The Structure Cafe: Fishing News

Fishing News

05/03/2017

Issue #11 - Fishing News & Wisconsin Spoonplugger - October 1964

Reading, as we have told you, is a good way to learn much that you need to know about fishing. Read and re-read the right stuff. Save years of experimenting.

Go back to your old issues of "Fishing News." I guarantee you that you will find things that you have missed. You will find other things that you will now understand. You can keep doing this for several years.

Posted at 01:18 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (2)

03/23/2017

Issue #10 - Fishing News & Wisconsin Spoonplugger - September 1964

Learn to Visualize That Lake Bottom!

"Catching fish is first finding them. As we have told you, any lake is mostly empty water. We have urged you to visualize this. Do it now. Then we told you, and we will keep on telling you, it is the bottom of the lake that is important. Fish ON the bottom. This is the "90%" way."

Bill Binkelman

Posted at 04:50 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Memorabilia, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/21/2017

George Pazik, Bill Baumgarten

This photo is circa 1968 or so. George Pazik was now directly involved with producing Fishing News, and notice the reference to "Ron and Allen Lindner" in recognition of their muskie catches which were making headlines in the area.

Posted at 11:12 AM in Fishing News, In' Fisherman/Al & Ron Lindner | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/16/2017

Fish Lo-K-Tors and Fishing News

A neat photo from Babe Winkelman's Jig and Live Bait Fishing book that features an old Lowrance "green box" and "red box," along with some issues of Fishing News.

Posted at 05:05 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Lowrance | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/03/2017

Issue #9 - Fishing News & Wisconsin Spoonplugger - August 1964

Sensational Catches by Spoonpluggers Are Making History!

"Spoonpluggers are getting so many fish, that to qualify as a big one, it just about has to weigh in at seven pounds. Eight pounders are becoming common, and nine pounders are not exactly rare. Limits are being taken for granted."

- Bill Binkelman

Posted at 06:56 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/29/2016

Weedless and Topwater Spoonplugs

Buck Perry designed lures to do everything he needed in regards to depth and speed control, including some to help cover a variety of situations a structure fisherman might run across when checking the shallows. He categorized lures into 4 types; Topwater or shallow working; Weedless or snagless; Free running - bottom bumping (Basic Design); and Jump type (normally in the jig class). He called the first two types, the Weedless and the Snagless, "5 Percent lures." This was because on average, a person should never have to use these two types of lure classes more than 5 percent of the time. They were for a very specific purpose, and should only ever be pulled out when those conditions presented themselves.

Below are some photos and clips detailing more about these lesser known "Spoonplugs."

Posted at 08:42 PM in Fishing News, Memorabilia, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/26/2016

Issue #8 - Fishing News & Wisconsin Spoonplugger - July 1964

It may not be nice to say "We told you so," but we are going to do it anyway. Spoonpluggers are doing even better than we expected. Beginners are catching more fish, bigger fish than most local experts fishing in traditional ways...If you haven't read and reread Buck Perry's little pamphlet - do so. If you don't have it, you can get it from Boston Store for 25c and a self-addressed, stamped envelope, or get it free; it's enclosed in every 5 pack of Spoonplugs. (See coupon on page 3.)

- Bill Binkelman

Posted at 01:49 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Memorabilia, Old Newspaper Articles, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/18/2016

Boston Store Fishing Catalog 1968

Long before the advent of online shopping, and even well before now heavy hitter Bass Pro Shops (1972) or long gone Bassmaster's "The Outhouse" (1972-73), there was the Boston Store mail order catalog featuring the best gear written about, used by, and promoted in the pages of Fishing News. This 1968 catalog will give you an idea of what top tackle was available to anglers for purchase regardless of their location. It includes familiar names for the time such as Buck Perry Spoonplugs, Crawford jigs, bulk monofilament fishing line, Smithwick's Devil's Warhorse (Devil's Horse), Lutz pork baits, Nightcrawler Secrets packages, and the Lowrance Lo-K-Tor. However, there are also some newcomers to the scene such as the beginning of the popularity of plastic worms (Bing McClelland/Burke), as well as the Crawford Jig Worm, the early predecessor to shaky heads. You could even open a charge account if you didn't have the funds to pay for your order in its entirety.

Posted at 02:46 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Lowrance, Nightcrawler Secrets, Old Newspaper Articles, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/08/2016

"A Spoonplugging Lesson" Follow-up

Posted at 01:11 PM in Bill Binkelman, Fishing News, Spoonplugging/Buck Perry | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/01/2016

Al Lindner, Jig Worms, and Crawford Jigs 1970

This picture of Al Lindner with his guide party and a nice string of largemouth bass appeared in the June 1970 issue of Fishing Facts magazine. It is notable for several reasons.

The first is the mention of jig worms. The original jig worms were created in the late 1950s in the Ozark area, but quickly spread into the upper Midwest. Several manufacturers came out with versions including the late Jack Crawford (hair jig fame). Lots of pictures and stories from the late 1960s Fishing News newspapers documenting the success of jig worms.

The other interesting mention is of the various Crawford hair jigs tied by Jack and sold through Northwoods in Fishing Facts magazines. They would later be bought by Mister Twister and released as 'Nature Jigs.'

A detailed story on the history of the jig worm (click), written by Ned Kehde, appears on the In-Fisherman website.

Posted at 01:22 PM in Everything Else, Fishing Facts, Fishing News, In' Fisherman/Al & Ron Lindner | Permalink | Comments (0)

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