To Read A Fisherman…Peek Into Their Tackle Box
After my father died when I was 10 years old by default I inherited much of his used fishing equipment. As I rummaged through his old tackle box I remember thinking as a young kid that I had hit the proverbial jackpot in fishing gear…because most kids my age certainly wouldn’t have had a fishing gear box with that much stuff.
Yet, by most adult standards my father had a pretty meager assortment of fishing tackle during most of his years. Even though he most definitely enjoyed his time out on the water as an avid fisherman…by most estimations he was getting by with only the bare essentials. Missing, in large part, from his box of goodies were assortments of surface plugs, jointed wobblers and the like made by famous companies such as Heddon, Pflueger and South Bend. Perhaps because my dad was mostly a walleye and pike fisherman…he found success with nothing more than an assortment of trolling spoons (such as the Dardevle) and various spinner rigs (consisting mostly of monofilament, beads, a spinning blade and a hook).
Now, as I reflect back, I can see that what was in that tackle box was a cornucopia of fond fishing memories tied to my dad, but nothing else that would someday help pad the family’s inheritance. Conspicuously missing were such fine collectible lures such as the Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Minnow or perhaps even a Creek Chub jointed Pikie. Nope…nothing more was in my dad’s old fishing tackle box except for just plain old sentimental value.
Tonight I amused myself by first looking through some of the fishing auctions at eBay. Are you aware that you can purchase a completely loaded tackle box filled with all sorts of fishing goodies? Indeed, imagine all the people who are forced to clean out a father’s or grandfather’s garage and have no interest in fishing. What else do you do with this stuff other than give it to the neighbor kid or perhaps…put it on eBay!!
At any given time there are dozens of completely loaded tackle boxes to be purchased on eBay. Just follow this link. Now I’m not suggesting that within any of those boxes you will find a lure or two that will allow you strike it rich, but then you never know. If nothing else, I do find it a bit interesting to look through and see what fishermen include in their trusty fishing gear box. Each box is a product of the personality of the owner. For instance, some boxes are practical and contain nothing more than the bare essentials. Others have all sorts of frilly things that makes me wonder if the fisherman who once owned the box was susceptible to the fishing lure’s marketing claims. After all, we all know that at least 80 percent of the fishing lures on the market are meant to catch fisherman and not necessarily fish…correct? You did know that, didn’t you? 
If you’re into fishing lure collecting there is a fine web site called www.oldfishinglure.com that you will need to check out. This web site has loads of pictures of the many fine, collectible lures…but it also has a great deal of information on the old lure manufacturers you just won’t find anywhere else on the web. It’s worth a few moments to check over some of the lure designs of the past century even if you aren’t into collecting.
Oh, and before I forget it, did you know that the Eppinger Mfg. Co. maker of what probably is the most famous as well as most successful fishing lure ever made, the Dardevle spoon, turns 100 years old this year? Now here’s an old fishing lure that continues to prove that it’s possible for a well-thought-out fishing lure design to stand the test of time. The basic design as well as some of the paint schemes used on this lure have not changed in nearly a century. Now that’s amazing!! Check out their web site and be sure to register for a contest to win a chance for a week-long fishing trip. It only takes about a minute to register.
With the fishing opener only about a week away in my home state I am starting to look at the pathetic state of my current tackle box. It’s overly packed with junk that I might someday use…but very likely will never need. It certainly makes me wonder if somebody found it necessary to place my tackle box for sale on eBay what the potential buyers might think. Perhaps they would say this box must have been owned by someone who spent more time fiddling with his gear than fishing. And perhaps they would be correct in making that assumption…so I need to correct things. Indeed, my father would likely not be too proud of how much gear I apparently feel is necessary to spend the day fishing on the lake.
2006 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.