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The Importance of preserving some history 2024


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Some on here have seen my dedicated Rebel thread and one of the replies from @Catt re-energized something I was thinking about and working on. I started fishing Rebel baits in the 70's with the Naturalized Perch deep wee r. I bought It because It was cheap and I thought It looked cool. It helped matters that It caught fish. I also loved fishing a plastic worm way back when and the Rebel ringworm was a staple in my box. 

I fished Rebel baits for many years but like most anglers as the years went by and the latest and greatest baits came along I drifted away from the brand and only fished them on occasion. It stayed that way up until a couple of years ago. I had six(6) baits left and went to order a few for posterity and to my surprise they offered none of the baits I had grown up fishing. I did some research and found out they had discontinued many of the baits I had cut my bass fishing teeth with. It was after some thought that I thought I would check ebay just to see. To my surprise there was a plethora of those baits and I have been buying what I could and now have  a small collection that has It's own dedicated board for display. I will be eternally grateful to Mr. George Perrin for starting Rebel bait company and helping me to make some pretty special memories in my young fishing life. 

This is a preamble of sorts to preserving and sharing some history of a bait company that produced some pretty special baits. I will attempt to do a thorough job In passing down some history, show a few pictures now and then, and I hope this thread(series) might show some of the younger folks a little  history of a storied bait company.  I assure the folks that read this It is not for "likes" or some sort of a "pat on the back" thread; Its sole purpose Is to pass along something to a community that means a great deal to me. 

Lastly, there will be much more to come and while It might come sporadically It will be here, be accurate, and it will show this posters passion for a series of baits that are a part of the past.

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fishing user avatarYeajray231 reply : 

Pretty BA


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 

http://www.rebellures.com/heritage


fishing user avatarGundog reply : 

Cool collection Whitwolf. Much like you I started fishing with Rebel lures. Mostly because they were the only lures I could find at the local 5 & dime store. Its nice to see those lures I remember from my youth.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

@Gundog "five and dime" A phrase once heard often and now not much. Thanks for this!

A few starters for this fine Sunday!

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fishing user avatarMIbassyaker reply : 

Ah! To think what I would have done with that Clect-a-color kit when I was 12... or maybe even today.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Here's a little known fact: I found out last night after being asked a question by our own Buzzed Bait that Rebel made a series of craws  that were painted by Mega Bass. This was done In the last five(5) years or so and there's been no definitive answer as to why this was done other than a way to present and sell more craws through some great partnership. They are absolutely beautiful baits. If you want to take a look go to the "latest tackle purchase" thread and enjoy. :)


fishing user avatarsoflabasser reply : 

Very nice collection of Rebel lures. 


fishing user avatarColumbia Craw reply : 

Nice.  This pic is for you.  You get it.

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fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

If I had some vintage Deep Wee R's they would be tied on and wet .


fishing user avatarbuzzed bait reply : 
  On 10/10/2016 at 8:14 AM, whitwolf said:

Here's a little known fact: I found out last night after being asked a question by our own Buzzed Bait that Rebel made a series of craws  that were painted by Mega Bass. This was done In the last five(5) years or so and there's been no definitive answer as to why this was done other than a way to present and sell more craws through some great partnership. They are absolutely beautiful baits. If you want to take a look go to the "latest tackle purchase" thread and enjoy. :)

if brad doesn't know something about rebel, he'll find somebody that does!  after seeing his rebel collection (addiction) i knew he'd know something or someone that could tell me a little about the baits i recently acquired and sure enough he did.

for a wolfpack weirdo he's not a bad guy and that's really saying a lot!  


fishing user avatarWIGuide reply : 

Very cool stuff!

 


fishing user avatarRaul reply : 
  On 10/2/2016 at 6:56 PM, whitwolf said:

@Gundog "five and dime" A phrase once heard often and now not much. Thanks for this!

A few starters for this fine Sunday!

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I had both of those "frogs" the skirt material ruined the paint on the belly ( making it "gummy" ), I removed the skirt and fished them without it ( the hook needed a really good honing because it was as dull as my finger ), they were in practical terms the only lure that could be used to fish a couple of ponds I used to visit.


fishing user avatarTorn Thumb reply : 
  On 10/2/2016 at 6:56 PM, whitwolf said:

@Gundog "five and dime" A phrase once heard often and now not much. Thanks for this!

A few starters for this fine Sunday!

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A paint your own lures kit??? That's awesome. I have my grandpa's last tackle box, a rebel 635. It stays at home for terminal tackle and spools of line mostly but I find myself rummaging through it at least once a week for old lures to throw a few times while I'm out.

Also, how are those moss masters supposed to be fished? I have a couple and never knew what to do with them.


fishing user avatarRaul reply : 
  On 10/11/2016 at 11:04 AM, Torn Thumb said:

A paint your own lures kit??? That's awesome. I have my grandpa's last tackle box, a rebel 635. It stays at home for terminal tackle and spools of line mostly but I find myself rummaging through it at least once a week for old lures to throw a few times while I'm out.

Also, how are those moss masters supposed to be fished? I have a couple and never knew what to do with them.

