In the late 1980s or early 1990s, I was at a local auction and looking at the treasures available to bid on. As usually, I went to the tackle boxes first looking for something to add to my collection. There were some old lures, but all well-used and didn’t peak too must interest to me…unless they went cheap.
Even though I was still a fairly new collector (about 10 years into collecting) and still did not own a book or reference on old baits, I was still looking for something unusual that I didn’t already have in my collection. Now, keep in mind that it is easy to find information about items now…but this was before Google and the wonderful internet that we now have….
I began looking through boxes of “treasures” searching for something to catch my eye. It didn’t have to be a fishing lure, but that was the ultimate prize. Then, in one box with a few bottle openers and trinkets, there it was…but what was it? A spiral hollow metal tube with two blades or wings. It was about 3 inches long with no hooks on it…but it appeared to have a line tie on one end and a place for a hook on the rear of the device. Could this be a fishing lure?
I studied the object closer. One blade was labeled “Geo. Jennings, Newark N.J., Pat Pending”. The other blade was stamped “Abbey & Imbrie, N.Y.” I was confused, why two makers on one item?
The spiral tube was dented and was starting to split. I was sure the one end was a line tie, so I had to have it. The condition did not matter to me, as it was something new to me and a chance for me to explore what it was after purchase.
After hours of waiting…my box was up for bid. I won the item for a very small price, in my opinion.
Looking at it closer, I was sure it was an old fishing lure. However, I did not find anymore about the bait until many years later.
What I had was a bait that was over 100 years old. Patented by Jennings, and sold by the distributor/reseller, Abbie and Imbrie. It is one of the earliest surface spinning baits commercially produced in the United States.
I still have this bait and won’t part with it, even for one in better condition. It is a true “field find” and the search and discovery of this bait is the real value behind it in my eyes.
Jennings Torpedo
George Jennings (distributed by Abbie and Imbrie)
Newark, NJ
1870s
September 2023
