Last week’s Antique Tackle & Other Old Things produced some nice comments and questions. Two of the questions asked, why we did not have a picture of the handmade aluminum tackle box that F. P. Smith made years ago.

Submitted photo

Wood jointed jitterbug lure made by the Fred Arbogast Company.

Submitted photo

A heavy gauge aluminum tackle box with three fold trays made by Mr. Smith. Note how the tow handles come together for a better grip.

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Bill Perdichizzi introduces Jon and Sonja Laidig, who donated $1,500,000 to the Marco Island Historical Society Museum Fund.

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I’m really to blame as I get so excited and sometimes overload the editor with too many pictures. I will do my best to slow down a little and also have a picture in this article.

Another question was, have you found anyone that has used the Finny Ferret lure or has one. Sad to say not yet, but I am sure there are some out there and someone will respond.

The lures featured this week will include some of the lures made by Fred Arbogast.

The first one is a metal lure that has laid around in plain sight but just did not catch my eye. I decided to take another look at it and discovered it is a metal lure with the Arbo-Gaster on the metal lip.

The company is in their 75th year and the Arbo-Gaster was designed and marketed in 1956 to solve deep water impoundment fishing problems. The extended lip of this fast swimming, floater-diver allowed it to go down deep and also acted as a guard to keep it from snagging on the under water obstructions.

The second lure of the week, a Jitterbug has been featured in a previous article but this is a split tail two piece lure which should give it more action. Jitterbugs are not just for bass, snook, tarpon and several other saltwater species will hit them.

Watching the wake a big snook makes while tracking the Jitterbug is alone worth using one. They will track it almost to the boat before hitting it. The surface of the water explodes and the fish comes dancing out of the water.

I caught my first bass on a black Jitterbug from the shore of a lake in Michigan named Strawberry Lake. It happened when my dad was teaching me how to cast. He rigged a black Jitterbug. I remember the thought running through my head, no fish would be dumb enough to eat this piece of wood. About that time one came out of the water and nailed it. I was sold on the Jitterbug!

I knew Fred Arbogast was the founder of Arbogast lures but my knowledge of the history of the lures was limited so I went to the Internet and low and behold found their great Web site: www.arbogastlures.com.

It has a bunch of great information. That includes Fred Arbogast was one of the true pioneers of the fishing lure industry. As with so many who entered the lure business, it began as a hobby.

Arbogast began by carving lures for himself and friends while employed by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. As his lures began to become popular with area anglers some of the local tackle shops began asking if they could buy them to sell in their stores. Soon after Arbogast became aware he was really on to something.

Armed with this new found popularity and confidence in his lures he resigned from Goodyear and decided to enter the lure business in earnest, that was in 1926. Two years later the Fred Arbogast Company was officially formed.

Fred was a competitive bait caster, reigning as the national champion in 1922, 1923 and 1924. He also broke the world’s long distance casting record of 250 feet in 1924. It was this love of casting that prompted his interest in fishing lures. Fred died in 1947.

Check this Web site out as in addition to the history of Fred Arbogast and his company you will find the Arbogast 75th Commemorative Limited Edition Arbogast Tin Liz offer and other good things including the history of the Tin Liz lure.

The Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Web site — www.FATC.net — is interesting if you want to start collecting old tackle. They host four shows a year in Florida. The grand daddy of them all is set for Feb. 23 and is open to the public at Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach.

The show has 400 tables of displays about anything pertaining to antique tackle. As always, they will offer free appraisals on your tackle and will enter it in their auction for a small charge if you wish to sell.

For additional information you may email Larry Lucas at larry@flowerscentral.com.

Good hunting!

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Red Stier is a weekly contributor to the Marco Eagle. Questions or comments may be directed to redstier@aol.com or 172 Trinidad St., Naples, FL 34113.