AntiqueLures |
South Bend fishing lure minnows
and the Vacuum Bait
By Dr. Michael Echols
The South Bend minnows I collect are limited to the early models as represented by the photos below and by those later models on South Bend page 2. The model numbers I collect are: 905, 903, 901, 902, 933, 945, 943, 955, 956, and the Panetella minnow. In my opinion, South Bend minnows are generally much more rare than those of any of the other major companies.
Click on photo to enlarge
The top photo below
shows a 5 hook model with the early type South Bend Box. Note the position of the logo.
The color is the yellow hex design with spots. Note the long slim tapered body as opposed
to the fatter type body style in the later minnows by South Bend.
The lower photo is of a later style box, again note the logo position, with the perch scale colored 5 hook underwater minnow. |
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Three rainbow underwater minnows. model 901 Midget, model 903 three hook, and model 905 five hook versions. All from the 1920's |
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A pair of Surf-Oreno's. The upper is green crackleback, c 1925, and the lower an early small cup, slimmer body, in rare red with black, c. 1916. |
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Three red and green spotted underwater minnows. Midget, three hook, and five hook versions. |
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South Bend Weedless Midget Woodpecker, model 926, with Bing hooks, c. 1920 |
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A pair of Panatella's, and earlier, model 913, 3 hook in rainbow with no tail cap and a later, model 915, 5 hook, with painted metal tail cap in green crackleback, c. 1922 |
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Above, a very early, model 905, c. 1915 five hook underwater in rare sienna crackleback. Below is a later five hook in common perch scale. |
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A brace of three hook, model 903, underwater minnows in green back, green perch, yellow perch. |
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The South Bend Vacuum Bait is a continuation of the Howe's Vacuum Bait. This example is the "dragon fly" color with a correctly marked "50" box and papers. |
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