By Doug Bucha

Shakespeare Revolution LureDid you know that Shakespeare Tackle once made lures in Michiana?

Visit the antique tackle collectors get-together Oct. 8 and you can learn more about this and other antique gear once made in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.

The informal gathering will occur at the Heddon Museum in Dowagiac, Mich. beginning at 6:30 p.m. The museum is located two blocks north and two blocks west of the McDonalds.

William Shakespeare Jr. of Kalamazoo started his fishing lure business by introducing his new Revolution surface lure in 1900. From 1900 – 1901 the lures were made of wood, and by 1902 he had changed the material to aluminum. (see related photograph)

This was unusual considering that, when aluminum was first discovered in the 1870’s, it was more valuable than gold. Another interesting thought concerning the wood Revolution is that it preceded the Heddon wood Surface Bait by two years. Although Shakespeare would make many classic lures during its sixty some years in the tackle business, it would not be lures that would give the company its fame.

Shakespeare patented his first fishing reel in 1896 and this would become the company’s biggest seller through out the years. It is a little known fact that Shakespeare manufactured all of South Bend Bait and Tackle’s reels from 1910 through the 1960’s. This would make Shakespeare one of the world’s largest fishing tackle manufacturers.

Shakespeare must have had even earlier ties with South Bend. In early Shakespeare catalogs, there was a lure called the “Cork Worden Bucktail.” Mr. Worden was the founder of a company, which used his name, not South Bend. The Worden name was changed to, The South Bend Bait and Tackle Co. by the new owners in 1909.

For more information about these and other antique tackle items, call Doug Bucha at dbucha@att.net.