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Posts: 309
Location: Elgin IL | Do all Le lures say Le lure on them? Is this a Le lure creeper?
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 Le lure 2.JPG (41KB - 473 downloads)
Le lure 2_1.JPG (49KB - 520 downloads)
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Posts: 298
Location: Not where I want to be! | The original LeLure company ones did. Not sure if the current ones do. This bait looks like a Hi-Fin that someone put diffrent wings on. Original LeLures have thru wire construction, this looks like screw eyes. |
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Posts: 122
Location: North Central Illinois | 2nd the Hi-Fin... |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | It would say Le Lure on it if was original I do believe
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Posts: 309
Location: Elgin IL | Hi Fins had different wings and this one has glass eyes. |
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| Looks like a LeLure , made after Frenchy initially sold the company. I had one that looked identical. Had the LeLure logo on a small decal if I recall. Same construction, same wings. |
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| i HAVE SEVERAL OF HIS LURES.
I knew Frenchy and his partners for 30 years as close friends.
I HAVE AN ORIGINAL UNSIGNED, UNPAINTED BUT FINISHED CREEPER shaped like a frog, AND ON THOSE THE FLIPPERS WERE HANDMADE. He hand-machined them. They appear to have a sharp kink in the middle, where it appears that he used a punch or to help with the flippers shape. I was told the some of the earliest actually were numbered. One of my friends who also owned the company has a complete set of the very first ones made by the company, with numbers around three.
My son has one numbered in the hundreds.
My collection, have no numbers on them, but were closeouts from the Company.
I paid $20.00 each at the time (just after they closed)..
On his first tackle company ones, the flippers were appear to be purchased, the stainless wire still goes through, but have a screwed in metal cradle in which a ring is attached to the treble. On some of his models there was a wire where the ring was also attached to a loop which connected to the main shaft.
That is why you see hole behind the cradle. Look closely, some have the additional wire attached to both the wire and main shaft.
If only screw eyes or just screwed in cradle, my guess is it probably wouldn't stand the abuse. He gave me a set of stainless spinners for a globe (one hunk of wood, spinners front and back) with the pattern to be cut out and bent with a scroll saw. he also gave me the lathe turned block and the wires to put it together. Started the project, but was too much of a pain. Still have all the parts, but framed.
I ended up making rapalas, from balsa wood using his method and using spray cans, bridal veil etc, to paint them instead of airbrushing. A lot easier and faster. I'm too ADHD to sit in a boat for a week to catch a fish so never took up muskie fishing.
The picture of the bait looks like it might be one. Looks like dimples in down the center of the flipper. Never saw one like this, with metal over the top, but could be a very early experimental one, as the colors and bridal veil pattern and flippers all appear as his colors.
Never saw one with screw eyes. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | wavridr - 4/2/2012 7:49 AM
Original LeLures have thru wire construction, this looks like screw eyes.
Yes they did have thru wire construction. This does not look like a Hi-Finn as they have painted eyes,. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I took pic of a couple of my old Creepers.
Black one is an old wooden Hi-Finn Hawg Buster (note painted eyes and wings are not the same as above)
The frog colored one is not an Frenchy original, but one made shortly after he sold the company. It did not have any writing on it. The signature is when I had Frenchy sign it when he attend our meeting about 10 yrs ago.
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creepertop.jpg (35KB - 342 downloads)
creeperbottom.jpg (33KB - 319 downloads)
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| At one time during one of the revivials of the name, some were built in New York by an Indian Tribe, so the story goes. Mine looks just like yours, not through wire, same hardware, mine is black. I also have some of the original creepers and globes, Yours should work ok, the wings are flimsy and it was built in the late 80s, not through wire, I wouldn't use it on trophy water. It's still cool musky bling, a great wall hanger. |
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| Sorry, I ment late 90s and mine does not have a decal. |
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