Vintage Tackle Contest: Barracuda Reflecto Spoon (Sort Of)

By Joe Cermele

Today’s vintage tackle contest entry comes from Michael Muth, who found this rig in his grandma’s attic when he was 12. I chose it because we don’t often see a lot of dedicated saltwater lures, however, I kind of had a feeling that the box and the lure didn’t match. Of course, I’m not the expert, so I ran it by Dr. Todd Larson of The Whitefish Press and “Fishing For History” blog.

Dr. Todd says:

_”Barracuda was one of the more prominent Florida fishing tackle companies, and their Reflecto Spoon (for which you have the box) was perhaps their most prominent lure. It was a staple of the saltwater surf casting world for many years, beginning in the 1950s, and sold in a large number of sizes and finishes. Unfortunately, your grandfather must have lost the spoon on a fish. The lure inside the box looks like a Super Dude jig used as a “dropper” on a small spoon and keel weight spinner rig. Probably caught a lot of fish! While the combo has limited collector value (the box is worth about $3-$5), it’s a wonderful reminder that fishermen do not worry about whether they are putting the correct lure back in the right box. This rig clearly caught fish, and was important enough to preserve in the Barracuda box for the next fishing trip. You should preserve it, too, as a memento of family and fishing days gone by. .”
_

Tough break, Michael, but as the good doctor notes, your grandfather probably smoked a lot of fish on that rig, and (like the rest of us) stuck lures and rigs any old place and then could never find them when he needed them. Thanks for sending and keep an eye on your mailbox, because there’s a set of Berkley Aluminum Pliers 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 pair of Berkley Aluminum Pliers (above) worth $50.