August 2011
Fritzies Fish Stix
Oxboro Outdoors, Inc
Ham Lake, MN
1980s - 1990s
A number of years ago, I looked in my father-in-laws tackle box and found an odd looking fishing lure. The lure looked so simple, but had a nice painted design and it appeared to be heavy…possible made out of wood. I noticed that one of the lures was labeled and it said “Fritzie”. My father-in-law had a couple of these lures, and he said I could have them.
I knew the lures were not “antique”, but for some reason I wanted to find out more about them. I assumed they were made around the 1980s, and decided to see how they worked. I cast one into the lake…and on the very first retrieve I caught a small bass. Simple design, but it worked! Since that day, they got stored in my “lure closet” and they were all but forgotten.
Years went by and I was at a local auction. In the corner of the auction was a tackle box and in it, a Fritzie new in the original packaging! I was surprised to see it was designed by Ralph Jon Fritz, a former Minneapolis WCCO Sportscaster and a former host of the MN Sports Show, Out ‘N’ About. I was fortunate enough to get this tackle box at a reasonable price and was able to obtain another Fritzie Fish Stix.
Since then, I recently received an email from retired sportscaster RJ Fritz and this is what he stated:
“Yes, I designed all of the Fritzie Lures that were made and sold back in the 1980's and 90's.
Our original group was bought out by a public company called Oxboro Outdoors of Blaine, Minnesota.
I signed on for 6 years with Oxboro as a consultant, and we got into selling other fishing lures like
the NFL spinner baits with NFL team logos on them. We were about to embark on selling NASCAR lures
when the company (Oxboro) was bought out by several investors who wanted to get rid of the outdoors division of Oxboro, and concentrate on medical product, which was the main focus of the company.
The Fritzie Fish Stix were primarily a top water lure for Bass and Northern Pike. They came in a variety of colors and ranged from 3 to 4 inches in length. They were all handmade and hand painted in Minnesota.
A rare product of the good old U-S of A.”
The original group that RJ speaks of were a couple of investors and a company he formed called “Tightlines Inc”. The colors of the Fritzies were green, blue, gold, silver, orange and yellow with the lure sizes listed as 3, 3 ½ and 4 inches in length.
RJ went on to tell me that he has caught several large fish on these lures. In fact, he told me that one year he caught a bass they may have been a new MN state record large-mouthed bass, but he hooked it 10 days before the bass season opener, so it was released.
Now, the Frtizie lure is not an old and valuable lure and collectors are not searching for this lure to add to their collection. However, for a MN lure collector and a huge fan of MN Sports Shows such “Out ‘N’ About”, it is a great find. So, for that reason alone, the Fritzie Fish Stix is this month’s “Lure of the Month”.
In closing I will add that RJ may be retired…but is the Fritzie Fish Stix? I plan on trying mine again soon and seeing how it will perform. But, if it catches fish…don’t tell my father-in-law. He may want them back….
