May 2013
Eureka Wiggler
Coldwater Bait Company
Coldwater, MI
1914
The Minnesota fishing opener is coming in mid-May. Due to our lower than normal temperatures this year and the snowstorms we had in late April and May, many lakes will still have ice on them for the opener. So, my Lure Of The Month for May will be a lure made by Coldwater Bait Co out of Coldwater, MI. Seems fitting….
In the small town of Coldwater, MI…Samuel O. Larrabee had an idea for a fishing lure. Why not design one where water was forced though a hole in the front of the lure and then have it exit from the sides, giving the lure a unique action and sound.
In 1914, his lure idea was patented. Coldwater Bait Company was born.
Looking at the above picture, you can see the large hole under the chin of the lure and one of the two side holes. This wooden lure is white with red painted inside the holes and also red hand-painted gill marks. While this color combination is the most common, many other colors existed including frog, white with green/red spots, and orange crackleback…where the lure had lines draw through the wet outer-coat of paint, exposing the undercoat.
The Eureka Wiggler was the first lure manufactured by this company. Due to its success, several other lures followed. However, I believe the company stopped making lures in the 1930s, possibly in part due to the depression years.
A word of warning…. In 2002, B.A.S.S. re-introduced this lure for a short time made of plastic in a “soiled” box that looks very close to the original. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is the original lure and box!!
