting close to the shoreline, trying hard not to get snagged in the bull-rushes, I hooked on to a good fighter.  A few minutes of whining reel, and nicely bowed rod, I saw the keeper of the night.  A lovely walleye, weighing in at 3lbs. and 17″ long.

Alright, now you were hoping that as a good catch and release kind of guy (fish that is) I would have spared this walleye and thrown it back into the Scugog for another day. Hey, remember I mentioned that I hadn’t cooked dinned yet, so what better reason than to keep it - if you know what I mean?

With my girlfriend so far away, the next best thing for me to do was to spend it outside with the moon, memories of her, and a good fish on the line.

Happy fishing in the Kawarthas!

So close to home there lives an organization that gives many an angler the best opportunity to make their fishing in the kawarthas expedition a successful one. When one considers the many types of fishing products to stock, in order to look the perfect angler, how difficult it must finally be to figure out what accessory is to dangle at the end of the fishing line to catch that fish. Over 2000 different colours and sizes are available from this one organization.

Spoons, spinners, wobblers, not accessories that dangle above a kiddies cradle but the magic that can often make the difference between small, medium or large fish that is (after all we are talking about fish, eh!)

Technology never stands still, even in the quest for the best fishing lure and from wooden to metal to plastic, lures have evolved in a stupendous variety of shapes and sizes, colours and hues, all bending, twisting and emulating the very prey every fish awaits to be enticed towards.

Again so close to home our enterprizing organization keeps afloat of the best, producing a selection to make your expedition an enjoyable and hopefully successful one. Their knowledge and relationship with fishing enthusiasts has maintained their recognition and respect among anglers across North America, assuring themselves continual growth in the future.

The future of fishing will be dependent on companies and anglers that practice live release procedures and utilize environmentally friendly products to conserve and preserve the natural resources and their inhabitants.