As the name implies, "moss masters" are to be fished above "moss", which actually means to be dragged above surface vegetation and "dropped" to sink on openings on the vegetation bed. 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Great article: http://www.rebellures.com/journal/rebel-lures-celebrates-50-years

Rebel bait company made many, many products. It's truly mind boggling at the variety. 

Here's a Deep Wee R that you won't see everyday. :)

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fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

I would love for them to bring the Deep wee R back but with the front hook hanger moved forward . That was a design flaw and the hooks were constantly tangled . Great bait other wise . My favorite one was a naturalized Crappie . That lure  had the  "It"  factor .  A nice tight wiggle that tracked straight and would end up under the boat at the end of the retrieve .A lot of my Deep Wee Rs never could be tuned to track like that.  I lost it last year in a sunken  brush pile . I knew better than to cast it there . 


fishing user avatarscbassin reply : 
 
I case you did not see this.
Rebel Humpback Crankbait Back

fishing user avatarCatt reply : 

For the best reading about not only Rebel but all of early bass fishing visit bass fishing archives.

Here's a link about the Rebel Bass Boat!

http://bassfishingarchives.com/tag/rebel-bass-boat


fishing user avatarCrankinstein reply : 

I represent some of those younger anglers here so let me start by thanking you for sharing your story and photos of those awesome Rebel baits. I really enjoyed reading it and I love learning about some of those older lures and companies. Believe it or not I actually have my own Rebel lure story from back in the day. The Rebel floating cricket is actually the first lure I ever caught a fish on and its what sparked my desire to learn how to fish for bass. Their great lures and I look forward to your future posts on them.


fishing user avatarRobeng reply : 

Whitwolf:  Brought great memories for me at age 63.  I remember fishing on the Ohio River in Kentucky with my Uncle using thos lil Rebels for channel cats.  Caught turtles too and Aunt made soup.  That tackle box in your photo I had at one time and cant recall what happened to it - back in the early 70's I believe?  Now, I am a bait addict (restraining self) and do occasionally go to those estate sales looking for old baits.  As I approach my retirement marker, you are giving me good ideas to keep me and some grandkids excited.  Thanks for sharing.

 

 


fishing user avatarFisher-O-men reply : 

Any body remember Rapala with the emphasis on the second syllable?  That was before audible adds taught us how to pronounce the name correctly. ;)


fishing user avatarOCdockskipper reply : 

Yes I do, "Ra-paw-la" versus "Rap-a-la".  To this day, when mentioning their baits, I typically stutter & say "Rapaw...uh Rapala"


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

My stepdaughter Is getting married a little later today but did want to take a break and pass this little tid-bit along: The way to tell a deep wee r that was made In North America and one made from China Is fairly simple. The line tie on the North American made bait has a screw into the lip base and the China made bait has a "u" shaped clasp type deal that the split ring fits to. 

Look closely at these deep teeny r's : 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A little history: The Humpback Is a classic design that has had a place In many tackle boxes for many years; BUT did you know the first  Incarnation of this bait had no rattles and a metal lip and was not called a Humpback but simply a deep diver? If you didn't before you do now. :)

Here are a couple of pictures of these early baits plus a metal lipped minnow. Enjoy!

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fishing user avatarlo n slo reply : 

that was awesome


fishing user avatarsnake95 reply : 
  On 10/16/2016 at 1:45 AM, whitwolf said:

My stepdaughter Is getting married a little later today

Whitwolf I love the fact that you "found" time during this busy day to post pics of deep wee r's.  :D  

By the way, do the people at Rebel know you have this awesome collection and keep spreading the word and entertaining us on Bassresource??  I've dealt with them a couple of times directly and they are very nice people.  I know they're part of a massive company these days, but it sure doesn't feel like it when you can get ahold of someone in there.  Bet they'd love to know you are doing this!

Meant to add that seeing this thread, I went out and loaded up with tiny rebels: Teeny Wee Rs and Wee Craws and went out with my boy and caught a few last weekend.  So, you are doing a great job marketing for Rebel!


fishing user avatar"hamma" reply : 

I can remember watching Billy Westmoreland, and he was using some teeny r's for smallies. I went out shopping for some and found only a few. used them up and wish I had some still. those tiny baits were great for tough days


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Here's another bit of Information that some might not be aware of. The first plastic lipped Humpback baits had the lipped attached with a screw that was put though the top of the head Instead of the bottom.  There also is a series of baits, mostly the Salmon series that were molded in one piece so there's no need for a screw to attach the diving lips to the bait. Enjoy! :)

I know the pictures are not that great but look closely at the screw in the top of the black baits head and the underside of the frog bait.

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

OK, I will start this post with a disclaimer. I have tried for the past month to do some verification and I truly can't find any real accurate evidence so I will state clearly that this Is more speculation than accuracy. The two folks that would know gave me bits and pieces of what they knew so take this for what it's worth.

Now that that Is out of the way here goes; I'm going to post four(4) spotted wee r's with a brief description. The other two baits are fairly common; a wee r that's clown colored. It's a very cool looking bait and one I didn't have. The other Is a one piece Deep wee r(Solid body with no need for a screw to attach the lip to the bait) that was a part of the Salmon series. If you take a look at the hooks, they are heavy duty as Is the hardware.

