Folk Art Lures

[SW Lures]

I was just curious if there are others that does this hobby. I have got interested in finding what I call folk art lures. Not necessarily old but made by hand. No manufacturers lure, production lures. Not the beer can types but hand carved and innovative. I found one that was a two piece crank bait that was glued together with a through wire and hand painted with exterior home paints.

You can see the seam plainly, it's some what box shaped. The grand thing is that I know who the owner was. It's a friend's grandfather. My friend was throwing it away after time has past from his grandfather's death. The other baits were gone, so I got this one from him. The grandfather caught fish with this bait and it has hooked me. I'm now looking for these types of lures.

So my question does anybody else has this bug?

Dale

[Travis]

I enjoy seeing the antique folk art lures but don't come across them too often.  Do find some modern day folk stuff also enjoyable but hard to find based on what I see as folk art. What I enjoy about them they were created by individuals based on what they had available and more important based on their "knowledge base" and skill set.  Some are innovative others are comedic due to the ignorance behind them.  Folk art was always an interesting subject in the art classes.     Folk art in general was naive and primitive due to the individual that was doing it, the appeal had much to do with the complete lack of not knowing any better, no training, and no resources but still creating.  It was very much about the individual that made the lure.

 

I think Fishing Lure Collectibles book had a nice section on folk lures that was really enjoyable to look at.  I have the book stuffed somewhere and need to dig it back out.  

 

I have one lure that may or may not be folk art (likely not) but never found information about it.  It looks like a mouse replica.  Looks to be coated with some sort of thick paint/glue.  Eyes are painted on the legs and ears are not symmetrical and look like just additional glue paint was dabbed on that spot to make it higher.  The back is busted and the lure is hollow and almost looks as if a peanut shell was used to make the lure but probably way off.  I found it in a bottom of junk at an antique store and paid a buck for it.

 

 

 

[SW Lures]

Your absolutely right Travis. We have whatever we need and can afford to pay or willing to. These people used what they had at the time.

I look anywhere I go for these that may have them. I don't normally go to yard sales, flea markets but now I will go if I have a chance. I'm like a radar looking around for these lures. LOL I run into modern lure makers then I do the folk lures. I don't say anything about making them myself but I ask about the folk lures. Asking do they know where some maybe. You are right about hard to find. You can find antique manufactured baits a lot easier.

I forgot to get a picture of the bait, but I should post it tomorrow. I have people who goes to places that may have them. I just think about a person figuring out how to make a bait with just bailing wire, wood, buckshot and glue maybe (or make the glue) Come away with a bait that catches a fish. I have respect for them.

Maybe their prize fishing bait,

Very COOL... Dale

[Braided Line]

I`ve come across some in my travels.     More by accident than on purpose. 

 

They  are all hand made . The paint schemes,  really cool.   Excellent examples of what some folks can do.

 

 One thing about it, everyone you might acquire  could well be one of a kind. No mass production.   

 

 That`s what makes "folk art" so unique.    

[SW Lures]

Sorry it took a few but here’s the recent one.

 

 

You can see that he used a lip that is I believe to be a type of lexan or plexiglass. Pretty thin and bent back parralell to the X Line. I believe he made it in the late 60’s. You can see where he put it back together or not. It’s not pretty to some but it works. You know, the more I think about it he may have ran the thru wire down the back and came up thru the body with the hanger. Hence the cut down the back that is showing. X Ray time. LOL

 

 

Any ways they say he caught fish on it just before getting sick. I appreciate his work and his love for fishing. Yep Braided they are hard to come by. I heard about a spinner that I am going to try to get soon.

Dale

Edited July 3, 2016 by DaleSW