Connecticut fishing gear and plug makers: A History
Some of the best Custom plugbuilders on the East Coast came from, or live near, Connecticut. In this thread you'll get to meet and hear about them, from the smallest to the largest.
Let's hear what you've got. Even if the guy built a few plugs and never really wanted to become commercial, it's still part of fishing history and merits talking about.
Or, any posts about tackle or gear makers centered in Connecticut.
So don't feel your entry or post is not significant if the person you're posting about isn't nationally known. Post up and let's see it, anything you want to post from 1900 to present day.
Goo Goo eyes plugs....L Cooper & Co, AKA Jac-Pot Lures
Sent in by Rip-plugger, thanks!
This confirms Jac-Pot Lures and L Cooper and Co as coming to be one of the premier plug manufacturers of their time.
Many of these images and descriptions have been collected over the years by Tom Clayton of
www.shorelinebt.com in NJ
He has put in thousands of hours into maintaining and growing his collections. In addition, he is most generous in identifying and defining unknown plugs from that era. So if anyone posts up things that came from his site, he has graciously asked that we post the link up instead so the traffic will be directed to his site.
I thank all members here for your cooperation.
Rip-Plugger sent me the page and a few pics, but instead I'm posting the link below to the informative page Tom has prepared on Goo Goo eyes plugs. Great stuff! When you go to his site be sure to check out the other pages, you could spend hours wandering through there. Make sure you have a napkin to catch the drool coming out of your mouth. :drool:
http://shorelinebt.com/id33.html
Rip-Plugger's memories of using goo goo eyes and old-time fishing
Roddy doesn't seem to be able to post right now, so until we get it straightened out I'll try to post a few things for him. He e-mailed me this.....
Quote:
[wow,this is great seeing these lures here,brings back some wonderful
memories.
I remember slinging the Big Daddy goo-goo's across the rips and riding
the surface back and having them get smashed by some of the worst
alligator choppers I have seen.
I have taken choppers on the big mackeral goo-goo eyes plug all of 45
inches and over 20 pounds.
my personal best was 22.5 pounds inside of 100 yards of where my
friend[like a brother] Steven J. Franco took the Ct. state record bass.
there were no bass around in those days.
there were not many kinds of wood around then.
we knew about dannys,goo-goo's and atoms,that was pretty much it.
there were some custom guys around but,just 3 or 4.
funny thing too because the very few custom guys used scew eyes and not
through wires,never really made a difference to anyone back then.
maybe thats why I like using them myself,one thing thats very important,I
NEVER saw one or heard of one pulling out,thats a fallacy,if the correct
type is used,just FYI.
man,those were the days for real.if you didn't have some strong gear you
lost!]
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Hi-Mar Striper Fishing Club fishing flea market
Goo Goo eyes in mint condition for $20.....(smaller one)
The original Goo Goo eye plugs were created by Leo Cooper, a Stamford, Ct tool and die maker who couldn't find plugs big enough at the time to suit him, so he did his own thing until they came out the way he wanted. American fishing innovation at it's best. Goo goo eye plugs still have a fanatical following to this day.
Attachment 16401
Re: Hi-Mar Striper Fishing Club fishing flea market
Nice pic of an vintage goo goo eye dark!
I heard they are making them again. I think rip plugger mentioned it in another thread.