Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Fishing => Lures => Topic started by: Steve-O on September 13, 2014, 02:22:43 PM

Title: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Steve-O on September 13, 2014, 02:22:43 PM
Not sure if anyone on board is old enough to remember these tuna claw lures or not but if you haven't seen the video The Ironman of Tuna Fishing, I highly recommend it. It's Post WWII era with Robert Conrad narrating. Quite entertaining.

The link

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uienh1zzZJo


But what I wanted from this video was one of the squid lures used on the big bamboo pole and line lift rods. They were lead heads with a stout steel barbless claw dressed with some white feathers.  Cabela's and Wally world don't carry them AFAIK. >:( ::)

Anyway at 9:30 or so you get to see this close up of one.

(http://i59.tinypic.com/zmbepe.jpg)

Had to have one so the search was on. Took a while but persistence paid off when a pair showed up on fleabay. CLICK! Mine! These are post war Japanese and well made.

As they came. You can see they were fished until the feathers were replaced by some plastic curly tails.

(http://i58.tinypic.com/4vomds.jpg)

By carefully unwinding  the wrappings, I was able to remove the sticky gummy tail and tie some white hackles on then re-wrap with the dirty cloth tape and CA it all together. Kind of a repro resto job. I like how they came out.

One stays with me and the other goes to AK this week to give to the lodge owner where I stay along with a printed book I made of the History of the San Diego Tuna Fleet and a DVD of all the vintage tuna fishing clips i could find.

(http://i62.tinypic.com/5wbcbt.jpg)

(http://i57.tinypic.com/2prsd4y.jpg)



Aloha, Steve-o


PS- oops! I meant to paste the link only on the video ...looks like I embedded it . .grrrr.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Dominick on September 13, 2014, 07:23:49 PM
There is no end to the cool stuff on this site.  Thanks Steve-O.  Dominick
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Tightlines667 on September 13, 2014, 08:00:01 PM
Good stuff!

Here's another related video..
Tuna Fishin from the Racks...
A Tribute to Tuna

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ICP4Df4hvE8
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Steve-O on September 13, 2014, 08:29:54 PM
Yep, that's another oldie goldie. Put it and a few others on the DVD for my lodge guy.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: jonnou on September 14, 2014, 01:07:28 AM
Wish they would still do it like that
Now 360 tons is one cast of the purse seine and a tin of tuna is 20 cents >:( >:(

fish for the future
Jon
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Steve-O on September 14, 2014, 03:34:49 PM
The folks in the Maldives still do. Google the Tuna fishing Maldives style. I think Greenpeace produced the video on it. Very sustainable fishing but the seiners are so much cheaper that only future minded folks are buying their fish. I think it's called Forever 4 Fish or similar.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: jonnou on September 15, 2014, 12:56:07 AM
We have line caught tuna here in New Zealand too
but still the nets too and the Inernational ships coming into our waters
IMO Going back to line caught fish in all larger species would solve the overfishing problems In the short term anyway
I hate seeing the price of fish in the supermarket
and get angry when I see those cook for a budget recipies always tuna casserole >:( >:(
I catch my own and it costs a lot (even more now thanks to all of you guys)
But it makes me appreciate the value of it
Unlike the large corprate companies and governments
A fishes life should never be cheap
sorry for the rant
Jon
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Rothmar2 on September 18, 2014, 10:49:31 PM
Very well said Jonnou.

Lovely work on those old poling jigs Steve-O. I'm sure your lodge owner will appreciate the effort you have put into them, and compiling the DVD.

Have seen first hand the Maldivian tuna boats in action.
Industrial Seine fishing should be banned IMO.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: $Bill on September 19, 2014, 02:03:52 AM
That's waaay cool!
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Ron Jones on September 19, 2014, 07:34:48 PM
Growing up fishing out of SD, I've seen a bunch of these, yours look great! If anyone ever wants to see a sobering monument, go to Shelter Island in Point Loma and look at the Tunamen's Memorial:

http://www.portofsandiego.org/public-art/view-the-art-directory/825-tunamans-memorial-by-franco-vianellofranco-vianello.html

That's a pretty good list of names.

Ron
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: ChileRelleno on September 20, 2014, 02:23:30 AM
I was bred/born in San Diego & well remember the Embarcadero when the tuna fleet & canneries were alive & well.
I've one jig I picked up from an old boat captain's collection.

Those old seiners I remember were beautiful pieces of art in their own right, with their sweeping lines and curves.
As a young man I worked as a deckhand for a tour boat/charter company on SD harbor, a good number of my coworkers/captains were old school Italian & Portuguese tuna fisherman.

