Our resident all-time favorite professional bass fisherman, Bernie Schultz, sends us a puzzler of an UNID and hopes that someone, somewhere can shed some light on it. He writes:
Here's an unknown you might try. I've seen a couple of these and believe them to be Florida made. Hooks are hand-forged and designed to shed weeds, Maybe the super sleuths of the lure world can help. Worth a try.
Indeed...after coming up empty last week for Pepper Jack Gallagher, we need a home run this time out to keep our batting average over .300. My belief is that this is a small cottage lure, since there is more than one example out there. Pretty neat configuration but I'm trying to figure out how the side and back hooks release. Very intricate and VERY neat lure.
Thanks to Bernie for sending this our way! You can contact Bernie through his neat web site.
-- Dr. Todd
Dr. Todd, this is a Walter Clevenger lure made in Florida from approx. 1954 until he died in 1959 (See Bill Stuart's book on page 169). There are similar examples shown in the book, several with characteristics found on Bernie's bait. Stuart rates Clevenger's lures as "extremely rare".
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