Herman Matz grew up in Perham, Minnesota only about 50 miles from where I was raised. I have collected fishing lures since the 1980s, and was surprised that I didn’t find out about his lures until the 2010s.
All of his baits were hand-made and have a “folk art” look and color. His wooden plugs feature metal wings, long stiff wire to make the bait weedless, and a long hook that allowed you to add a tail or pork rind. Many of his lures featured his hand painted patent number on the side, which had to be tough to do on these small baits.
I really like these baits and would like to find out more about Herman and his history. I have been looking hard for more of his lures and have found about a half dozen in the last 10 years or so.
Herman Matz was born in September of 1885 and passed away in December of 1977 at the age of 92. It appears he started making these lures later in life and patented it when he was 69 years old. Maybe he was looking for a hobby or some extra income after retirement?
Whatever the reason, I would love to learn more about the history of this unique Minnesota lure….
“Weedless Baits”
Herman Matz
Perham, MN
1954
October 2022