If you ever want to see wall after wall covered with old Tuna Fleet/fishing photos & old pics of SD, visit 'The Waterfront' bar & grill in Downtown SD.  Its so old (est 1933) when it was first opened it was on the waterfront, now due to landfill it is several blocks from the water.  And it holds the first Liquor license ever issued in SD, lic # 001.
Several of the old guys I worked with are in those pics as young men in their prime, a few of which who could well have been in that video.

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s190/ChileRelleno/tunajig_zpsb65baed1.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/ChileRelleno/media/tunajig_zpsb65baed1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Ron Jones on September 20, 2014, 08:57:24 PM
I always like going to the Waterfront when I am in town. Lots of history there.
Ron
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Steve-O on October 01, 2014, 04:54:55 PM
Here are two I just got next to a restored one. The lighter is for scale. Looks to me someone had hot dipped these two in a tin pot. They're both #1 size Mt. Fuji brand. I redressed them for mild restoration purposes but don't plan on fishing them. All three are #1 size for the 3 or 4 pole big fishies.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Patudo on October 05, 2014, 01:47:07 AM
Wow - thanks for showing us those classic old lures.  Those are big jigs: the largest ones I acquired while I was passing through Malé were maybe only four inches overall length, max: but of course they were intended only for skipjack.  

I have some photos of the jigs and hooks I purchased, but need to recover them from my hard drive - will do so asap.  In the meantime, here's a photo from the net showing how they are attached.  

(http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00008tsE0mPL3mo/s/900/900/36525.jpg)

I've had the good fortune of seeing pole and line fishermen do their thing in a few places and I have a great deal of admiration for their fishing skills.  Here's a shot from earlier this year of a Madeiran crew working skipjack, with a big American sportfisherman hovering in the vicinity:

(http://www.marlinnut.com/pictures/data/507/P1030749_01.JPG) (http://www.marlinnut.com/pictures/showphoto.php/photo/364)
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: doradoben on October 06, 2014, 04:45:05 AM
Your photo of the lift poles is interesting. An assortment of bamboo and fiberglass.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Patudo on November 09, 2014, 04:29:35 PM
It would be interesting to know how many different designs there were for the pole and for trolling.  

These ones were acquired while passing through Malé.  They are much smaller than Steve-O's - meant for skipjack and smaller tunas and I think the smallest ones may be used for mackerel scad.   The hooks themselves are a traditional design and I think they are used without bait for small kawa kawa and the like. 

(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm131/Patudo01/Misc%20tackle/P1030150_01_zps42fc21b6.jpg)
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Vintage Offshore Tackle on November 09, 2014, 06:50:04 PM
Quote from: Patudo on November 09, 2014, 04:29:35 PM
It would be interesting to know how many different designs there were for the pole and for trolling.  

These ones were acquired while passing through Malé.  They are much smaller than Steve-O's - meant for skipjack and smaller tunas and I think the smallest ones may be used for mackerel scad.   The hooks themselves are a traditional design and I think they are used without bait for small kawa kawa and the like. 

(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm131/Patudo01/Misc%20tackle/P1030150_01_zps42fc21b6.jpg)

Dustin, I collect old tuna boat related stuff.  Here's a photo of a variety of terminal tackle for everything from mackerel up to four-pole fish, including chicken feathers and a roll of fish skin to form collars.  If anyone is interested in buying any tuna boat stuff (picks, rigging, lift poles, lift pole belts, photos, etc.), or old bone, aluminum, horn or Hetzel tuna trolling jigs, please let me know.  I would love to sell or trade any items that are duplicates to my collection.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Patudo on November 16, 2014, 02:42:35 PM
Thanks for the snapshot Randy!  The big jigs look huge compared to the ones I've seen.  Portuguese fishermen do still catch three pole size tuna but their modus operandi today is a little different: they have the line wrapped around the pole and essentially handline the fish to the boat after the strike; most times this can be done by one man. They also seem to use mainly live bait rather than the feather jigs, possibly because the fish aren't in the huge free biting schools of the old days.  I understand that fishermen from Portugal were heavily involved in the San Diego tuna fishery, probably taking their methods with them from the homeland: I wonder how long the Portuguese had been fishing this way before that.  

Here's another shot of a small tuna boat fishing off Madeira:

(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm131/Patudo01/Madeira%202014/P1030746_01_zps2e1064f1.jpg)
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: BMITCH on November 16, 2014, 04:23:03 PM
AWESOME!!!  :o ;D ;D
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Normslanding on November 28, 2014, 07:00:16 PM
Great stuff. I was showing a glass Squid pole, Squids, Skippy hooks, and some Baldy's to some one today. It's good to see the gear around.
Ah the good old days, or was it bad, I can't remember.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: coralsea on December 07, 2014, 02:22:56 PM
Quote from: ChileRelleno on September 20, 2014, 02:23:30 AM
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s190/ChileRelleno/tunajig_zpsb65baed1.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/ChileRelleno/media/tunajig_zpsb65baed1.jpg.html)