The spotted wee r's are not common at all. They were promotional colors for angles out on the west coast. The thing about promotional colors Is they were usually a request from a retailer . It varied greatly by region obviously.  That much Is fact. Here Is what we're not exactly sure about.  They were either In Oregon or Washington state. I have asked some really  knowledgeable people and they agree with me In that they have  seen very few of these and when I bought these they almost guarantee It would be highly unlikely to find anymore. I will continue to look for more Information. Enjoy.

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A few tid-bits: There are baits of the same name(color code) that have distinct paint differences. The belly color might be lighter or darker from batch to batch or the scale pattern might be smaller or larger. I have asked the three people that I feel are very reliable and the consensus among them was this; obviously more than one person painted these baits back In the day and with so many variables involved It was human error. With today's automated paint methods that's not an Issue but anything done by hand there's bound to be differences.

For those of you that didn't know, Bill Norman worked for Rebel(Pradco) before he started His own bait company.

The Rebel Spin'r was Rebels final attempt to break Into the spinnerbait market. It was not very successful as they were not durable and after a fish or two they were bent badly. 

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I am currently working on a little something that should be finished next week sometime so until then have a great Rebel evening!


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

OK, this time around I'm going to share a little rare piece that you will be hard pressed to find. These pictures are of a racket shad and a floater/diver. If you'll look closely at one of the boxes you'll see something a little different. :)

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Now for a little history. The first run of  many Rebel baits, especially the lipped baits, the lips were unmarked. If you see  a deep wee r or a humpback et als, without a stamped lip it was a giveaway at a show, a field test bait, or probably mail order. The baits were made, distributed, and then Rebel/Pradco waited for the test reports to come In.  If the bait was a success, based on sales and reports they were put into full blown production mode and the bills stamped. 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A little piece of Information: I am going to post some Racket Shads. They were the Rattle trap of Rebel. I want y'all to look closely at the hooks and notice some are bronze and some are steel. The steel hooked baits were part of the Salmon series and were made with extra strong hooks. This series of baits were made for larger and strong fish with West coast fish like Salmon and the brutes that reside In the great lakes. 

As I alluded to in one of the above posts above Bill Norman (founder of Norman bait company)  worked for Rebel/Pradco and In 1965 he worked the AFTMA show In Chicago and sold $20,000.00 worth of product. It was the begining of the end as there were Issues between Mr. Norman and Prdco which eventually led him to start his own company. 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

For today's history lesson I give you the clip ad. These were simply pages cut from a catalog and put into some form of advertisement. It could have been a newspaper, a store window, or a trade magazine. This form of advertisement was critical in the days before the Internet. I miss those days sometimes. It was a simpler time and being able to see new things a few times a year was exciting. 

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fishing user avatarThe Bassman reply : 

Just caught this thread.  Appreciate all the effort you've put into this.  I almost forgot about those Rebel boxes.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 
  On 12/21/2016 at 8:54 AM, The Bassman said:

Just caught this thread.  Appreciate all the effort you've put into this.  I almost forgot about those Rebel boxes.

 

 

 

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fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

Are all of those lures next to the tackle boxes Deep Wee-Rs?

This is great stuff.  It brings back a lot of memories of when I was a kid.  My brother bought me my first tackle box, a big Rebel tackle box, it had a green clear plastic lid.  I forget the number.  I still have it somewhere.  Also, before they puffed out the belly on the Racket Shad, did Rebel make a different version?  I remember buying a couple lures by cutting out the little add in a sports magazine and sending in money.  My favorite cap at that time was red and had a Rebel patch on it.  Of course my head grew too big or something (got too fat headed) and I don't remember what happened to the cap. 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

@BASS302  There are many deep wee r's but also wee r's, humpbacks, double deep wee r's, deep teeny r's, teeny rs, etc...

 

Here's a picture of the early Racket Shads. 

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fishing user avatarRobeng reply : 

wow!  Great memories.  Thanks.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

The Rebel ring worm were a staple In many anglers tackleboxes back In the 70's. Harold Allen a Mississippi BASS pro used them all the time. I have a copy of the catalog ad that promotes and explains why they work. They really were a great worm and they sold untold thousands. 

 

The Gurgle worm photo came to me by the way of our member @Team9nine and I really can't thank him enough!

 

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Here's a small sample of the Ringworms and Lizards I have. I occasionally break out a pack and fish them. They still work.;)

 

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fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

Whitwolf,

When I was in college I bought something called a Suspend R (or something like that).  It was neutrally buoyant.  I tried it a couple times, didn't catch anything, so went back to my Deep Wee-Rs and Rapala Fat Raps.  I probably wasn't fishing it correctly.  It had some sort of natural bass finish.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

I forgot to add this in the Racket Shad discussion. There are two white colored Racket Shads, one with a smooth body and one with a bumpy body. The easiest way the company found to do this was to simply paint a silver bumpy bait white. The bumpy body white baits weren't all that popular but when they received an order they knew the most efficient way to produce the order.

