Joe Pepper Lures

20th Century Minnow

The earliest of Pepper’s wood baits was the 20th Century Minnow – Circa 1900. The pictured lure is a more refined lure and is slightly later than the 1900 date. The body and paint are both less crude than the earliest baits which are shown next. This bait came in five sizes from 2 1/4″ to 6″ as shown in the 1904 catalog.

20th Century Minnow

This is the earliest version of the 20th Century Minnow. Note the flat sides and rather crude body and paint. The card this bait came on (as shown) is extremely rare. 20th Century Minnows are found with no eyes, painted eyes and a very few with glass eyes.

20th Century Minnow Special

This is most likely one of Joe Pepper’s “end of the day” lures. It is the early body version of the 20th Century Minnow but note the “bow tie” type prop – instead of the 20th Century Spinner. This is the first one I have seen with this configuration.

Pepper Bass Bait Style 1

This is a very rare Pepper bait with only three known. The bait has very large glass eyes, front prop, double belly hook and a dressed rear treble hook. If you should know of any of these baits I would love to hear about it to add to my knowledge of this rare bait. This bait is circa 1912. Bait measures 2 5/8″.

Pepper Bass Bait Style 2

This bait appeared about 1915 and used the same name as the lure shown above indicating that the first Bass Bait was very short lived. While this bait is very tough to find it is less rare than the style 1 Bass Bait. This bait is 3″ long.

Pepper Mystic Bug Bee

This is a very rare bait with this one the only known example. Bait is very similar to the Mystic Bug except it has wings made from mica rather than treated cloth as is on the Mystic Bug. How Joe Pepper ever believed the mica wings would last more than a few casts is beyond me. The only listing for this bait was found in a 1915 (approx.) catalog. Bait measures 1 3/4″.

Pepper Century Minnow

This is another very tough Pepper wood bait – circa 1915. The bait has a front 20th Century spinner, a double belly hook and a fixed rear hook. It has also been found with a single hanging rear hook. Production sizes of this lure were 1 3/4″ and 2 1/2″.

Pepper Copper City Casting Lure

This is the only known example of this very rare bait. It appears to have been made using the body of the Revolving Minnow. This example is 3 1/2″ long and the catalog page depicting this bait also lists it in a 2 1/2″ size. The blue head is an uncataloged color but was also used on some Pepper Revolving and Redtail Minnows. Should anyone find another example of the lure I would love to here about it. Circa 1915.

Pepper Eskimo Mouse Bass Bait

This is an extremely rare lure as this is the only known example. It is similar to the Roman Diving Bait except that it has string legs and tail. Also the diving blades are smaller than the Diving Bait (similar to the Roman King). The bait measures 2 1/4″ long. A listing for this bait was found only in a 1915 catalog.

Pepper Floating Bass Bait

This bait has a two part body similar to the Bass Bait (style 2) but is designed to float and has an unusual hook arrangement. The belly hook is a fixed double hook which is unique to Pepper. The rear single hook came either as a fixed or hanging hook. Bait is circa 1913. It measures 3″.

Pepper Floating Minnow

This is another tough Pepper bait with less than 10 known. This bait has the unique fixed double hook on the belly and a fixed rear single hook. It also has very large glass eyes. Catalog shows bait size as 3″ but two in my collection measure 2 3/4″ and 3 1/4″. Circa 1912.

Pepper Jersey Minnow Feather Tail Minnow

This bait is one of the more common Pepper lures and came in many colors and style variations. The bait has been found with no eyes, painted eyes and glass eyes. Body measures 1 5/8″ long. Circa 1908.

Pepper 3 Hook Feather Tail Minnow

This bait is the very same body as the Jersey Minnow except it has a three treble hook arrangement. For obvious reasons it would have been produced during the period the bait was called the Feather Tail Minnow. Less than ten of these are known. Hook hangers are wire through. Note the weight found on this one. Others do not have this feature so it may not be original. Circa 1908.

Pepper National Minnow – 3 Hook

The National Minnow appeared around 1908 and is the most commonly found Pepper wood lure. There were many colors and designs. The lure shown has an unusual side hook arrangement as it is combination of cup and wire through hook hangers. Many of the National Minnows found were wire through hangers with no cups. This bait came with two props (as shown) and also with a single prop on the front only. Props were both pointed and rounded. The bait came with either painted or glass eyes. Production sizes of this lure were 2 5/8″ and 3 1/4″.

Pepper National Minnow – 5 Hook

The 5 hook National Minnow is from the same era as the 3 hook minnow and came in the same color combinations. It appears all these baits originally came with both front and rear props. This bait was also marketed by the Vim hardware store as the Vim Minnow. Production sizes of this lure were 2 7/8″ and 3 3/4″.

