May 2012
Leaping Lena
Ralph Miller / Oceanic Tackle Shop
Miami, FL
Late 1930s to the 1950s
2012 was a leap year, so why not have a month featuring the “Leaping Lena”.

Lena and Ole were immigrants from Norway and they settled in the Upper Midwest of the United States in the early 1930’s.  A few years later, they fell in love and got married.  On their honeymoon, they decided to take a trip to the big city and started driving south.  A few hours into the drive, Ole put his hand on Lena’s knee and Lena, giggling, said “Uff da Ole, we ‘r married now and ya can go farther if ya vant to.”  So, Ole drove Lena all the way to Florida….

Well, no, that is not what happened…but it does seem strange to see a FL made fishing lure called the “Leaping Lena”.  Lena is typically a name that is portrayed in Scandinavian jokes in the Upper Midwest Region, along with Ole.  A Swede can also appear in these jokes and his name is Sven, and many jokes involve their broken English and dimwittedness, although Lena is typically the “smartest” of the three.

As far as I know, the Leaping Lena had nothing to do with these jokes, but instead the term “Leaping Lena” was a popular phrase from this time that was used to describe an object that left the surface due to speed.  Looking in old magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, I see jeeps, boats, and other vehicles that are leaping off the ground or water being referred to as a “Leaping Lena”. 

The Leaping Lena fishing lure was made by a man named Ralph Miller and they were sold out of his Oceanic Tackle Shop in Miami, FL.  These baits were offered from sometime in the late 1930s to the early 1950s and they were primarily made to be used for salt water fishing.  It was a simple, yet effective surface lure.  It was available in a wide variety of colors and several different sizes.

While this lure was “A Proven Salt Water Lure”, many fisherman bought and used this lure for freshwater fishing and it was a good lure for catching large-mouthed bass.

Hmmm, I vonder if this lure vorked vell.  I need to catch some fish to make Lutefisk to go vith the Lefse I vade the otter day.