LI plug and tackle manufacturers: back in time....

[DarkSkies]

We have a thread here for old-time LI fishermen and stories, people:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=5237

From conversations with them I realize there were a lot of innovative lure and tackle makers that grew up and prospered on Long Island.

They brought us things like the baittail jig, different types of tins, and many others.

What could have been the toughest test of their gear was to bring it to Montauk, fish the hell out of it, and see if fishermen liked it.

The most important issue?
How did it swim in the water? :don't know why:
Did it catch? :lookhappy:

Early in the history of Long Island fishing, when fishermen made the transition from bait to jigs, bucktails, and other new inventions of the 1900s, some LI fishing tackle innovators were at the top of their game.

However, LI fishermen are a tough breed. If your new fishing idea or presentation you wanted to sell didn't work, fishermen would ignore you. You failed miserably. :beatin:

It's been said about businesses in NY, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

I think the same holds true for LI tackle and lure makers and manufacturers. Succeed, or die a quick death. :viking:

[DarkSkies]

Let's hear about any old-time Long Island Commercial fishing tackle manufacturers, from the large companies to the garage operations.

The ones that succeeded, and why you liked them growing up. The ones that failed, and the ones in between.

Let's hear about some local pride. :thumbsup: Someone in your family or a relative make or sell tackle for awhile? Even if they didn't succeed, they are a part of LI fishing history. If you cite sources that are copyrighted, please remember to put up the link. I reserve the right to edit links I feel aren't appropriate.

I think this is gonna be a good thread for the winter. :cool:

[DarkSkies]

There are lots of places to google, guys. Some of the names mentioned to me recently were the Bingle banana, AVA jigs, (which I think was one of the manufacturers of diamond jigs that became a fishing standard), many other knockoffs, Bait tail jigs used in LI in the 80's by Mike Flannery and others, etc...

I used the Bingle banana and the Alou eels when I was a kid about 12yrs old. Never caught anything with them, but back then I knew nothing about surfcasting. Even so, I was desperate to learn and try everything I read about in the fishing news. :dribble:

Just some suggestions to get ya's started. :)

[rockhopper]

I always called them diamond jigs or tins, thanks for the different info.

[jigfreak]

Used to fish this back in the day, Alou eel. Don't remember who made it.

Also found this for AVA tackle, don't know what it means?

BEZERK-O - ARTHUR H. FREY, JR., DOING BUSINESS AS AVA TACKLE CO. It said no longer available, so maybe he sold the business or the AVA patent expired.

[nitestrikes]

I don't know if this is in the right place, Dark. Hank Altenkirch made high end fishing rods. Move it somewhere else if you feel it should be there.



LONG ISLAND JOURNAL; Angling Art and Science in Hampton Bays





By MARCELLE S. FISCHLER
Published: October 17, 2004

Photos: Hank Altenkirch, a Hampton Bays maker of custom fishing rods, holds one he made for President Bush. Mr. Altenkirch at a lathe, left.; Altenkirch Precision Outfitters has customized fishing rods for 75 years. (Photographs by Deirdre Brennan for The New York Times)


THE fishing rod on a rack in the back room at Altenkirch Precision Outfitters in Hampton Bays is a custom order for President Bush. Hank Altenkirch turned its grip on a lathe until the cork was velvety smooth, tapering it ever so slightly to fit the president's hand like a glove.

''It's for light fluke and flounder,'' Mr. Altenkirch said, showing off the feather-light $450 rod with red, blue and gold wrapping that can be split into three pieces for traveling. ''He can use it in lakes, for all kinds of small fish,'' Mr. Altenkirch said.

Mr. Altenkirch, 54, is a high-end fishing-rod maker. Since his grandfather Charlie started crafting precision-cut fly rods and giant tuna tackle in the back of his garage by the Shinnecock Canal 75 years ago, Mr. Altenkirch has quietly become rodmaker to the stars.

''My grandfather made rods for Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig,'' Mr. Altenkirch said. Once the cork was pressed and the grip shaped on the lathe, Ruth would wrap his own pole, Mr. Altenkirch said. The western novelist and angler Zane Grey relied on Altenkirch equipment. When Jackie Gleason fished for weakfish in the 1950's, he bought his fishing rod at Altenkirch.

''Many world records have been caught on our rods,'' Mr. Altenkirch said, his hand steady as he varnished a black and purple surf-casting rod.

In recent years Mr. Altenkirch has made giant tuna and casting rods for Billy Joel and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. Martha Stewart once ordered a custom striped-bass rod.

From fly rods to large custom graphite surf-casters and 180-pound-class big-game rods, Mr. Altenkirch uses a hand-fitted hickory bushing to attach the reel seat to the blank. He said it was more sensitive than tape.

''You can get to know if a crab is biting on the line,'' Mr. Altenkirch said. ''You can feel if a lure is wobbling a certain way. You can feel a piece of grass.''

Fred Havemayer, 63, a Southampton town trustee, has a dozen surf rods in his Altenkirch collection. Stopping by the shop on a recent afternoon, Mr. Havemayer said the Altenkirch line was the Rolls-Royce of fishing tackle.