Pepper National Minnow Box

This is the box for the National Minnow and below is the box for the Vim Minnow. Note the similarities.

VIM MInnow Box

Pepper Lucky Minnow

This bait measures 1 1/2″ long and came in two colors (greenback/silver belly or green back/gold belly. Blades came in nickel or copper. Eyes were painted. This is a very scarce bait with only a few known. Circa unknown.

Pepper Mouse Type Unknown Name

This is a one of a kind Pepper lure – circa unknown as it has not been found in any literature so was probably one of those “end of the day” lures that are occasionally found. Body measures 1 3/4″ long.

Pepper Musky Minnow

This is a very rare Pepper bait with only three known. It is also one of the largest fresh water baits ever made. The body of the one in my collection measures 7 3/4″ long and the overall length with hardware and hooks is nearly 12″. The front prop is the same size that is used on a National Minnow so it appears extremely small for the bait. Circa unknown but probably in the late teens.

Pepper Mystic Bug Lure

This is one of the most desirable Pepper baits and is very rare. Bait has string legs and painted cloth wings. Circa 1912. Bait measures 1 7/8″ long.

Pepper Mystic Spinner

This is another very tough Pepper bait with less than ten known. Bait has a small wood body covered with cloth wings and a 20th Century Spinner on the front of the lure. Bait was listed as having a treble hook but the one in my collection has a double hook. Circa 1912. Body measures 1 3/4″ long.

Pepper Original Mystic

This is a one of a kind bait to the best of my knowledge. It appears to be the original rendering that eventually went into production as the Mystic Bug and the Mystic Spinner. Wings are stamped “J E Pepper” on one side and “patent applied for” on the other. It has a long gut leader. Circa 1911.

Pepper Revolving Minnow in Box

This a very desirable Pepper bait. Catalog said it came in three sizes (2 1/2″, 3 1/2″ and 5″). I have yet to see one of the 5″ minnows. It has three treble hooks, the rear one dressed and two adjustable diving fins. Circa 1911.

Pepper Roamer Bait Style I

The Roamer is another very desirable Pepper bait. It came in many colors and was said in the catalogs to be produced in five sizes from 1 3/4″ to 6″. The 1 3/4″ size is referred to by collectors as the “Baby Roamer”. I have yet to see the 6′ size. Bait was patented in the US in 1908 and in Canada in 1909. While many ads listed various baits as patent pending this, and the Bat Wing (by John Pepper), were the only lure patents that I have found. Bait has been found with both painted and glass eyes. This bait was originaly made with rubber legs but due to the fact they quickly became brittle and would break Pepper changed to string legs very early on. I doubt the rubber legs were on baits for more than one year. Circa 1908.

Pepper Baby Roamer Lure in Box

This the smallest size Roamer (1 3/4″). Note the very large box (even larger than the regular Roamer box). The baits came in both glass and painted eyes and had three treble hooks (rear hook dressed). Circa 1908.

Pepper Roamer Bait Style 2

I believe this to be a one of a kind style 2 Roamer. It is the small size (1 3/4″) with red beads and a pointed prop. This is a configuration that has not been seen before. Circa 1915.

Pepper Roman Casting Minnow

A very tough Pepper bait. There are less than five known. Bait has adjustable diving wings, two treble hooks and a New Century Spinner on the front. Produced in two sizes 3 1/2″ and 5 3/4″. Pictured bait is the larger size. Circa 1918.

Pepper Roman Crown Minnow

This is another very rare Pepper bait. It is similar to the Red Tail Minnow but has the addition of a 20th Century Spinner blade and two belly hooks. Catalog shows glass eyes but those I have seen have had painted eyes as does the one in this photo. Produced in 2 1/2″ and 3 1/4″ sizes. Side fins have been found in pointed and rounded styles. Circa 1915. I could use a better example of this lure in my collection should you have one for sale.

Pepper 2 Hook Roman Crown Minnow

Thanks to Jim Bourdon I have been able to add a photo of this this second version of the very scarce Roman Crown Minnow. The bait appears to be exactly the same as the one above except for the hook

Pepper Roman Diving Bait in Box

This bait was produced in two sizes, 2 1/4″ and 2 7/8″. Eyes were painted and the bait has adjustable side fins. The box shown in this photo is the only one of two known white boxes for this lure and is marked with a stamp on the end. Most other boxes found for wood baits have been either wood or dark red paper boxes with a picture label. Circa 1919. A second type box (pictured below) has been recently found. It appears similar to the above box except it is green and is slightly smaller ($ 1/2″ long vs. 5″ for the white box. Only one known like this. My guess is this was made for the smaller size Roman Diving Bait.

