Moonlight Lures Paw Paw Lures
The Moonlight lure and subsequent Paw Paw company was formed in 1908, by Horace Ball and Charles Varney. The two had been in a local fishing club years before that was named the Moonlight Fishing Club. We see a lot of early century entrepreneurs use their friendships as their starting points for incorporation and the Moonlight Lure Company was no different. Early Lures included the Moonlight Floating Bait and the Zig Zag, and Dreadnought.The Moonlight Lure Company in its early years had few lures, and it wasn’t until its Merger with the Silver Creek Bait company in the early 20’s that we a a lure line expansion.
In the 20s we see them introduce their now famous Pikaroon, and Underwater Minnow, Bass Seeker, Lady Bug, and Little Wonder series in the Moonlight Lure line up. We see them expand thier fly lure line p as well, with the additions of the Eat us,the Bass the trout and fly series which was a lure offered by Silver Creek initially. In the Late 20’s we see another rebirth after Moonlight was Purchased by the Paw Paw Lure Company around 1927. This would spell the end of the Pikaroon line up that seemed to fade away and was replaced by what would be a company that would quintuple its fishing lure assortment line up.
The Paw Paw bait company would expand not only its lures offering but how it marketed. Try finding a Paw Paw Lure catalog, finding a Moonlight lure catalog is hard enough, but a Paw Paw lure catalog would be at the center piece of even an advance collection. Paw Paw lures would find there way into department store giants like Montgomery Ward, Sears, and others. Paw Paw would make famous its line of Crawdads, Mice, Pike and Caster series and Torpedo. You can find the Paw Paw Lure in its early Yellow or Orange boxes, as well as the I Go For Lucky Lures red and blues, and later the window slide type boxes.
In the we would see another merger, and in 1970 the rights to the Paw Paw Lure Company were acquired by Shakespeare, which itself had been bought by Creek Chub which was bought out by Lazyy Ike in 1978, which then ended up being owned by Pradco. The great lure company merger monster struck.
Moonlight Floating Bait Lure
Moonlight Floating Bait Lure The Moonlight Floating Bait Lure was first introduced in 1909. Although, I imagine, since the company was purported to have been established in 1908 that the lure may have been at the corresponding time. The Moonlight Bait Company would go on to be around for a [...]
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Paw Paw Plenty Sparkle Lure
Paw Paw Plenty Sparkle Lure The Paw Paw Plenty Sparkle Lure is created in the late 1950’s early 1960’s. This antique fishing lure made by Paw Paw Bait Company of Paw Paw Michigan and was a lure model series number 5500. This wooden lure measured in at 4″ inches in [...]
Read MoreFeb
Moonlight Bass Seeker Lure
Moonlight Bass Seeker Lure The Moonlight Bass Seeker Lure rights were purchased from Wilson Circa mid-1920s. The Moonlight Bait and Novelty Works Company made some significant acquisitions during this decade to increase their antique fishing lure line up. The Bass Seeker was taken from the Cupped Wobbler and has the [...]
Read MoreFeb
Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad 1910
Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad 1910 This Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad is from 1910 and sourced from the Outdoorsman’s Handbook. We see here a new lure just the year before produced by the Moonlight Bait Company from Paw Paw Michigan. You will notice however that the collar is the [...]
Read MoreJan
Moonlight Little Wonder Lure
Moonlight Little Wonder Lure The Moonlight Little Wonder Lure was first introduced in 1925 & 1926 by the Moonlight Bait Company of Paw Paw, Michigan. The wooden antique fishing lure was produced in 3 different cataloged sizes, a 4th has been found but wasn’t listed as a cataloged lure. Physically [...]
Read MoreJan
Paw Paw Musky Pike Lure
Paw Paw Musky Pike Lure The Paw Paw Musky Pike Lure from the 1940’s is a lure who history is riddle with confusion, misconceptions, false identification and even patent infringements. This lure had me pulling out my hair for a while trying to figure out what it was. Its body [...]
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Paw Paw Hungry Bass Lure
Paw Paw Hungry Bass Lure The Paw Paw Hungry Bass Lure was produced roughly around the 1940’s. This lure is listed as a Unknown in the Paw Paw Bait Company Book written both Reed and Scott. They deem it the Hungry Bass so Ill follow their lead. This antique lure [...]
