This old Indiana lure was manufactured in the 1930s by T&M Darby or M.L. Darby. The boxes are printed with T&M Darby, but the advertisements refer to M.L. Darby.
In 1924 Oliver Green invented the Tippecanoe lure in Michigan City, Indiana. This 3 1/4 inch wood lure has slanted ends which make it look similar to a canoe when turned on its back.
The Flashback lure is a plastic lure from Lafayette, IN by the T&M Lure Company.
The Tropical Bait Company made a Pac-Man shaped Frog lure. The lures were made of wood and came in a full size and a fly rod version. Weedless Wonders were plastic lures that came in a plastic box.
The Bass Enticer was made by Wenger Manufacturing in Warsaw, IN. Western Auto is a product line of the Creek Chub Bait Company and they produced many lures in very unique color patterns.
The Whiz-Bang Bait Company made lures in Bunker Hill, Indiana including this triple spinner lure.
The Comstock Chunk lure is a 2 1/2″ antique wood bait that was made in Valparaiso, Indiana in the 1920’s by Wheeler-Lunbeck Manufacturing Company. The Moonlight Bait Company bought the rights to this old wooden lure in 1928. A lady from Pennsylvania contacted me recently when she found an interesting piece in a deceased family member’s safe which turned out to be this Wheeler-Lunbeck Manufacturing Co. Stock Certificate.
There were 12 baits made by O.L. Williams of the Winchester Bait & Manufacturing Company from a lathe in his home in Muncie, Indiana. The lures were marketed by his father-in-law in Winchester, Indiana. The “Lucky Hit Baits” offered by Winchester were Diving Beauty, Baby Diver, Silver Chub, Shore Minnow, Fan Tail Chub, June Bug Floater, Dolphin Chub, Floating Mouse, Flexo Float, Nevermis, Sufrace Wiggler and Pikie Wiz.
Frank G. Worden produced these heavy wood minnow back in the early 1900’s. The Worden company later became the South Bend Bait Company.
The following old fishing lures, not yet pictured, were also made in Indiana. If you have any of these vintage Indiana fishing lures for sale please contact me.
Ackerman Minnow, Monticello, Indiana
Bowersox Minnow, Portland, Indiana
Calligan Company, Calligan Super Floating, Kendalville, Indiana
Fort Wayne Bait & Reel Co. Submarine Bait, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gaid Bait, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Hardy Bait, Lakeville, Indiana
Hardy Interchangeable Casting Minnow, Monticello, Indiana
Hartigs Spinning Lure, Osceola, Indiana
Henkenius Kane Plug, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Pughs Paddle Wings, Terre Haute, IN
Lagrange Bait Company Wiggle Tail Minnow / Smith Minnow, La Grange, Indiana
Schrenker Bait Company Subber Lure, Elwood, Indiana
Specialty Manufacturing Worden Bucktail, Goshen, Indiana
Surface Bait Company (The Rocket Lure), Indianapolis, Indiana
Wilcox Wiggler, Anderson, Indiana
W. Trigg Manufacturing Life Like Fish Bait, Ober, Indiana
Old Indiana Lures 