There’s a good story behind many of the lures in my old tackle box. Such is the case with the wobbling spoon pictured above. Called a Red-eyed Wiggler, it was at one time manufactured by the Hofschneider Tackle Co. in Rochester, N.Y. I was twelve years old on the day I made a mental note to purchase one. And I doubt I ever clipped it to my line without thinking of two former Batavians who, back in the day, were virtually inseparable. You see, they were the reason I went out and bought a “wiggler”. Before I tell you about them, I first need to fast forward a few years.
I was an up and coming northern pike fisherman on the day I walked into Barrett’s Batavia Marine to see the late Paul Levins. I wanted Paul to show me how to make a slip-bobber rig for catching northerns. I was strolling between used gun rack and the counter when I heard Paul’s voice from the back of the store. “That’s a nice pike,” he said.
It was a nice pike, big as any I’d seen up to that time. Having seen the fish, I walked right into the mix, immediately asking “Where’d ya catch it?” The proud angler was from the east end of town, I had seen him around, but didn’t know him personally. “Under the Jackson Street Bridge,” he replied. It wasn’t long before I learned the pike in question wasn’t caught at said locale. As is common practice among anglers, I don’t blame him for trying to keep his hotspot a secret.
What’s more, at the time the fibber’s account made perfect sense to me. The reason being, it had only been a few years earlier that I was standing atop the old Lehigh Railroad Bridge – which was adjacent the South Jackson St. Bridge - when I saw a rowboat passing below. In it were the aforementioned pals who grew up on Batavia’s southside. Pat Pullinzi was doing the rowing while Mike Lovria tended to his fishing gear.
Pat Pullinzi
And as I stated previously, from their earliest years together, through St. Anthony’s School and all through their BHS years, Mike Lovria and Pat Pullinzi were inseparable. Whether they were fishing the Tonawanda, hunting upland game (pheasants were plentiful in those years) and chasing rabbits behind the late Mike Lovria Sr’s, beagle, the duo were practically joined at the hip.
It was a late spring afternoon when Lovria and Pullinzi passed below the bridge in a rowboat. From my vantage point I could see a minnow bucket on the floor of the boat, probably full of chubs. In the bow were fishing rods, one of which had a Red-eyed Wiggler attached to the line. Word had it that, Earlier that day, one of the two – I’m not sure which – hooked and lost a big northern pike somewhere in the vicinity of Whiskey Run. When I saw the pair heading upstream they were returning in an attempt to relocate the big fish.
Mike Lovria
In those years, being at such an impressionable age and desiring more than anything to catch a big pike, the mental image of a young Mike Lovria and Pat Pullinzi rowing upstream in pursuit of a big northern was etched into my back pages. And it was only days afterward that a Red-eyed Wiggler occupied a compartment in my tackle box. Forty-eight years later it's still there.
Wow Jim, great memories, I
Wow Jim, great memories, I love the red eyed wiggler too. I'm sure you have quite a collection. Any more antiques lures? We have a few old ones. The tacklebox is everything to the fisherman. Cant wait, to get my first cast off this spring, and use my secret lure.. Shhhhhh
If i told you what I use, I'd have to kill ya.. lol(#:
Happy Fishing Boys!!
Hi Karen, Those were
Hi Karen,
Those were memorable times for sure! I began stocking a tackle box in my early teens. Unable to get a ride to Barrett's Marine or Don Libera's Trading Post as often as I would have liked, I purchased many fish-catchers in downtown Batavia. My first Hula-popper came from Noah's Ark, across the street from the old YMCA. The Mill Outlet, Western Auto, The Outdoor Store and Montgomery-Ward all carried fishing gear. One of my favorite places was Salway's Hardware. Located on a narrow, brick-paved side street, Salway's carried a wide assortment of sporting goods catering to hunter's and fishermen. They also sold Tortenson spoons, a brass-finish wobbling spoon manufactured by the late John Tortenson out of his Bank St. home.
I have some unfinished Red
I have some unfinished Red Eye wigglers here. They have not even GOT the eyes!
My father worked for Eastman
My father worked for Eastman Kodak Co. after graduating from Monroe High School in 1934 and serving with the New York National Guard Headquarters Troop 121st Cavalry (yes, it was a horse-mounted troop- see picture linked to my name). He retired in 1983. He gave my brothers and I, each, a Red-Eye Wiggler for our tackle boxes. Dad was typically a live-bait fisherman, so an artificial lure was unusual without the story that went along with the gift. According to him, Hofscheider was a machinist at Kodak. He manufactured the prototypes for the Wiggler during his spare time in the tool room at Kodak, and gave samples to fellow employees. I've had better luck with a Daredevil, but still keep a Wiggler in my tackle box.
My late father had one of
My late father had one of those in his tackle box. Seeing the picture brought back a flood of memories of the wonderment and fascination I had as a young child of that wonderous box of goodies.
C.M., Thanks for the
C.M., Thanks for the interesting background info on the Wiggler. Hearing your father was a live bait fisherman brings back memories of "sewing" English hooks through creek chubs and suckers in hopes of catching a lunker northern.
TP, some of my earliest memories are those of my Uncle Jim and I,seated on the basement steps while he showed me the lures in his tackle box. Wonderment? Fascination? You Bet!
Susan, where did you find eyeless Wigglers?
Jim, I recall that artificial
Jim, I recall that artificial lures were manufactured in a shop south of Pavilion (maybe 10-20 years ago)- where Starr, Middlebury and Transit Roads intersect with Route 19 on the bend north of Wyoming. I don't recall if the Red-Eye Wiggler was among those made there. It was located in a barn that may have been destroyed in a later fire. I think one well-known brand lure was in that location's inventory. Also, in recent years there was a tackle company in Elba, but it may have been just a distribution site.
