Fishing is a popular recreational hobby. Some people fish for sport, others fish for food. Antique fishing lures are still used for fishing, but most are collected. Highly collectible antique fishing lures are worth up to a few hundred dollars apiece, pre-1900 lures being the most valuable. Fishing lure companies from this time period are Henry Loftie, John Mann, Riley Haskell Minnow and WD Chapman. The post-1900 companies are James Heddon, William Shakespeare Jr., Creek Chub, South Bend, Pflueger and Moonlight and Paw Paw.
Instructions to Identify Antique Fishing Lures
- Look over the antique fishing lure. On the pre-1900 lures, many are made from old wood, un-glossed and not painted in bright colors. There may be an aluminum-only finish. Check for the characteristic acorn body, meaning the shape of the lure is similar to an acorn, especially toward the head of the lure.
- Check the finish on a post-1900 fishing lure. Many made after 1900 will be carved and painted to look like tiny bait fish; a popular color being strawberry with a black spotted finish. Other colors that were used include lime green, yellow, and red. These colors may be solid and have an airbrush appearance, and they also may be a solid color with a spotted finish similar to the highly collectible strawberry spot finish types.
- Go to antique stores and inquire about vintage copies of old fishing magazines. Often old fishing magazines will have ads for fishing lures from that time period in which the magazine was printed.
- Look at the pictures of old lures in the magazine. Look at online auctions under antique fishing lures. Research antique fishing lures in value guidebooks such as "Old Fishing Lures & Tackle: Identification & Value Guide" by Carl F. Luckey and Tim Watts.
