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Twin-Fish Bait Company

Twin-Fish Bait Company
Riverside, Ontario (Windsor Area)


*Information based on an interview with Jerry Seeger who was a nephew to the original inventor

     In 1957, a man by the name Ernest E. Seeger applied and was granted a patent for an articulating lure (PAT# 550,844). The lure was given the name Twin-Fish and expanded on Charles Helin's idea of the popular Flatfish. Ernest was actually an employee of the Helin Tackle Company at the time, and was given the necessary experience and exposure to production that would allow him to pursue his own tackle interests. Ernest and Charles were actually cousins...and surprisingly, Ernest was also related to Walter Lindquist (Which makes sense considering the similarities between the Wiggler, Flatfish and Twin-fish). Ernest's approach was to add a segmented tail section that would create more action in the water.

     As a highschool student, Jerry Seeger vividly remembers helping his uncle out in the shop to produce these fantastic looking lures. According to him, the process involved placing wood blanks in a specially designed diecast mould for a large bandsaw. After the blanks were cut, they were dipped in paint, hung to dry and sprayed with a spotter gun or a mesh was applied to create the scale pattern. The fish hooks were all added by hand and bent into place with pliers.

     To promote his wares, Ernest would travel the Great Lakes area and display his lures on a large sheet of posterboard. According to Jerry Seeger, Ernest didn't really make a living out of the venture, but enjoyed the pursuit and had complete faith in his product.


 

Unfinished Twin-Fish Lures from the Factory 

Twin-Fish lures at varying levels of production.  The lures came in a range of sizes and colour patterns.  It's amazing to note the similarity the bait has to so many other Canadian lures of the time, and after reading the history, you come to understand why.
 

Twin-Fish Bait Company Sales Sheet

A sales catalogue page with information on sizes and colours.  According to the page, the lure came in 5 different sizes and was sold in the following colours:
  • White, Red Tips, Black Spots
  • Yellow, Red Tips, Black Spots
  • Orange, Black Spots
  • Black, Silver Scale
  • Frog
  • Perch
 

Twin-Fish Lure in its Original Box

A nice Twin-Fish spinning lure in frog finish.  The box was well made with a silver box and blue font.  The box also came with a very simple box insert describing the product and providing the address of the company.