Origins of our most popular lures

[Andrew Susani]

I was wondering if anyone knew where the common shapes of the more famous GT lures actually started from. 

For example, there are multiple manufacturers of the classic Cubera shape, but who was the first?  Who made the first big pencil popper, and who made the first floating stickbaits?

[Gavin Chau]

I'm pretty sure stick baits originated in the american freshwater scene... Not sure about poppers

[Bill Amaral]

You may find this site of some interest. http://shorelinebt.com/id3.html

I suspect that many of the GT and Tuna lures evolved from these early efforts targeting Striped Bass. Of interest is in the authors prelude where he states: "By the mid 1930's there were individuals making their own versions of the freshwater and saltwater lures in larger sizes, with stronger hooks and hardware. Some even started to "thru" wire their lures for added strength." Perhaps there is the origin of through wired lures. Also of interest, at least to me, is why the metal lipped (bibbed) lures so prevalent for striped bass with their slow alluring wiggle never made the transition to the southern seas. All this of course is pure conjecture on my part.

Bill

[Brandon Khoo]

I reckon those antiques would still catch fish today!

[Gavin Chau]

probably would - even with all the technology in lures today, you can't honestly look at a stickbait and tell me that it doesn't still look like a piece of wood!

the classic striped bass lures like the Superstrike darter have an action thats pretty close to an orion bigfoot - that same lazy half dead fish action (although the bigfoots outcast them by 2X or so though!)

[Nathan Tsao]

Hello, as Gavin already said, there really arent any lures made today that dont have a predecessor from early bass fishing lures. Everything that we use today for GT's can be traced back to the late 1800's-early 1900's. Poppers, stickbaits, pencils, and divers all started as small handcarved lures used to catch largemouth and smallmouth.   

[Charles Cintron]

I took this pic a while ago and found it again.

Top lure GT fishing: PD Atomic Pile

Bottom Lure Bass Fishing: Devils Horse

Besides the missing prop on the front of the PD and the extra treble looks the same to me lol!

[Mark Harris]

Nice one Charles!

Is there anyone who actually uses Matsutani's propeller lure?  I have always been too embarrassed  .

On a more serious note, it is bloody difficult to come up with a completely original lure design and huge kudos to those designers who do.

[Brandon Khoo]

Its a bit of a rort to have to keep replacing the propeller at something like $20 a replacement 

[Chris Young]

On a more serious note, it is bloody difficult to come up with a completely original lure design and huge kudos to those designers who do.

Unfortunately good designs don't allways sell, not all designers have got the marketing dollars to back the product. Specially so in our sport where sales are pushed by exposure on the internet. Retailers tend to push the latest and greatest...more so if the $ margin is good. Without mass producing a product it becomes even harder to compete