Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

Have been on furlough leave due to covid.
Decided to clean out garage today and found this lure that I vaguely remember buying years ago. BASS 30 yr anniversary commemorative Bomber Lure remake. Pretty cool! Thought you guys might enjoy seeing it!

Rutinbuck Loc: Haysville, Kansas

I have one of those bomber spinstick lures

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

That's very nice. Have you ever used a spin stick? I have not. Boy, back in the day they really loved their propellers, huh?

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

No Spirit, I have not. Did a lot of bass fishing in my younger days growing up in San Diego. Mostly fished, plastics crankbaits and jigs.
Have been in Oregon now 30 plus years and don't really do any bass fishing anymore!
Yes...they did love those propellers!

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Budubya: Congratulations! You have a truly collectors item with your Bomber Spin Stick. They made both the Spin Stick in a multitude of colors and also a simple stick, without the blades.

I am the son in law of the late Ike Walker, who was one of the original partners of Bomber. He was the person who made the prototype of lures, the machinery, and the design of the machinery to mass produce all the lures. Clarence Turberville was the business head. The third partner was Charles Parker, the dean of Cooke County Junior College and was not active in the management of Bomber.

They started out in Ike Walker's garage with a wood lathe, cutting out the original Bomber bodies and much like Henry Ford, the first ones were one size and one color, Black. It was later called the 600 Bomber. This was in the early days of WW II, and the bait looked like a bomb. It was about 5 inches long with 3 treble hooks, and ran backwards like a crawfish. It really caught the bass in Southern states and created their reputation.

Ike said it was extremely difficult to find any hardware, such as hooks, because of the war. He would drive around for days, in Texas and Oklahoma visiting hardware stores trying to find any kind of the screws and hooks needed to complete the manufacture of lures.

Ike Walker was one of the first graduates from Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas. He was born in the small community of Bulcher, my home, and his family moved to West Texas, Olton, where they farmed a dry land farm until irrigation became the boon to cotton farming. He was living in Gainesville before the war, and with his fishing buddy, Clarence Turberville, were avid fishermen. They began tinkering in Ike's garage making crude, prototype lures from scratch, thus the start of The Bomber Bait Company, that eventually became a giant in bass lures particularly in the Southern states. Just Sayin...RJS

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

Thanks for the information and history lesson RJS ! I really do appreciate it. I will keep that lure as a keepsake. The lure, box and leaflet are all in "mint" condition.

Big TC Loc: Raytown, MO.

You might want to put the whole thing into a safety deposit box. That could become a big chunk of your retirement or grandkids college funds.

E.pa.al Loc: Martin's Creek

Ill start the bidding at 12.00$$😛😛

bucky buckner Loc: murrells inlet SC

$100.00,,,,,,,,,, YYUUPP

Big dog Loc: Bayshore, Long Island, New York

Cool

msmllm Loc: Huntington, WV

Yes, I'd hold onto that lure. I don't know what it is worth but could have also sentimental value. If I had a lure like that, I'd be afraid to fish with it because of getting it hung up and losing it.

DaveDave Loc: Northern Arizona

Appreciate the History lesson. I love this kind of stuff. Have a great one 👍

Mister twister Loc: Foxworth,Ms.

You might wanna take the 12.00 and run. Max in box never opened around $22.00

Bdubya06 Loc: Salem OR

Nah, not interested in $. Just thought it was kinda cool and wanted to share the photos.

GlsJr40 Loc: Dallas, Tx.

RJS, what about Floyd Mabry? If my memory is correct, he was considered the best bass fisherman in that era, and it's also my memory (if it's still reliable) that he almost exclusively fished Bomber baits.