How do lures get their names? Well, in just about every way imaginable--from the sound they make to the person who invented them to the completely made-up. The Jamison Company of Chicago, however, decided to try something different in 1941 when they introduced the No. 1500, a River Runt style casting lure. They held a national contest to see who could come up with the best name.
"Jamison's No. 1500 lure," a 1941 Sporting Goods Dealer article declared, "has been christened the Raider by the three prominent judges in the contest." The winner was Howard L. Tollefson of Inglewood, California, who received a $100 cash prize which was to be publicly presented by Jamison G.M. Orville Cullerton.
Jamison did not skimp on prizes, and got thousands of entries as a result. In fact, second and third prizes were outboard motors, while fourth prize was a radio. 50 other prize winners received a Jamison landing net.
The lurer itself was billed as a "vivid chipproof plastic bait made in two sizes (3.25" and 2.5") and six patterns." It is a pretty lure and certainly not as commonly found as, say, the wiggle twin. Here is the announcement ad for the newly christened lure:
So a neat lure got a neat name through a neat national contest. My thanks to J.K. Garrett & L.P. Brooks for sending this my way.
-- Dr. Todd
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