In this article, we continue to discuss the countless lures that have left their mark in fishing history. From one-offs to some tried and true, once mass-produced baits that have unfortunately fallen out of public view. They still catch fish just as well as lures popular today, you just haven’t heard of them..yet.

The Moonlight Floating Bait was the first glow-in-the-dark topwater lure introduced in 1909 by The Moonlight Bait Company. It was marketed as a self-glowing night fishing bait that could be used for trolling but better for casting. As long as the lure had been exposed to a good amount of natural or artificial light, the Floating Bait would emit a clear white light that would last all night long and could even aid in locating a lost rod and reel if it fell overboard--unless a fish got to it first.

The Shakespeare Revolution hit the market in 1902 and was made of hollow six inch long segmented metal tubes with three treble hooks and two propellers. One of the first prop baits created, The Revolution was originally marketed as a musky lure, however, anglers quickly realized this lure caught bass and
other types of gamefish particularly if worked in depths of three to ten feet outside of weed lines and lily pads.

The lure that began one of the most successful and legendary companies today was a single-bladed spinnerbait. Simply called the “Strike King” bass lure, this small spinnerbait was manufactured by Bill McEwen in his garage in Memphis, TN. This lure was so successful that Charles Spence bought McEwen Tackle Company two years later in 1966 and rebranded it as Strike King Lure Company. The rest, they say, is history. 

Stay tuned as we will continue to explore more fascinating stories of lures from the past next month.