Pepper Baby Roman King

According to the catalog this bait came in only one size which was 2″. The bait shown in this picture is however smaller than that at 1 3/4″. This bait has been widely known as the Baby Bass Bait but one has been found in what appears to be an original white box with the name Roman King written by hand on the box. The bait has no eyes and one double hook. Circa 1913.

Pepper Roman Red Tail Minnow in Box

This very desirable Pepper bait came in two sizes (2 3/4″ and 3 1/4″) per the catalog but several baits found vary slightly from these dimensions. The bait is basically the same as the Revolving Minnow except it has a small fin on the underside near the tail.The bait has glass eyes and is found with a double hook on the belly and a treble on the rear as well as trebles in both positions. Circa 1912.

Pepper Roman Spider Notched Head

This bait came in many, many variations. It was made in at least four sizes from 1 1/2″ to 4 3/4″ and at least a dozen color combinations. Eyes were painted. Most baits came with two treble hooks except the smallest size which had one treble. Two style heads were used – notched as in this photo and slanted as in the next photo.

Pepper Roman Spider Slanted Head

See Above for information.

Pepper Baby Roman Spider Notched Head

This is the 1 1/2 ‘ size of the Roman Spider. It is extremely rare and only one (possibly two) are known. The box is not marked but lure was found in it.

Roman Spider Slant Head

Here is another Baby Roman Spider similar to the one above except it has a flat head. This is the only one of this style I have seen.

Pepper Roman Spider Style 2

The style 2 Roman Spider is less common than style 1. It has a slanted or round head, fixed double hooks in the belly and a fixed rear hook.This bait measures 2 3/4″ and is very rare in this configuration. Circa 1914.

Pepper Yankee Aero Lure

The Yankee Aero is another of the very rare Pepper Baits. It came both in a solid body as seen here and a jointed version as seen in the next photo. Eyes were either painted or none at all (as is this lure). It has also been found with and without the diving blades. The solid body version is 3 1/2″ long. Circa 1915.

Pepper Jointed Yankee Aero

This is the jointed version of the Yankee Aero with painted eyes. The catalog said it was produced in only 4 1/2″but this one measures 3 1/8″. Circa 1915

Pepper Jointed Baby Yankee Aero

This is an uncataloged size for the Yankee Aero as it measures only 2 3/8″ long. Note also, the lack of diving fins. I believe this to be a “one of a kind” – probably a special order for a fly rod fisherman. Circa unknown.

Pepper Yankee Aero Experimental

This bait I believe to be the predecessor of the Yankee Aero. Only two of these are known – this one and one painted green and white. This bait has several holes drilled for hooks to be moved and it would appear it was used by Pepper to adjust them for proper balance before going into production. Bait measures 3 3/4″ long. Circa 1914.

Pepper Uncataloged Roamer

This uncataloged lure is very likely another Pepper “end of the day” lure. It is similar to the normal Roamer but has a long neck, small head and belly hook rather than side hooks. It also has a ball behind the front prop unlike other Roamers. Body is 3 3/8″ long.

Pepper Uncatalogued Roamer B

The body of this bait is 2 1/4″ long. The bait has a 20th Century Spinner on the front and a double hook mounted on the belly. Most likely another Pepper “end of the day” lure. Only one known.

Pepper Uncatalogued Roamer C

This Roamer differs from others with it’s long neck, no head, belly hook and the 20th Century Spinner on the front. I believe this to be another of the Pepper “end of the day” lures. It’s body measures 3″ long. One of only two known.

Pepper Uncatalogued Roman Spider

This Roman Spider has not been drilled for legs and is Jersey Rigged. It measures 2 3/4″ long. The body appears to be the exact same body used on the Style 2 Roman Spider shown earlier except for the missing legs. Probably this was a special order lure. Two of these lures are known.

Pepper Uncatalogued 3 hook Minnow

This is probably one of the “end of the day” lures by Pepper. The body is that of a three hook National Minnow as is the front prop. In addition it has a New Century Spinner on the rear of the bait and it is Jersey rigged. Circa unknown. Only one known.

Pepper Uncatalogued 3 hook Minnow

This uncataloged minnow is what I believe to be another “end of the day” lure. Similar to the Roman Crown Minnow it does not have the side fins but instead side hooks. It also incorporates a rear prop which is not found on the Roman Crown Minnow. This is the only one known to exist at this time.

Pepper Lady Bug Type

This bait has many features (painted eyes, drilled holes for legs and hardware) that make one believe it is a Pepper bait but I cannot be certain. It appears in no ads nor in the two early catalogs that have been found. Bait is 3 1/4″ long. Only one known.