How much does it cost now ( i mean kind of that thing)?
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Normslanding on December 07, 2014, 10:06:19 PM
How come there are no helmets yet on these posts. Who still has there helmet? Nothing like a Squid in the head to spoil your day. Use to have a "Snoopy" hat to go under my helmet. It softened the blow when a Squid hit the helmet.
Off the subject, but about this time frame....... Anyone want to sell a couple of boxes of "Totem" black rings. They were manufactured in Kent, Wash.
and were used to wire jigs. I will trade Beauchamp's wire for ring. The posts here my be my only chance of getting rings. Sorry to go off!
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Elrey on February 04, 2015, 06:25:22 PM
ALBACORE LIFT POLE FISHING IS STILL DONE IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON  JJ GERRITSEN WAS JUST ON "LETS TALK HOOK UP" RADIO SHOW.  HE SOLD THE APOLLO A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO GO NORTH.  OR MAYBE HE'S ON NEXT WEEK.  CHECK THEIR SITE.

THERE WILL BE A PLETHORA OF THOSE JIGS IN CARDIFF THIS COMING SATURDAY, THE 7TH.  LURE SHOW AND SWAP MEET. 
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: FlipFlopRepairShoppe on June 22, 2017, 05:00:14 AM
Awesome showcase of vintage gear.  I love stuff like this.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: oc1 on June 22, 2017, 08:01:47 AM
What a great old film.  I especially like the army helmet.
Years ago we found a one-man fiberglass tuna pole washed up on the beach and it still has the jig.  I swear it looks like the skirt is a piece of shower curtain material.
-steve
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Swami805 on June 22, 2017, 12:24:18 PM
Saw a lift pole boat working at hurricane bank a few times targeting skipjack,they didn't target bigger tuna because they didn't pack in the fish hold as well. Those guys were hardcore,standing in the racks all day in the blistering sun with rain gear on.
Nice video, thanks
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Miles Offshore on January 30, 2018, 12:12:20 AM
Wow, what a great post. Learned some stuff just now!
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: SoCalAngler on January 30, 2018, 04:16:19 AM
I know this a old post but my father worked on the albacore boats out of San Diego, when they still had caning there. He used only cane pools and guys use to build boat jigs while standing in the water on the rack to "jack pole" those fish in. Those guys were tough.

I still find it funny after working other jobs he found himself working for Ralston Purina, starting in pet food and became the west coast exec for Chicken of the Sea tuna fish. Talk about coming full circle.

Maybe that's why I started fishing so early on in the ocean? Or maybe it was because I was his only child that didn't get sea sick? It really doesn't matter to me...well I guess it does as we still talk about the time first I out fished him catching salmon. Well kind of. The limit was 3 and I got my 3  at 9 years old with a few hours still left to fish. There were silvers and my biggest was around 12 lbs...not shabby for a kid. Although my pops catches around a 30 lb tail hooked king which is a handful. I wanted to rest but he said our limit was not filled so keep fishing. I got one more silver so that allowed one salmon on our cards. I asked if it was ok to rest now and he said yes.

To this day I think he wanted to catch the last salmon which was fine with me. But, the debate still comes up. More fish caught or one very nice one for our waters? You know what? We both really don't care, is the memory that matters.
Title: Re: Vintage Tuna lures anyone?
Post by: Big Tim on January 30, 2018, 05:58:40 AM
Quote from: SoCalAngler on January 30, 2018, 04:16:19 AM
I know this a old post but my father worked on the albacore boats out of San Diego, when they still had caning there. He used only cane pools and guys use to build boat jigs while standing in the water on the rack to "jack pole" those fish in. Those guys were tough.

I still find it funny after working other jobs he found himself working for Ralston Purina, starting in pet food and became the west coast exec for Chicken of the Sea tuna fish. Talk about coming full circle.

Maybe that's why I started fishing so early on in the ocean? Or maybe it was because I was his only child that didn't get sea sick? It really doesn't matter to me...well I guess it does as we still talk about the time first I out fished him catching salmon. Well kind of. The limit was 3 and I got my 3  at 9 years old with a few hours still left to fish. There were silvers and my biggest was around 12 lbs...not shabby for a kid. Although my pops catches around a 30 lb tail hooked king which is a handful. I wanted to rest but he said our limit was not filled so keep fishing. I got one more silver so that allowed one salmon on our cards. I asked if it was ok to rest now and he said yes.

To this day I think he wanted to catch the last salmon which was fine with me. But, the debate still comes up. More fish caught or one very nice one for our waters? You know what? We both really don't care, is the memory that matters.

My Uncle Ron was a Medivac Chopper Pilot in Nam, and early Honda Motorcycle tech. , then and engineer for Bumble Bee Tuna out of San Diego for many years. He had an awesome display of jigs, lift poles and ect...Back in the day.

Tim