 

@BASS302 The suspend r's were not as popular as many other "R" series baits but they definitely filled a niche for the folks who knew the difficulty in catching suspended fish. They are somewhat collectible to a few folks today and the most popular color that folks seem to want Is the Brown Trout. :) 

 

The one thing about the older discontinued Rebel baits that Is vastly different than the other more sought after baits such as an original Fred Young Big O(Made from wood) Is Rebel baits at that time were affordable to most everyone. That still stands today. They produced so many and there are literally untold thousands still around today, unlike  others. It Is mind boggling to see what Rebel(Pradco) had In their product line back In the day. They not only produced fishing baits but they had a line of boats. If I get the time in the next few days I will dig out all the clip ad's that I have and share  those. I think It might surprise some folks. 

 

 


fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

I had two Suspending Shad Rs. I caught bookend hawgs with them one day , but also ended up losing both baits . I never replaced those lures in my box . I do have one , new in pack,  that I plan on using some day or year . ,


fishing user avatarCatt reply : 

One amazing thread!

 

@whitwolf if you need any information on any Rebel products or history contact bass fishing archives.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Merry Christmas to y'all!

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

OK, today Is going to be short and sweet as I'm actually going to go fishing here shortly! 70 degrees In December Is my kind of Winter! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures that you won't see often. The first Is a promotional sample pack, I don't know exactly what trade show it was handed out nor do I know the year.  The second photo(Please forgive the poor picture quality) Is that of a pack of tiny swimbaits. They may or may not have been an early version that led to the boottail swimbaits we use to today and  I have nothing to back that up. The reason I wanted to show you this Is for the clip art that was used on the packaging. As far as I know this was one of the few or maybe the only soft plastic packaging(For Rebel) that had clip art displayed. I have both these packages and while the original clip art that was reproduced for this Is not In my possession I will have It one day. It's been promised. Enjoy!

 

 

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fishing user avatarlo n slo reply : 

fwiw.....i found this spoonbill minnow in the basement yesterday

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Note to self. When deleting pictures in the archives It will delete the photo's in a post/thread. lol I have been out of town but plan to post  a few fun facts tomorrow or early next week. :) Happy New Year Rebel-Heads!


fishing user avatarJagg reply : 

Old school Rebel Jumping Minnow with the lead bearing and old school Rebel broke back minnow were staples on the TX Gulf Coast. Had rods made and branded specifically for the broke back.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

OK, here's a few baits that will be the last I show for 2016. The Salty jigs were made for fresh and saltwater Stripers. The Racket shads are colors I didn't have. The Buzzin' Frogs are baits I didn't have and especially like them as they are carded. 

 

Think about this for a minute. This all started when George Perrin grew frustrated with wooden minnows and created the F 10 minnow(plastic) and named his company Rebel which was the mascot for the high school his daughter attended. This was in the Early 60's and this company Is still at it today. Happy New Year!

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A few tid-bits about my favorite Rebel bait, the deep wee r. It was first Introduced in 1975 and quickly became a staple in many angles tackle box. It was designed to go to a maximum depth of 10-12 feet but a little deeper if trolled. On the early models they had people hand screwing  the screw eyes into the lip and had a lot of returns as some of the baits didn't run right because some didn't turn the eyes the proper number of turns. As a result they had a type of nail gun made and that solved that problem and each screw eye was set to the proper height. An easy way to tell and early bait from the baits built with the gun Is the screw on the early baits will many times be protruding out the bottom of the lip and the post gun baits will not. When Pradco, in their infinite wisdom, decided to have the baits made in China the went to a clasp type hardware the the split ring attached to. 

 

I plan to add to this as It merely scratches the surface on a storied bait In the Rebel line. Enjoy. 


fishing user avatarbuzzed bait reply : 

always cool stuff brad!  i've actually got a rebel i think deep wee r i want to take a pic and send to you for evaluation!  it was in my papaw's tackle box i got when he passed away.  i put new rings and hooks on to replace the rusted out ones that were on it and took it out one day.  i was intent on catching 1 fish on it since it was my papaw's and then to retire it....  well i did catch a fish on it and it is now retired, but i would like to know roughly when it was produced.  i'll have to remember to take the pic and send to you!


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Justin, send away and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. Check the screw eye and let me know If it comes out of the bottom of the lip. 


fishing user avatarbuzzed bait reply : 
  On 1/10/2017 at 7:04 AM, whitwolf said:

Justin, send away and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. Check the screw eye and let me know If it comes out of the bottom of the lip. 

 

Here she is.  Like i said, i changed the rings and hooks on it.  It's like a bone body with green on top, orange on bottom and orange on the head.

 

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Justin, that color Is called Parrot. It's one of the earliest deep wee r's. It's hard to pin down an exact year but the screw eye protruding out of the bottom of the lip Is a sure fire way to spot an early version. If I had to estimate I would say late 70's. It's a classic color and was very much In demand. That's evidenced with that color being on many, many different styles of Rebel baits. 

 

I'm glad you put that up! If it were me I would clean it thoroughly with hot water and Dawn dish washing soap and get some Mcguiers cleaner/polish and make that bait shine. If you have the time or Inclination I would display this In your fishing room. 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Here are a few deep wee r's that are tough colors. The Ringworm/lizard/red necks are my favorite Rebel lures but the deep wee r Is a close, close second. 

