Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Stan Mikina's 1948 Jet-Propelled Fishing Lure

Stan Mikina's 1948 Jet-Propelled Fishing Lure

The post-World War II era was ripe with new tackle inventions. Here's a neat one written up in the February 1948 Hunting & Fishing magazine that features a "Jet-Propelled" lure invented by Stan Mikina.

Inventor Stanley J. Mikina sets out to "fool the fish" as he loads up one of the ingenious lures he has developed. The Westinghouse research engineer, who designed the lure after an unsuccessful fishing trip, here inserts a capsule containing sodium bicarbonate and a harmless fruit acid. When the lure is dragged through the water, the mixture reacts with the water to produce a stream of bubbles that give off alluring little pops designed to attract the attention of fish. The body of the lure is made of lightweight magnesium with a filling of a foam plastic that enables it to float easily. Mr. Mikina has turned over his patent to two brothers in Detroit who are mass-producing the lure. Each capsule gives an hour's worth of bubbles.


Mikina actually applied for a patent on this lure in late 1945, and received it as Patent #2423717 on 08 July 1947.



It's an attractive lure that was one of a number of "chemical propellant/release" baits of the time that included the Texas-made Bleeder Bait. Anyone own one of these guys?

-- Dr. Todd

UPDATE:

Steve Kuchman of Bristol, CT writes: "I believe Stan Mikina's lure turend out to be the BUBBLE MINNIE.  There are quire a few of these out there. There was also a BUBBLE SALLY based on the same concept."

Cool! Anyone have a picture of a Bubble Minnie or Bubble Sally?
 
-- Dr. Todd

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