Bite-Em Bate Bite-Em Bait Lure

Its hard to find a antique lure more identifiable than the Bite-Em Bate Bite-Em Bait Lure. Having two locations then fits with the two names you will find associated with Bite-Em Lures. The lures can be found with both spellings of the word Bate & Bate. The first location for the Company was in Warsaw, Indiana and coincides with the 1917 time frame. The other more popular address found is of course the Ft. Wayne, Indiana location circa 1920. The Bite-Em Bait at first glance looks some what simplistic until one holds and examines the lure more.

The Bite Em Bait lure made its appearance around 1917, is made of wood and is a solid one piece construction. Void of any eyes this conical shaped lure is larger at the front and tapering to just a bit bigger the the wire holding it at its slimmest point. The wooden portion of the lure measures roughly 2 7/8″. The widest portion or front face of the lure is not flat or sloping as most antique fishing lures are. The face of the lure is what I would call spiral in shape, and instead of using a propeller uses the groves in it’s face to displace the water and rotate on its shaft.

The wooden plug rests or should I say rotates on a thin wire pin inserted into the hollow center of the lure. Both the front and the rear portions of the insert are connected via a simple wire apparatus or armature. This thin wire travels from the front to the rear of the lure and even is designed to act as its hook hardware. While simple in nature it really is complex in its workings both in design and strength. The wire even using a series of loops to create the forward line tie.

The Bite Em Bait, or Bite Em Bait, whichever you prefer can be found painted using enameled Reds, Whites, Blacks, and Golds. The lures are painted on the axis or in fashion and conducive to the rotation of the lure.