Double Header

Double Header

Tropical Bait Company - Indianapolis, Indiana



 Double Header Lure by Tropical Bait Company
Double Header

The Double Header lure was made by the Tropical Bait Company. It is believed that Tropical Bait was located somewhere in Indiana. The lure, made of wood and having painted eyes, measures about 3 1/2 inches in length.

The red head/white body color was the original 'unknown' before being identified by Bob Claycomb as he had seen one about a year ago in a plastic top box. The one Bob had for sale was in a color best described as 'green frog' and was priced at $45.  (Note:  these price estimates are from the original 1997 article.)

Interestingly, there is an identical lure pictured in Karl White's latest book on page 162 (A8), which is silver in color, also with painted eyes but of a different pattern. It too is identified as an 'unknown'.

 

My Bait Shop Updates:

Since this original Lure Lore was first published in 1997 we know quite a bit more about this company and lure.  Most of this can be attributed to the excellent research of Robert Slade in his Encylodpedia of Old Fishing Lures Made in North America Volumes.  Here are some additional facts about the company and their baits:

  • The company was founded by Ned Danforth, born in Wisconsin and relocated to Indiana.  Later retiring back to Wisconsin.
  • The company is most famous for their Stormy Petrel Frog (commonly referred to as the Pac-Man lure).
  • The company was in business from 1935 to 1958.

 

Below is an additional image of the Double Header fishing lure and a photo of the Stormy Petrel / Pac-Man (thanks to Langs Auction for use of the images).

Double Header Fishing Lure

Tropical Bait Company Double Header Lure

 Stormy Petrel Fishing Lure

 Stormy Petrel (Pac-Man) Fishing Lure

 

 

Test Your Knowledge:  Tropical Bait Company Double Header Lure FAQ's:

Where were the Double Header fishing lures made?
The Double Header lures were made in Indianapolis, Indiana by the Tropical Bait Company which was in business from 1935 to 1958.

What other lure was the Tropical Bait Company famous for making?
The Tropical Bait Company is best known for making the Stormy Petrel lure, affectionately referred to as the Pac-Man lure.

Where can I find more information on the Double Header fishing lures?
You can find more information on our website My Bait Shop where we have a full page dedicated to the Double Header fishing lures?


Related Articles / Pages:

Lure Lore:  More great Lure Lore articles on My Bait Shop featuring in depth lure reviews and historical data.  An ever-growing section started in 1997 and continued on today at My Bait Shop.

Lures For Sale:  See what we have in stock at My Bait Shop for vintage lures.  Our ever changing inventory makes this worth repeat visits.

Unknown

Unknown Lure

This lure begs to be identified due to its unique characteristics. It is a wood lure, having a globe-type prop on the front. The head is entirely serrated around the rear edge. The back part has two flattened edges, opposite each other, painted green. There is a cap on the tail and it has cup hardware.

Unknown Status: Unidentified

 

If you have any further information on any of the items displayed on this page which you'd like to share, please send your comments to me and I'll update the page accordingly. Contributions of interesting items and/or unknowns are encouraged.

(Originally Published on LureLore.com on January 28, 1997 - Vol. 2, No. 2)
Moved to My Bait Shop in 2020 and updated as applicable

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