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The Wag-A-Spoon was one of "Smilin Bill's" earlier efforts to cultivate the market for metal baits. Although not nearly as successful as the Shannon series of spinner baits, this copper plated bait was sold in great numbers in the early 1930s, but vanished shortly thereafter, never to reappear. This is one of the few Jamison lures that came in a picture box. These are hard to find, but nobody gets real excited about them. Except me.
Gephart Manufacturing, Gep-Bait This obscure Illinois company sold the supposedly patented "Gep-Bait" in the 1920s. The lure later became Bill Jamison's Wig-Wag bait shown below. The early Gep-Baits, which pre-date the Jamison version, sometimes have the name stenciled on the back, and its long, narrow, orange box is marked only on the endflaps.
The Wig-Wag is the only Jamison bait I'm aware of that came with glass eyes. This rather awkward jointed plug was first sold as the Gep-Bait, made by Gephart Manufacturing Co., discussed above. At some point Jamison marketed the lures, which were discontinued in the 1930s. This rare boxed example was found, of all places, in a tackle box that turned up in the Champagne region of France! The lures still turn up frequently.
The Shannon Persuader was made in the 1920s and 1930s and remained in the product line for many years thereafter. The box featured a portrait of "Smilin Bill" himself in the upper left corner. Like many earlier Jamison boxes, the instructions were printed right on the box lid.
The Flyrod Hair Mouse, offered around 1917-1921, featured wonderful little bead eyes and leather ears and tail. The lifelike whiskers were fashioned from stiff spiny hair of some sort, and the lure came packaged on an attractive card. The cardboard boxtop is marked only on the endflap. This box is rare. Like other flyrod baits listed below, it would be hard to define the maker were it not for the box.
The Hair Minnow, circa 1920 or thereabouts, was a tiny flyrod lure that is most often found today with its hair and feathers eaten away by moths. Were it not for this wonderful little picture box it would be impossible to identify this bait as a Jamison product at all. Note the stamp in ink on the boxtop for the "yellow" minnow.
Jamison's Doodle Bug was another early flyrod lure that was packaged in its own special picture box. Jamison made a number of flyrod baits, including a flyrod sized Coazer. So far I have nevr seen a box for a flyrod Coaxer, but there's plenty of room on this website if somebody can find one! This concludes our rather extensive chapter on Jamison.