January 2016
The Chipmunk Swim-A-Lure
The American Display Co (Sporting Goods Division)
Dayton, OH
1941
For this month, I have chosen a lure that reminds me of the “Chipmunk Slayer” of our family after an infestation was damaging our property. Yes, I am referring to you, Bruce. Not only is it a chipmunk lure, but it was also designed by a man whose name sounds like something Bruce would make up….
In the early 1930s, a man named Milton S. Dunkelberger from the American Display Company acquired the lure patents from the Carter’s Bestever Bait Company out of Indianapolis, IN. Carter’s had been producing lures for over a decade at that point. After acquiring these baits and rights, he changed the name to Dunk-Carter Lures, and sometimes just plain “Dunks”.
The existing baits changed only slightly, but Dunkelberger had ideas for some new lures. One line of wooden baits were called the Swim-A-Lures. These lures featured cool colors and shapes and each featured a long metal nose plate that could be adjusted for different lure actions.
The largest of these was the chipmunk at 4 ½ inches long. Its ad made these statements:
“If you want Big Fish, you need plenty of ACTION! These baits give you instant action at SLOW SPEED that will make you think you have something alive on the end of your line.”
“Newly designed head gives 3 actions in one bait. Dives, Jumps, and Swims on Surface.”
The Swim-A-Lure was available in eleven models: Sunfish, Bluegill, Big Chub, Striped Minnow, Red Shrimp, Jointed Pike, Yellow Jacket, Frog, Baby Duck, Pike, and Chipmunk. The Baby Duck was designed the same as the Chipmunk, only the jointed tail was removed and the head/body section was painted like a duckling.
These Swim-A-Lures can be hard to find as production was fairly low for this smaller company. Also some designs, like the Chipmunk, is highly sought after by collectors.
