Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 39

Wednesday, January 22, 1992 Southern IUlnoisan PLUS plus! Page 2 2 Till jo Finding antique lures is difficult. But Fred Washburn, 49, of Carterville has saved wooden baits since he was a boy. l3 A CTSv MJ Chapter of Americana preserved by Carterville sportsman By Left WInkclcr Of The Southern lliinolsan I red Washburn I charee admission should to his Dass lure: Washburn calls this duckling 'Captain At- Wooden frog: This lure would be a welcome addition for any collector. Southern lliinoisan photos by CHUCK N0VARA Miniature museum: Thousands of antique lures hang on an office wall at Fred Washburn's taxidermy business in Carterville. 4 XL officeworkshop.

Washburn, of Carterville, manufactures Cottonmouth jigs, a favorite among Southern Illinois fishermen. On one office wall is an impressive collection of trophy larjje-mouth tu.vi, stripers and crappie. Vhe fish are the paJucts of Washburn's txidenny business. Ths? other wail is covered with literally of fishing lures. "INe got baits that were given to uve when I was six or seven years old," Washburn said.

i never got rid of them. They were keepsake. le sot several that were given to me by my dad when I was a little kid." The lure collection has never been an obsession with Washburn. HeM pick up a few here and there while fishing in tournaments, and many have been given to him by friends and acquaintances. "It just sort of evolved," Washburn said.

"I don't go out and actively search for them. It's just something that's happened over years of fishing." Washburn has caught fish with many of the lures displayed on his wall. Despite the thousands of lures in his collection, he knows the names of them all. "That's a Heddon Double Dummy. That's a Heddon Luny Frog," he pointing out a few lures as he walked along the wall.

"I've still got the first plug I ever caught a bass on," Washburn said while searching through the lures. "I was about six, maybe. There it is, a Wright-McGill Miracle Minnow." There are some rare and unusual lures in the collection. One of the most unusual is an Eger Frog. The lure was made with real frog skin prior to World War II.

He has spinner baits in his collection that have blades made of mother of pearl. 72 This stuff isn't I stamped out. Somebody had to sit down and do this. Fred Washburn, antique lure collector Double dummy: A cracked finish gives this lure, made by Heddon a scaly appearance. A second coat of finish protects the illusion.

ard made in the 1940's did the same thing. It's a floating, diving bait." All of the baits that find their way onto Washburn's wall are very old or obsolete. They are also retired. He doesn't have any desire to use any of the old baits for nostalgic purposes. "To me that would just be sacrilege, to go out and tear them up or lose them," he said.

Interest in the old baits is catching on. Washburn said it is becoming increasingly rare to stumble onto antique lures. "It's become quite a hobby anymore," he said. "Twenty years ago you could get the old baits, no problem. Twenty years ago hardly anybody collected them." Washburn said a number of factors determine the value of an antique lure.

The number of lures made and the condition of the individual baits are factors, but to be a collectable the lures had to be made by a company or a notable individual. Those who think they have valuable lures should refer to "Old Fishing Lures and a book written by Carl F. Luckey and published by Books Americana, Washburn said. Among the several Jitterbugs displayed on the wall is one with a plastic lip. Washburn said the bait was manufactured during World War II when all available aluminum was being used for aircraft construction.

One of the strangest baits in the collection is a Heddon River Runt, a weedless crankbait. The lure features metal guards in front of each hook. "A fish would have to be an engineer to get hooked on but it is weedless," Washbum said. Heddon is one of the most collectable baits, according to Washburn, because all the company's lures are labeled. His collection focuses on wooden baits, but he does have some spinner baits including a Hendryx model patented in 1886.

Washburn marveled at the craftsmanship of the spinner bait. "All of this stuff is "hand made," he said. "This stuff isn't stamped out. Somebody had to sit down and do this." Craftsmanship is the major difference between the antique lures and many of the baits used today. "There are some excellent baits out today, but a lot them are made to catch fish- ermen rather than fish, he said.

"The idea that a lot of manufacturers have today is to make them as fast and economically as they can. That's the only way they can stay in business. If you had to make baits like these (pointing at his collection) today, it would cost you $25 and you couldn't sell any." Although most of the lures on Washburn's wall are made of wood, the majority of modern baits are made from plastic, lure design has not changed radically over the years. "There's really nothing new in the tackle business. It's just modifications," Washburn said.

"They invented the 20-plus crankbaits. Heck, this Martin liz Rare bait: Few lures were made by Winchester. New Year's Southern lliinoisan Plus ASouthern lliinoisan Publication 710 N. Illinois Carbondale 62901 529-5454 218 N.Park Herrin 62948 942-3187 1007V2 W. Main Marion 62959 997-2279 or 1-800-228-0429 Published each Wednesday and distributed to more than 77,000 homes in Southern Illinois.

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