Vintage Tackle Contest: Heddon Punkie Spook

Pictured below is a Heddon Punkie Spook, which was entered into the vintage tackle contest by Troy Walz. Though I wasn’t sure what Dr. Todd Larson of the The Whitefish Press and “Fishing For History” blog would have to say about this one, I never dreamed I would learn so much about ultra-light fishing back before there was such a thing as ultra-light spinning gear. All you fly rodders will get a kick out of this one! Troy wrote:

_I got this neat little lure from my grandpa when I was a kid. Not sure who made it, as there isn’t any writing on it. I would wager a guess it’s a crappie lure. I haven’t seen a little lure like this anywhere else. Just thought I would share. I have had it in my tackle box for a very long time. _

Dr. Todd says:

“You’ve got a really nifty and collectible fly rod lure. Fishing lures meant to be fished with a fly rod are largely a thing of the past due to the advent of ultra-light spinning equipment, but from the 1920s through the 1950s most manufacturers made tiny versions of popular lures to fish with a fly rod. Yours is one of the most popular–a Heddon Punkie Spook, the fly rod version of the Heddon Punkinseed. My father had this exact lure in his tackle box when I was a kid. I used it about 10,000 times and never caught a single fish. Worst. Lure. Ever. But fortunately, it is highly collectible, and in the shape it’s in its worth $100-$150. You can see the 1940 catalog cut introducing the lure here.”

Funny…there is so much debate these days over what is truly considered a fly. I bet most of you fly anglers would never dream of tying a tiny crankbait on the long rod, but I guess in the 1920s people cared more about catching fish than what they were catching them on. Congrats on a great find, Troy. And a nice appraisal price, too! You’ve got a Cabela’s 50th Anniversary Fly Box and Fly Assortment headed your way.

If you’ve already sent me photos of your vintage tackle, keep checking every Thursday to see if I chose it for an appraisal by Dr. Todd. If you haven’t and want to enter the contest, email photos of your old tackle to fstackle@gmail.com, along with your name, mailing address, and story of how you acquired the gear. If I use it in a Thursday post, you get a Cabela’s 50th Anniversary Fly Box and Fly Assortment (below, $50).