Read MoreDec
Moonlight Fish Spear Lure Ad 1916
Moonlight Fish Spear Lure Ad This Moonlight Fish Spear Lure Ad comes from a 1916 Shakespeare Lure catalog, yes that wasn’t a mistype. The Fish Spear is a classic Moonlight bait we don’t get to see advertised much due to the scarcity of early Moonlight antique fishing lure catalogs. I [...]
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Moonlight Lady Bug Wiggler Lure
Moonlight Lady Bug Wiggler Lure The Moonlight Lady Bug Wiggler Lure was first introduced in 1916. This wooden antique fishing lure was given the model series number 9, and measures 4″ in length. The lure looks a lot like a Pepper Roamer lure. This slanted head antique lure has a [...]
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Moonlight Pikaroon Antique Lure
Moonlight Pikaroon Antique Lure The Moonlight Pikaroon Antique Lure is probably the most synonymous with the Moonlight Bait Company of Paw Paw, Michigan. Although it should be the Floating Bait line, the Pikaroon with its sleek sexy looks and curves, woos most collectors its way. The Pikaroon wasn’t originally a Moonlight [...]
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Paw Paw Woggle Bug Lure
Paw Paw Woggle Bug Lure The Paw Paw Woggle Bug Lure was first introduced in 1963. The Woggle Bug series WB-900 shown with a lip, bears a striking similarity to the 20 year young Fred Arbogast Jitterbug Circa 1942, even the name is very similar to Jitterbug. The wooden, pressed [...]
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Paw Paw Platypus Antique Lure
Paw Paw Platypus Lure Photo Gallery The Paw Paw Platypus Lure Rainbow Trout was first introduced in 1941. This strange looking plastic, raised painted eye lure, was the Paw Paw Bait Company model series #3500. The lure originally called a Wham Doodle, which was made of wood with whats referred [...]
Read MoreAug
Moonlight Muskie Pikaroon Antique Lure
Moonlight Muskie Pikaroon Antique Lure This Moonlight Muskie Pikaroon Antique Lure is one of those lures that takes your breath away. Every now and then I get an antique lure in on consignment that that fits that bill. The Moonlight Bait Company bought or acquired the Silver Creek Novelty Works [...]
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Paw Paw Jointed Dreadnought Lure
Paw Paw Jointed Dreadnought Lure The Paw Paw Jointed Dreadnought Lure was introduced in the 1940’s. This gigantic wooden lure was made to fish the beasts of the great north country. It should be no surprise that the Paw Paw Bait Company of Paw Paw Michigan would have a series [...]
Read MoreSep
Paw Paw Sucker Antique Lure
Paw Paw Sucker Antique Lure The Paw Paw Sucker Antique Lure is a kind of a misunderstood lure, starting with its own name, as its not a Sucker but and Old Chub Lure. This antique fishing lure dates into the 1930’s with its target market being large game fish such [...]
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Paw Paw Old Wounded Minnow Lure
Paw Paw Old Wounded Minnow Lure The Paw Paw Old Wounded Minnow Lure was the Paw Paw Bait Company’s answer to the industry craving for injured minnows. Imitation being the nearest and dearest sense of flattery, or just pure marketing trying to get a piece of what was a booming [...]
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Paw Paw Crazy Mike Lure
Paw Paw Crazy Mike Lure The Paw Paw Crazy Mike Lure sounds like a name given to everyone favorite uncle. While it may not be a part of our own lineage the Crazy Mike lure is part of the Flap Jack Family series of lures released in the early 1940’s. [...]
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Paw Paw Flap Jack Lure
Paw Paw Flap Jack Lure The Paw Paw Flap Jack Lure was introduced in the 1950’s, made by the Paw Paw Bait Company of Paw Paw Michigan. This version of the Paw paw Bait Company lure arsenal was given a model 3600. This plastic fishing lure measures 3 1/2″ in [...]
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Paw Paw Weedless Wotta Frog Lure
Paw Paw Weedless Wotta Frog Lure The Paw Paw Weedless Wotta Frog Lure had been around for some time before this version was introduced after 1960. The lure made in Paw Paw Michigan, by the Paw Paw Bait Company, was the final metamorphosis of a lure that had seen both [...]
Read MoreJul
Paw Paw Bonehead Antique Lures
Paw Paw Bonehead Antique Lures The Paw Paw Bonehead Antique Lures are a very distinctive and identifiable series within the Paw Paw Antique Lure line up. The Bonehead refers to Paw Paws molted brown spotted or striped finish. The antique lures were first produced in 1956 and lasted for roughly 8 [...]