 

Starting at the top row left to right: Golden Shiner, Louisiana Shad, Gold Fish, and Red eye.

 

Bottom row: Muddy pup, Pumkinseed, Clear, Lemon splatter.

 

Now you may be asking yourself what In the world this has to do with history; well, I'll share that now. :)

 

I got that clear bait from the most knowledgeable Rebel guy around. He got a clear deep wee and regular weer from a friend In Fort Smith Arkansas. The legend/history behind the bait I have Is that It came out of a famous Arkansas pro's tackle box and he was field testing that color for Rebel. Whether that's factual, urban legend, or an outright stretching of the truth will more than likely never be known. I do know for a fact though that if you have a clear bait from Rebel bait company you should hang on to it or sell it as it will bring a fair dollar amount. The reason for this Is because they didn't make many. They are Incredibly rare. I have the deep wee r, saw the wee r, and recently saw a clear shad floater. 

 

I honestly don't know the reason so few were made and neither do the folks that are Rebel bait company historians. They would KNOW. We all have speculated they simply didn't catch fish and or simply didn't/wouldn't sell well.  Have a great Rebel Saturday folks!

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fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 
  On 1/14/2017 at 8:07 PM, whitwolf said:

I got that clear bait from the most knowledgeable Rebel guy around. He got a clear deep wee and regular weer from a friend In Fort Smith Arkansas. The legend/history behind the bait I have Is that It came out of a famous Arkansas pro's tackle box and he was field testing that color for Rebel. Whether that's factual, urban legend, or an outright stretching of the truth will more than likely never be known. I do know for a fact though that if you have a clear bait from Rebel bait company you should hang on to it or sell it as it will bring a fair dollar amount. The reason for this Is because they didn't make many. They are Incredibly rare. I have the deep wee r, saw the wee r, and recently saw a clear shad floater. 

 

I honestly don't know the reason so few were made and neither do the folks that are Rebel bait company historians. They would KNOW. We all have speculated they simply didn't catch fish and or simply didn't/wouldn't sell well.

 

 

I'll have to dig around a little to see what I can find out. There was a little surge in popularity for clear topwaters back about 30 years or so ago, many of which are still around with us. Lures like the Rebel Pop-R, Heddon Spook, Boy Howdy, and the Tiny Torpedo. They were typical fished in very clear water, and if I'm not mistaken, they were actually a favorite of Jimmy Houston. I've pictured some below.

 

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Some manufacturers did try and capitalize on this clear color phase with other baits, in particular, crankbaits, but I have to believe that sales (or actually lack thereof) was their demise. I remember back in the mid 80s, Bill Lewis Lures sent me two cases of clear Rat-L-Traps I wanted for a tournament on some very clear natural lakes. Some were the clear with blue dust face, while others were clear with just black outlines of the fins, gills and scales. Sadly, I don't think I have any left around.

 

Another interesting play on "clear" was what Tom Seward and Crankbait Corp tried with their Clear Water spinnerbait. It had a blade made of clear Lexan material, similar to a crankbait bill, and the thought was that you would get the vibration, but not the flash from the blade, and bass would subsequently end up hitting the skirt/body/hook and not swipe at the flash of the blade. I do still have a couple of those sitting around. I've pictured one below.

 

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-T9


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Great stuff @Team9nine ! Thanks for sharing that!


fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

I have a clear top water somewhere that I have never used . I dont know what brand . Ill try to find it .

 

 dont know what brand it is . I picked it up because it was unusual . It has a lead weight on the rear end . Probably came out of a discount bin .

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fishing user avatarbuzzed bait reply : 
  On 1/14/2017 at 7:42 PM, whitwolf said:

Justin, that color Is called Parrot. It's one of the earliest deep wee r's. It's hard to pin down an exact year but the screw eye protruding out of the bottom of the lip Is a sure fire way to spot an early version. If I had to estimate I would say late 70's. It's a classic color and was very much In demand. That's evidenced with that color being on many, many different styles of Rebel baits. 

 

I'm glad you put that up! If it were me I would clean it thoroughly with hot water and Dawn dish washing soap and get some Mcguiers cleaner/polish and make that bait shine. If you have the time or Inclination I would display this In your fishing room. 

 

Thanks for all the info Brad!  I have no intentions of fishing it again so to the fishing room it has retired!  Probably shouldn't have even fished it that one time I did! I've seen that color for sure, but thought t would be an older version with the bill being screwed in. 

Awesome stuff as usual man, thank you!


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

OK, here's post 4000. :)

 

 When I first started collecting Rebels back almost three years ago I had six(6) baits left. 

 

I had what I thought was going to be the biggest collection I would ever have.

 

Chartreuse Shiner: great color!

 

Naturalized perch: lower left corner; the first Rebel crankbait that caught me fish.

 

Screw top black Humpy: First nice bait I purchased.

 

I'll add more pics. when I'm allowed. :)

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Collection today. :)

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fishing user avatarDeluxeReverb reply : 

Epic.


fishing user avatarGundog reply : 

:jaw-drop:


fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 

You do realize Step 1 in the recovery process is:

 

Admit you are powerless to overcome your addiction and that your life has become unmanageable :lol:

 

Nice collection - my addiction/collection is Midwest fishing history...