''They were way ahead of the curve,'' Mr. Altenkirch said. ''It's like the Rolex diving watch. You see the knockoffs all over.''
Mr. Havemayer, a former professional boat captain, recalled a 22-hour fight he had with a 300-pound swordfish. The line broke and the fish got away, but the rod withstood the pressure.

''It's peerless,'' Mr. Havemayer said. ''I have fished everywhere from Panama to Hatteras. It's the way it's built. The product is so refined. There can be a giant tuna, a blue marlin or a bluefish, it doesn't matter. The stuff performs.''

Jimmy George, captain of the charter boat Nicole Marie, is known for catching monster-sized striped bass off Montauk. So far this year he has caught 95 striped bass that weighed more than 40 pounds each and 8 that were more than 50 pounds by trolling with the 10-foot rods Mr. Altenkirch built especially for Mr. George's handmade arm-size metal bunker spoon lures.

''He builds a dynamite rod,'' Mr. George said. ''The longer the rod the more of a bend you'll get when the spoon catches the water in a certain way.''

Mr. Altenkirch stress-tests all his rods. ''If there's a blemish in the rod, you can't see it,'' he said. ''I'd rather have it blow up in the store than out on that world-class fish that man or woman has always wanted.''

In the days before graphite and fiberglass blanks, Charlie Altenkirch carved 50-pound-class tuna rods out of bamboo, fencing foils, solid hickory and broomstick handles.

Like his father, Mickey, Hank Altenkirch joined the family business at age 12. Now his daughter Janice, 17, helps wrap the rods, while his son, Garret, 15, and other daughter, Maggie, 19, sell bait from the tackle shop in front of his workshop. .

For the company's 75th anniversary, Mr. Altenkirch is creating a limited edition collectors' series. But the future isn't certain. Ten years ago, during a divorce, Mr. Altenkirch said, he had to sell the property, including the Canoe Place dock where he booked charters for 28 boats.

Now Mr. Altenkirch is planning to close the bait and tackle shop. While he still makes harpoons and tail ropes, he no longer manufactures the fighting chairs his grandfather pioneered.
''We are going to specialize,'' Mr. Altenkirch said. ''I want to continue to do high-end rod building instead of worrying about bait and repairing a reel.''
He is enhancing his Web site, www.altenkirch.com (http://www.altenkirch.com), hoping that orders from fishermen headed to Panama and Costa Rica will keep him busy.
''I sell rods all over the world,'' he said. ''I really want to concentrate on that, have something for my children to fall back on and keep the name going and put out a quality product. Otherwise I won't make it.''


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E7DB1F3BF934A25753C1A9629C8B 63




http://www.altenkirch.com/images/frontimages.jpg
http://www.altenkirch.com/images/brand.png


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What Do, Steve McQueen, Roger Waters, Babe Ruth, Ernest Hemingway, and George Bush have in common? They are all proud owners of Altenkirch Rods.
Altenkirch Precision Outfitters has been crafting custom rods since 1930. Four generations of experience are wound into every rod that leaves the Altenkirch shop. Each rod is machined and splined by hand for a lifetime of incredible catches. We use the finest materials and fittings available and we keep our finger on the pulse of the latest technology, allowing us to create vintage reproductions or state-of-the-art stealth fighters. Whether your passion is surf casting, fly fishing bottom fishing or trolling the deep seas, owning an Altenkirch will put you ahead of the game.
Altenkirch Rods - Discover the secret known to professional game fishermen and celebrities for over 75 years.





Altenkirch Custom Rods Sometimes seeing is believing.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing an Altenkirch Rod,
or better yet fishing with one,
says everything.
But if you've got no Altenkirch Rod to see, take a look at a list of anglers who've owned the custom poles.
Altenkirch reportedly built rods for George W. Bush, Ernest Hemingway,
Zane Grey, Jackie Gleason, Babe Ruth and Roger Waters from Pink Floyd to name a few.


The Altenkirch company makes custom rods for saltwater fishing, big-game angling,
trolling, surf casting, freshwater fishing and fresh- and saltwater fly rodding.
Graphite, fiberglass and other types of blanks
are used to build the rods with a variety of options, including reel seats in graphite, aluminum, stainless or brass; grips and butts in cork, foam, exotic wood or aluminum; guides that are ceramic, stainless, titanium or rollers; and threading that's over, under, cap or grip.
After an initial discussion with Hank Altenkirch to set the specifications and price, and after the angler pays a deposit, work on the rod begins, and the pole is usually finished in two to four weeks.
A line of pre-made but hand-built rods is also available.
Charles Altenkirch founded the rod company, now named Altenkirch Precision Outfitters, in 1930.

