October 2015
Vibra Bat
Harrison Industries
Newark, NJ
1960s
Since it is October and Halloween is fast approaching, I figured the idea lure to feature this month would be the Vibra Bat.
Ever watch those info-mercials on TV and how they tell you about a product you just can’t live without? Sometimes when I see these, I picture the snake oil salesman in the late 1800s peddling bottles of a miracle tonic from his horse drawn covered wagon….
Now picture a lure that can catch 120 fish in an hour…when no other bait works. So great that a Navy Fish Biologist had to give an explanation why this lure works so great. Ads about this miracle lure appeared in many sports magazines throughout the 1960s and even offered a money back guarantee if you didn’t catch fish.
Instead of running through all the claims on this lure, I will let this ad from Popular Mechanics (1967) explain how this bait works so well:
The Vibra Bat came in two sizes (1/4 and 1/2 ounce), and two types of packaging that I am aware of, both of which are pictured above. It also came in 5 colors: yellow, orange, black, silver, and brass.
Each Bat had several places to tie your line on to vary the depth. The ¼ ounce had two, the ½ ounce had three.
The Bat also featured a double-hook, allowing the lure and hook to fold together to avoid getting snagged when not in use.
As far as markings on the lure…some are labeled with “Vibra Bat”, some with “Baby Bat” (both sizes). However, many I see are not marked at all.
Someday I should plan on fishing one of these lures. However, I am afraid to use it as I may sink my boat with all the fish I will catch….
