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p>By Doug Bucha

Paw Paw Bait CompanyPaw Paw Bait Company

In 1924, Clyde Sinclair and Floyd Phelps purchased the Moonlight Bait Company and changed it’s name to the Paw Paw Bait Company of Paw Paw , Mich. four years later.

Moonlight was a lure manufacturer from the early 1900’s until 1924 and manufactured many lures, which are now called Classics, by lure collectors. The Moonlight Company got its name from the fact that the first lures that it made were designed for night fishing. They even glowed in the dark.

Over the years, Paw Paw would expand their catalog of offerings to include items such as ice spearing decoys and duck decoys. All are highly prized by collectors.

Paw Paw sold to the Shakespeare Tackle Company of Kalamazoo in the early 1970’s and a few years later, Shakespeare sold to the Creek Chub Bait Company of Garrett, Indiana.

If you have any questions or need help with the identification of Paw Paw lures or for that matter any other lures, please feel free to contact me at dbucha@att.net


Did you come across some old fishing gear while preparing for this season’s garage sale?

It’s possible that tackle is more valuable than what you’ll get for it in a flea market. You can find out by attending the next gathering for antique tackle collectors at the Heddon Museum April 12th.

The group meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. at the former Heddon factory, 414 West St. in Dowagiac, Mich. The Museum is located two blocks north and two blocks west of the Mc Donald's.

The informal meeting of antique fishing lure collectors is mostly a show-and-tell with some selling, trading, and buying of old tackle taking place.

It’s open to anyone interested in old antique fishing tackle or who has old gear that he or she would like to be appraised. For more information, email Doug Bucha at ndBucha@yahoo.com.


Got a box of old fishing gear in the attic? You can get it appraised at the Dec. 8th meeting for antique tackle collectors at the Heddon Museum.

The group meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. at the former Heddon factory, 414 West St. in Dowagiac, Mich., that now serves as a museum. It’s located two blocks north and two blocks west of the McDonald's.

The informal meeting of antique fishing lure collectors is mostly a show-and-tell with some selling, trading, and buying of old tackle taking place.

It’s open to anyone interested in old antique fishing tackle or who has old gear that he or she would like to be appraised. For more information, email Doug Bucha at ndBucha@yahoo.com.


Antique tackle collectors will gather for their monthly informal meeting at the Heddon Museum Nov. 10.

Anyone interested in old antique fishing tackle or who has old gear that he or she would like to be appraised is welcome to stop by.

The group meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. at the former Heddon factory, 414 West St. in Dowagiac, Mich., that now serves as a museum. It’s located two blocks north and two blocks west of the McDonald's.

The get-together of antique lure collectors is mostly a show-and-tell with some selling, trading, and buying of old tackle taking place.

For more information, email Doug Bucha at ndBucha@yahoo.com.


Two of the Midwest’s best antique tackle shows are coming to Michiana this month. Each show can give the beginning collector an opportunity to explore lure collecting as a "Fun Hobby", with little or no cost involved. Both are open to the public.

The Ft. Wayne NFLCC Show will be Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. ñ 1 p.m. at Don Hall's Guest House. 1313 W. Washington Ctr. Rd. The fee is $5. There will be trading in the hotel throughout the afternoon and evening of the 23rd. This is a lot of fun. There will be over 100 tables of fishing collectables for the public to see.

The 2nd annual, Southern Michigan "Hunting and Fishing" Sport Collectible Show will be Oct. 31 from 9-3 at the Sturgis, Mich. VFW Lodge.