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An avid fisherman who made his own
rods, he sold the family gravel business in
Bayside on Long Island, and opened an
auto repair garage in the Hamptons.
But word got out about his rods, and he started making them for others. His
weakfish pole, reportedly more sensitive
and flexible than most, supposedly
became legendary and in demand.
The business took off, and the rod-building company replaced the auto garage.
Charles expanded his line of rods to include poles for bay fishing, such as for porgies.
The hurricane of 1938 opened Shinnecock Inlet, and big-game boats started sailing from the area.
Altenkirch started producing offshore rods.


Charles’ son Mickey eventually took over the business, and, changing with the times, replaced the bamboo blanks with fiberglass. Mickey’s son Hank, the current owner, next became in charge, and added blanks that were made from graphite and other modern materials.
But don’t take our word for it. Take a look at the rods, and you’ll understand.





http://www.altenkirch.com/c-13-about-altenkirch.aspx

[nitestrikes]

The Sekora company was originated in Long Island New York by Charter Captain John Sekora. He was the developer of the original Umbrella Rig and a number of other specialized pieces of fishing equipment.

He also made diamond jigs amd a few other things. He sold the company to a Calif company. While he owned it he was one of the most well-known guys for umbrella rigs. If he invented it before anyone else did, who knows?

My uncle met Capt John a few times and said he was a real nice guy.


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[BassBuddah]

Sekora brings back memories, thanks for posting.

[surfstix1963]

The official bumper sticker for Sekora lures.I had one still lying around.

[skinner]

Ha that's very cool, surfstix!

[DarkSkies]

Few jigs are as well-known as the jigs from the Ava Company of N Babylon, LI.
There are times when a product's manufacturer becomes synonymous with its product...or, the manufacturer's name is so well-known, it begins to dominate all consumer references to that product...



This was the case with...

bandages became..Band Aids,,,

donuts became...Dunkin Donuts...

diapers became...Pampers

correction fluid became...White out..

instant coffee became...Sanka




And the diamond jigs, which were made by, and continue to be made by, several manufacturers, are known by a lot of us older folks...as "Ava Jigs" or "Avas"



These are some of the original Ava Diamond Jigs in original packaging...floating around the flea markets at $1-3/Each...IMO a small price to pay...to own a piece of tackle-making history...:fishing:



15005



15006

[BassBuddah]

Boy that beings back some memories Dark. When my Dad died he had some of them in a tackle box in the basement. I did not keep them intact, but used them in his memory to catch quite a few blues and 20lb bass before they were eventually donated to the sea. I think that's what he would have wanted. He was the type who saw no value to collecting, He felt that whatever he bought should be used and enjoyed. Miss him. Thanks for sharing that.

[DarkSkies]

Don Bingler and the Bingle Lure Co

From what I understand, Don Bingler was responsible for some decent innovations and things for the boat fishing crowd.... He sold these under the name Bingle Lures Inc, out of Brooklyn, NY.

*There were also 2 guys around the same time making similar jigs, Bob Sparta and Gary Goldbery, who started S&G lures.

Among some other products, I believe Don made:
The Bingle Bait Tail
The Bingle Banana
The Bingle Dandy tail. (maybe as a response to the famous whip tail, with which they were killing big weakfish and bass during that time.)

Mostly these jigs were meant to be jigged or trolled from boats, but under bridges they were magic as well. Most popular in the 1970's.

Here's a quote someone said about the Bingle bait tail:
"Bait Tail, next to the diamond jig, is probably the best all around lure for the NY Bight. And unlike the diamond jig, the bait tail will catch fish at night."



16704





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Pic of Bingle Dandy tail I shot at a recent show.

[DarkSkies]

Boy that beings back some memories Dark. When my Dad died he had some of them in a tackle box in the basement. I did not keep them intact, but used them in his memory to catch quite a few blues and 20lb bass before they were eventually donated to the sea. I think that's what he would have wanted. He was the type who saw no value to collecting, He felt that whatever he bought should be used and enjoyed. Miss him. Thanks for sharing that.

You're welcome, BassBuddah. When these guys die sometimes the history dies with them. John Sekora is out in California and many here don't remember him. I think Don Bingle has passed on as well. Just trying to do my part to honor these guys who were part of our fishing history. :HappyWave:

[strikezone31]

Was looking at the back pages and found this. Great thread fellas.

[williehookem]

The official bumper sticker for Sekora lures.I had one still lying around.

A wealth of info in this thead. Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[DarkSkies]

This is your thread, people. I felt there was a lot of local history out there and wanted to inspire some of ya's to post up about it. So far, so good, and thanks to all. :thumbsup:

[surfstix1963]

SuperStrike Lures


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gYzL-15_gY4

[hookset]

^^^^^ Holy crap surfstix that's a nice pair. Can you order one of her from the superstrike catalog?

[wish4fish]

dude she is a sweet piece of a!!

[7deadlyplugs]

^^^^^ Holy crap surfstix that's a nice pair. Can you order one of her from the superstrike catalog?

Does she have a sister? Nice pics surfstix and the musso vid as well.

[williehookem]

Nice pics surfstix. A recent video of Donny Musso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmK5oFsp-34

[surfstix1963]

Just wanted to see if you were all paying attention nice rack indeed.