Vintage Tackle Contest: Arbogast Hawaiian Sputterfuss

Do you like throwing a buzzbait and seeing a big bucketmouth bass pulverize it? Well, you might not have any buzzbaits to throw if it wasn’t for this buzzer entered into our vintage tackle contest by Paul Rohde. Paul found it while cleaning out his dad’s old tackle box, and though it kind of has that saltwater squid look, Dr. Todd Larson of The Whitefish Press and “Fishing For History” blog says this was one of the best-selling freshwater lures of all time.

Dr. Todd says:

_”Fred Arbogast was one of America’s preeminent lure designers. Maker of a number of iconic lures–the Tin Liz and Jitterbug are among his most famous__–__one of his towering achievements was the Hawaiian Sputterfuss. Originating in 1946, it was a modified version of the popular Hawaiian Wiggler, with a big blade in front of it. It was designed to be skittered on the surface at high speeds, and was the first real “buzz bait” ever made. Combined with new high speed bait casters that came out in the wake of World War II, it helped to revolutionize bass fishing. There were millions sold, so their value is minimal — around $5-$10 each. But I would take this out fishing today and buzz a few bass. There’s nothing like catching a fish on a vintage lure!”_

Cool find, Paul! If you’re going to take the Doc’s advice, you’d better get going before fall’s chill rolls in for good. 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.