 

-T9


fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 

Here's one for you @whitwolf  B)

 

-T9

 

 

 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Absolutely great addition to this thread Thanks @Team9nine! That was phenomenal!


fishing user avatarjbw252 reply : 

Great video Team9nine.  Great thread whitwolf.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A back story and then a little history. There are times in life when a mistake can actually have a great outcome. I'm not really into collecting minnow baits. I have a few but they are not high on the priority list. I was checking ebay for Rebels in general and ran across a bait that I was fairly sure I knew exactly what It was and I wanted it. It was a minnow with a metal lip in a color that was not extremely common. I made a bid and eventually won the auction. 

 

It came In the mail a week later and I thought it odd the packaging was larger than normal but dismissed it as the guy probably ran out of smaller boxes. I finally opened it later that evening and was absolutely stunned at the size of the bait. I was sure It was the standard 5" model when I looked at it on ebay but it turned out to be 7" front to back and 9" total. It was much bulkier also. I had never seen a Rebel that size so I was beginning to wonder If It in fact was a Rebel. The metal lip was the same as other older deep divers I had but the size of the bait had me questioning some things. 

 

I did some research and found the 5" models so at least I knew a 7" model was plausible. I hit a dead end and asked my buddy who would know and while It took him some time he found out the 7" Spoonbill/Deep divers were In fact Rebels and the first Incarnation was around 1969. He called another buddy and asked about the naturalized color on this bait. The biggest question at this point was "when" this bait was made. The naturalized color scheme's were not available until the 1977 or 1978, so that led us down a path that turned out to be a bit unexpected. It turns out that these particular baits were made in the 1979-1983 time frame  with the older versions having the one piece ring clip like the one on my bait. It's been speculated that these particular baits were region specific with Stripers and certain species of saltwater fish being the targets. In the end it appears there were not that many produced and are certainly not common at all! Enjoy!

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fishing user avatarGundog reply : 

Really nice bait WW. 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

This picture will give a better Idea on just how big this bait Is. The bottom minnow is the standard minnow size. :)

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fishing user avatarDavidhorowitzski reply : 
  On 1/31/2017 at 11:05 AM, whitwolf said:

OK, here's post 4000. :)

 

 When I first started collecting Rebels back almost three years ago I had six(6) baits left. 

 

I had what I thought was going to be the biggest collection I would ever have.

 

Chartreuse Shiner: great color!

 

Naturalized perch: lower left corner; the first Rebel crankbait that caught me fish.

 

Screw top black Humpy: First nice bait I purchased.

 

I'll add more pics. when I'm allowed. :)

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Collection today. :)

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There is  nothing about this that isn't awesome.  As a person who preserves history for a living you have my kudos sir!   


fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 

Another great video to share - watch for the Rebel wall (5:13) and Rebel minnows (7:18) among others, plus some neat old photos from inside the plant.

 

 

 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Thanks (again) for sharing and adding to this thread @Team9nine!

 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A few ad's that will be framed and up on the wall soon. Also, stay tuned as I'm going to post a couple of pictures of two baits that are durn difficult to find!

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Here's some eye candy, a little pre-cursor of a couple of baits to come: The 800 series tackle box Is all kinds of Rebel goodness. The acrylic top and spinnerbait racks in the bottom make this box quite desirable. I'll show some new stuffand a few others that I had but purchased anyway because they were dirt cheap. The one item you will likely only see here(notice I said likely, there "might" be another out there but I doubt it) Is a boat decal that isn't in the best of shape but will look very cool framed!

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

Continued from the last post....

 

 

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picture post continued: The copper deep wee and the pea green wee r are baits I added that I didn't have. The copper colored bait In particular Is a tough find. Enjoy and feel free to join the Rebel-Head nation!:)

 

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

I recently got two deep wee r's that were some of the cleanest vintage baits I have ever gotten. The Golden Baby Bass Is a G-finish bait that Is very difficult to find. I have looked for almost three years for this bait after seeing It In a collection. The approximate year(s) of the g-finish line were in  the early to mid 80's. 

 

The other bait Is a variation of the brown trout but I have never seen that coloration. I questioned It when I was looking but was assured It was a Rebel. When I got the bait in hand sure enough It was stamped and confirmed Rebel.  While I'm sure there are others like these out there I'd bet a lot of money there are not many. 

 

What makes these special are Rebel made untold thousands of baits and It's fairly easy to find any number on ebay or out In the field. If you find either of these let me know and I will put you in touch with several people and you can make a fair amount of money, especially If they are clean, unfished, or in overall good condition. 

 

 The "R" series of baits have been discontinued as many of you know but think about this; the deep wee r was Introduced in 1975 and survived until the mid 2000's. That's a testament to the longevity are popularity of this mid-depth bait. It came In many different coloration's with the blue back silver sides and black back silver sides being color coded 01 and 02 showing they "might" have been the earliest versions. It's my belief that a good number of folks that bought them when they first came out trolled them and caught a bunch of fish. I base this on conversations with folks several years older than me and second hand stories from other folks. Of course there were many pro fisherman at the time that fished them like we do also. 