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Paw Paw Croaker Lure
Paw Paw Croaker Lure The Paw Paw Croaker Lure is one of a series of lures that used real frog skin to cover the wooden bait. The lure itself made by the Paw Paw Bait Company out of Paw Paw, Michigan. This antique lure was first introduced in 1940 and was [...]
Read MoreJul
Moonlight Single Hook Pikaroon Lure
Moonlight Single Hook Pikaroon Lure The Moonlight Single Hook Pikaroon Lure was first seen around 1923. The Moonlight Bait Company of Paw Paw Michigan gave this model a series number 2500. By far and away one of the cooler and my favorite Moonlight lures. This wooden antique fishing lure measures [...]
Read MoreJun
Moonlight Pollywog Lure
Moonlight Pollywog Lure The Moonlight Pollywog Lure, is a series model 700. This antique lure dates to the mid 1920’s. This pointed nose, sloping body, wooden, antique lure is one that is most synonymous with the Silver Creek Brand. Silver Creek as a company which was acquired by the Moonlight [...]
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Paw Paw Seagrams Seven Lure
Paw Paw Seagrams Seven Lure The Paw Paw Seagrams Seven Lure was first produced in 1953, crafted in the same fashion as the logo on the popular adult beverage. The lure falls into a few categories in the antique lure world. Collectors who amass Logo or advertising lures, those who [...]
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Moonlight 1900 Zig Zag Lure
Moonlight 1900 Zig Zag Lure The Moonlight 1900 Zig Zag Lure was first introduced in the early 1920’s by the Moonlight Bait Company of Paw Paw, Michigan. This wooden, glass eyed lure was deemed a series 1900 before being Called a Zig Zag which was previously used on another earlier [...]
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Paw Paw Hipp Lure
Paw Paw Hipp Lure The Paw Paw Hipp lure as it was named by Scott and Reed in the Paw Paw book is a unidentified or unnamed lure. The lure is a green and gold spotted flat face wobbler. The lure is 3 3/8″ in length and resembles a Rush [...]
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Paw Paw Hair Mouse lure
Paw Paw Hair Mouse Lure The Paw Paw Hair Mouse lure is a great little critter type antique lure. Popular with Mice and general collectors alike, the lure is circa 1930’s. The lure is a series number 60 in the Paw Paw Bait Company lure line up. The lure is [...]
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Paw Paw Young Wounded Minnow lure
Paw Paw Young Wounded Minnow The Paw Paw Young Wounded Minnow lure was first introduced in 1941. The antique lure is shown housed in a I Go For Lucky Lures Red box. This antique lure made in Paw Paw, Michigan, would go through a series of body and weight changes [...]
Read MoreFeb
Moonlight Jointed Pikaroon Lure
Moonlight Jointed Pikaroon Lure The Moonlight Jointed Pikaroon Lure was first introduced in the early 1920’s. This jointed version of the Famous Pikaroon made by the Moonlight Bait Company. The lure comes from the acquisition of the Silver Creek Novelty Work’s either through ingenuity or process. This wooden glass eyed [...]
Read MoreDec
Paw Paw Musky Natural Hair Mouse Lure
Paw Paw Musky Natural Hair Mouse Lure The Paw Paw Musky Natural Hair Mouse Lure was first introduced in 1929. This antique lure was had a wooden painted head and a stacked deer hair tail, with a large treble hook on the rear. This fishing lure is pretty big at [...]
Read MoreDec
Moonlight Zig Zag Lure
Moonlight Zig Zag Lure The Moonlight Zig Zag lure was first introduced around 1913. This early simple top water antique lure made by the Moonlight Bait Company of Paw Paw Michigan was given a model Number Six. This wooden fishing lure with its front sloped face holds the forward line tie. [...]
Read MoreAug
Paw Paw Indian Sign Fly Lure Box
Paw Paw Indian Sign Fly Lure Box This Paw Paw Indian Sign Fly Lure Box is a great example of a antique fly lure box. Collecting the lures themselves is just one piece of the Antique lure puzzle, or paradigm the boxes which house them and the paperwork inserts is [...]
Read MoreJun
Moonlight 3 Hook Underwater Minnow Lure
Moonlight 3 Hook Underwater Minnow Lure This Moonlight 3 Hook Underwater Minnow Lure dates to probably around 1928. The question as to why it took Moonlight 18 more years to jump into the popular style of fishing minnow we will never know. The 3T or 3 Hook glass eyed wooden [...]
Read MoreApr