Deconstructing Old Ads: Fred Arbogast--In The Beginning (1926)

Fred Arbogast: In The Beginning


It is always a pleasure to present the the earliest ad for a major fishing tackle manufacturer. The Fred Arbogast Company needs no introduction to collectors and fishermen alike. Lures such as the Jitterbug, the Hula Popper and the Hawaiian Wiggler are as well known to fishermen today as to fishermen fifty years ago. When you ask many collectors what was Fred Arbogast's first lure, they often think of the Tin Liz as it was the first really “big” success for Fred Arbogast in the artificial bait field. However Fred's first bait is one seldom seen in collections or in advertising of the day. The ad presented here is from the June 1926 issue of Hunting & Fishing magazine. The Spin-tail Kicker is the First commercial lure produced by Fred Arbogast and this ad is generally accepted as the first ever ad for that lure. As in many other ads for single hook lures that have appeared over the years, the printer has placed the bait upside down in the ad.



-- Bill Sonnett