 

If you ever come across a deep wee r without the Rebel stamp on the bill that will let you know It's a very early version that was field tested, sold at tackle shows, or giveaways. Once feedback was gathered, and If positive, they went to mass production and were stamped. 

 

Lastly, for young and seasoned folks alike, the history of this bait company Is Important to pass on for reasons that go from entertainment to education. It's always fun for me to pass along little things here and there and get a sincere satisfaction In knowing that y'all might learn something or simply enjoy a little history lesson. A big thank you goes out to the folks that have read/added to this series and a special thanks goes to @Catt for giving me the push to start this! 

 

 

 

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

A small bit of Information: Look closely at the grub in this catalog, does the body resemble many of the beaver style baits of today? There Is also some striking differences In the worm colors they produced back then as opposed to today. It's true they had the staple colors(solid black, purple, blue, etc....) but they had some wild colors back then. One thing I don't see much of today Is what was called a fire tail. I see chartreuse tails but the black ring worm with a fire(pink) tail caught a ton of fish back In the day.

 

I got to thinking the other day about some sort of expansion in this series and decided to open this up for any questions you may have. So fire away!

 

 

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fishing user avatarbuzzed bait reply : 

guys, brad (whitwolf) is one super duper dude....  he's answered a number of questions for me and for his kindness i had sent him a rebel/megabass collaboration bait a while back.  last week i received a package from brad with some rebel lures he was passing along, shown below.  thanks brad for dropping the knowledge and sharing your "sickness"!!  

as i've told him before, he's alright for a NC State fan.....  

 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

I will leave this here. There's Information coming soon. :)No automatic alt text available. . :)

 

 


fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

Whitwolf,

What can you tell us about the following?  I "found" my old Excalibur 800 and the following were in there:

1)  Shallow R (2 1/2") chartreuse, orange belly

2)  Super R (2 3/8") silver

3)  I think it was called a Suspend R (2 1/2") natural crawfish but there's nothing written on the bill.

 

It's been such a long time since I opened that tackle box that I didn't remember having the SuperR

Thanks.

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

@BASS302 The shallow r was a high use bait for anglers that wanted to fish shallow with a mid-range profile bait. It was quite popular and came In numerous colors. It would be difficult to put a date/year on this as it was made multiple years. I can say with a certain amount of certainty that It's an early model due to the painted eyes.

 

The Super R Is wildly popular amongst a small but fanatical group of collectors. It appears to have a blue back which would be color code 02. On the whole It wasn't well received as It was close to the popular humpback bait but for the few that I know that swear by them they are fish catchers. The funny thing about these are the folks that collect them also buy as many as they can to fish with. The screw eye goes through the lip so If I had to try and put a date on it all I could say for certain Is It was made In North America and more than likely was an 80's bait. 

 

Lastly, the suspend r was a niche bait. There were folks that used these to catch suspended fish and while It might have been successful for some It certainly was not as popular as any number of the "R" series baits I have talked about before. That particular craw color Is very cool and it quite popular with a number of collectors. 

 

If it were me I would put them up but for a good number of folks they would fish them. It's a personal choice and there Is a certain satisfaction In catching a fish(or several) on an older discontinued bait.

 

I apologize for not seeing this earlier. If I happen to find out more about any of these I will be sure to pass it on!


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

No automatic alt text available. OK, here's a little Information on these baits. These were called DRM's(deep runner metal lip/bib) or simply deep divers. 

 

They were made from 1969 through the late 70's and they came In 12 stock colors. There may be(probably) more colors that were special orders for different parts of the country or some uncataloged  colors. I personally have never fished them but In talking with some older folks that did they always trolled them.  These are model number 2200.

 

Here's a catalog shot:

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 If you look closely at the very top bait It's a screw top spoonbill  minnow. It's a true yellow with no red on the bait. It's very uncommon to see a true yellow much less see one with the screw that attaches the lip to the bait on top of the head. Welcome to the Rebel-head nation!


fishing user avatarsoflabasser reply : 
  On 1/31/2017 at 11:05 AM, whitwolf said:

OK, here's post 4000. :)

 

 When I first started collecting Rebels back almost three years ago I had six(6) baits left. 

 

I had what I thought was going to be the biggest collection I would ever have.

 

Chartreuse Shiner: great color!

 

Naturalized perch: lower left corner; the first Rebel crankbait that caught me fish.

 

Screw top black Humpy: First nice bait I purchased.

 

I'll add more pics. when I'm allowed. :)

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Collection today. :)

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 Very nice collection!


fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

Whitwolf,

Thanks for the info about my lures.  I have another tackle box (this one isn't a Rebel) that has stuff from my younger days.  I'll have to find it and see if there are any Rebel lures in it.  I'll have to search for it next weekend if I have time.

 


fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 

@whitwolf Here's a few Rebel baits I still have sitting around. Perhaps you can chime in with any thoughts on these, or what you might know. Curious...

 

Top: Rebel Mystic Shad-R (suspending)

Middle: Rebel spoonbill minnow (G finish); old (80s) - screw in eye

Bottom: Fairly certain this is a jointed Rebel Minnow, but it doesn't have the normal sharp cutback/fit ('V') between the joints. G finish. Doesn't say Rebel anywhere either. Maybe old style for that bait?