C.M., Offhand I can't
C.M.,
Offhand I can't recall the Pavilion lure maker - that's just me getting old. I do remember hearing of a lure/tackle company in Elba. I couldn't say for sure, but I think they may have dealt in flutter spoons, a lure designed to be trolled from downriggers.
Again, thanks for your input.
Redeye fishing lures were
Redeye fishing lures were manufactured in Elba and Oakfield along with Scotch game calls. Both were owned by the Betters family. My mom worked there in the late '70s. The women who worked on the lures were affectionately known as "hookers".
Posted by JIM NIGRO on
Posted by JIM NIGRO on February 6, 2010 - 1:31pm
Hi Karen,
One of my favorite places was Salway's Hardware. Located on a narrow, brick-paved side street, Salway's carried a wide assortment of sporting goods catering to hunter's and fishermen. They also sold Tortenson spoons, a brass-finish wobbling spoon manufactured by the late John Tortenson out of his Bank St. home.
The man behind the sporting goods counter, at Salway's Hardware, was Ellis Hughes.
I don't know if Ellis was a fisherman, but I'm inclined to believe he was. If you bought your lures there, you bought them from him.
Wasn't there a small building on route 5 headed between Batavia and E. Pembroke (or rte 33 between Batavia and Corfu) where a guy made and sold lures?
Bea, I wasn't aware of
Bea,
I wasn't aware of anyone making or selling lures out that way (between Batavia & Pembroke), but I do remember Ellis Hughes from Salway's Hardware.
o m g, what a trip back in
o m g, what a trip back in time when you are taking about Mike and Pat.
Jeff, Thanks for the
Jeff,
Thanks for the insight. Did Betters' move their operation or cease altogether?
Salways was the place to go
Salways was the place to go (as well as the sporting goods section of the Mill Outlet). When I trapped muskrat during high school, I made many trips to Salways for traps and supplies.
Jim, I honestly don't know
Jim,
I honestly don't know what happened to the businesses. They closed up shop sometime in the early '90s I believe.
Jim..after I posted that, I
Jim..after I posted that, I need to check and see. Maybe they aren't eyeless.. but unfinished. Some friends of mine gave me their uncle's old tackle boxes and some items. These wigglers were in them and I thought it was a cool lure!
Check this out Jim.. here are
Check this out Jim.. here are some pictures.
http://thebatavian.com/blogs/fishermom/eyeless-wiggler-lures/12945
Note the embossing on the
Note the embossing on the Lane's Flasher- Wyoming, NY. This would be the manufacturer I mentioned. From www.fishingclub.com forum:
I found another lure that I would like some info on if possible it's a Lane's Spark-L-Eyed Wobbler.I haven't found anything about the company.I found a few of them on sale as VINTAGE lures.I know Eppinger makes the Red Eye line which are basiclly the same,But I was wondering about Lane's ,Are they still around?
I am David Lane, son of the founder of Ed. Lane and Co. Inc. who manufactured the Lane's Spark-L-Eyed Wobblers and other lures and fishing equipment. The company started as Lane's Tackle and Bait Co. in 1935 in Rochester Ny. The name was changed to Lane and Co. in about 1939 and then to Ed. Lane & Co. Inc. in 1947. The company was located to Wyoming NY in 1946 when the owner purchased a large dairy farm so that he could build fishing ponds to test his lures. He converted a horsebarn into the manufacturing location. I am in the process of writing a history of the company and a full description of all of the products and would be happy to correspond with anyone interested and identify any Lane products you may have. Reach me at email: dmlane42@hotmail.com phone 863-299-4145 address: 1776 6th St. NW #409, Winter Haven FL 33881. would like to hear from anyone with a question. There seems to be a growing interest in Lane fishing tackle. David M. Lane
Of possible interest:
http://www.fishingstuff.net/tackle-patents/american-fishing-tackle-pate…
Susan, Thanks for sharing the
Susan,
Thanks for sharing the photos. They show a rather interesting behind the scenes look at the unfinished product.
C.M.,
I saw the "Lane's Flasher - Wyoming NY" in the photos Susan posted. Thank you for locating and sharing the background information on the Lane Tackle Co. Sounds like a great story and worth looking into. Thanks again!
Hey Jim! I can remember that
Hey Jim! I can remember that day like it was yesterday. Mike Lovria,Paul Voltura and I were fishing way up the creek. We had rowed our butts off and ended up fishing near a log jam in the middle of the creek. I had hooked into a "monster" Pike. When I got the fish to the net Paul tried to net it but the fish was so big ( or was our net tooo small )that it hung over both sides and flopped out breaking my line. Of course none of us had any extra tackle.Yikes!!!Paul decided to stay and fish and Mike and I jumped into the boat and rowed as fast as we could all the way back to the Chestnut Street bridge,ran home,grabbed some hooks,rowed all the way back to get Paul and fish a little more. Did not get another hit!!!
One of my paper route customers gave us that wooden boat. We spent weeks filling seams,sealing and painting.We felt like "kings of the creek".We spent a lot of wonderful days fishing the creek catching pike,bullheads and anything that would bite. Great times of our lives.
Paul is now a fishing guide out West.Mike and I have stayed close, still hunting and fishing together.
That article really brought back such great memories!!!And yes I also have a good collection of those Red Eyed Wobblers!!!