 

-T9

 

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fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

Team9nine,

I think the one on the bottom is a Cotton Cordell redfin (that's a guess)

Bass302


fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 
  On 3/16/2017 at 10:30 AM, BASS302 said:

Team9nine,

I think the one on the bottom is a Cotton Cordell redfin (that's a guess)

Bass302

 

Thanks - that would explain it B)


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 
  On 3/16/2017 at 9:05 AM, Team9nine said:

@whitwolf Here's a few Rebel baits I still have sitting around. Perhaps you can chime in with any thoughts on these, or what you might know. Curious...

 

Top: Rebel Mystic Shad-R (suspending)

Middle: Rebel spoonbill minnow (G finish); old (80s) - screw in eye

Bottom: Fairly certain this is a jointed Rebel Minnow, but it doesn't have the normal sharp cutback/fit ('V') between the joints. G finish. Doesn't say Rebel anywhere either. Maybe old style for that bait?

 

-T9

 

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@Team9nine I'm not well versed on the mystic shads but am gathering a little Information and will edit and post when I get all I can.

The g-finish minnow Is a thing of beauty. It looks like you wrapped the front hook to get it to sit lower in the water.  It's a popular style and you are correct in that it's a  late 80's bait but I believe the first ones came out around '85.  One of the cool things about this minnow Is the finish of course. I personally thought they had the fisherman In mind and not the fish when the produced that particular coating. Depending on region I think this Is another bait that most troll. 

 

@BASS302 Is correct In that the bottom bait Is a Cordell.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

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A little Rebel goodness. If It's Rebel, It's cool! I have no Idea why three photo's showed up but three times the Rebel goodness I suppose.

 

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fishing user avatarscaleface reply : 

Is that Rebel  spinnerbait a short arm like the Bass Buster Scorpion ?


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 
  On 3/29/2017 at 10:31 AM, scaleface said:

Is that Rebel  spinnerbait a short arm like the Bass Buster Scorpion ?

 

Let me take a better picture when I get home. I'm not real sure what a bass buster scorpion looks like.


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

@scaleface Here are some carded Rebel spinnerbaits for your perusal. :)

 

 

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fishing user avatarDavidhorowitzski reply : 

You could do some fine pitching with some of those Lures! 

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

I'm working on a little something that I should have finished up next week but In the mean time here Is a durn rare screw-top minnow that's yellow without any red on the bait at all. 99.9% of the Rebel baits you see that are yellow will have a bit of red on the nose. Enjoy!

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fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

While I was looking for an unusual Rebel that I know I still have somewhere, I found these:

 

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Whitwolf,

I just noticed an unusual lure in your photo. 

What is it?

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fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 

I'm working on a little something that should answer a few questions but will also open up some new questions. In the mean time I show a set of baits as a cautionary tale.

 

The mid wee r was made for one year and evidently the sales were less than stellar. They do catch fish but were simply a niche bait that , and this Is only my opinion, never really filled that mid-depth zone for most. 

 

I bought these because there were two colors I had not seen and after lengthy conversations with two folks that would know I let my emotions get the best of me and bought the set. In the end the solid black bait and solid white bait were repaints. Once I got them In hand It was simple to see. The sick-on eyes were not stick-on but painted and the originals were stick-on. I also noticed you could feel a very small ridge from the body to the eye on the originals but the repaints were smooth as can be. 

 

There are many great bait painters out there and at times It's quite difficult to tell If It's original or repaint but chances are If you have been collecting a certain bait or series of baits for a while and you you see a color you have never seen,It's a repaint. I feel sure they will fish well and will gladly put them In the "fisher" box and go about my day. 

 

I'm not upset because I'm not Into collecting for value but more for sentimentality so I refuse to let a small blip bother me. Enjoy and I assure you the next post will be fascinating In that the boxes for these vintage baits have as much history as the baits themselves.  As always, If it's Rebel, It's cool!

 

 

 

 

 

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@BASS302,

 

That's a DRM(deep runner metal lip) and it was an early bait simply called a deep runner. It was used as a trolling bait mostly and was made as a silent bait(no rattles). They came In the pre-humback style and in minnows. :)

 

 

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fishing user avatarBASS302 reply : 

@whitwolf,

Thanks for the information about the DRM pre-humback style.  I have never seen those before.

Bass302

 


fishing user avatarwhitwolf reply : 
  On 2/10/2017 at 8:33 AM, Team9nine said:

Here's one for you @whitwolf  B)

 

-T9

 

 

 

 

@Team9nine Here's a cool little fact that pertains to the video you shared. I was quite fortunate to have purchased a set of holographic minnows in a display that Included a catalog, the baits, and it was autographed by none other than Mr. Stoner himself. 

 

Remember gentleman, If It's Rebel It's cool! :)

 

I have been working on a little (big) something for quite a while about the packaging of Rebel baits, in particular the boxes. It's become quite an undertaking with several finds leading to more questions. I will eventually throw this all together and get It on here. Thanks for y'alls patience. 

 

 

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fishing user avatarTeam9nine reply : 

Awesome stuff @whitwolf We are two peas in a pod that just focus and collect different aspects of angling history B)

 

-T9




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