My best Christmas present !! Nep-Tuna !!

[54bullseye]

Around 3 years ago I came upon this neat set of 4 Nep-Tuna trolling lures on eBay and I wanted them bad as I collect cradle reels and rods. So the bidding began and I came out 2nd high bidder !@#%^%$#  About that same time I met a now good friend of mine Doug who is a member of both ORCA and Alan Tani's  board. We met through the internet as we had similar interests in vintage big game fishing gear and other antique collectibles. My girlfriend and I have visited Doug and his wife a couple times now once for a meet and greet and another time for deer hunting down in Maryland.

In talking on the phone with Doug one day I found out that it was him who had out bid me on those Nep-Tuna trolling lures and we both laughed on how much money he could have saved had we known we were the only two bidders !!! By the way they came from another ORCA member from Hawaii.

Well while on a visit Doug said I could pick one of the lures to bring home as a gift and I picked the only jointed lure in the bunch ! Well he cussed me for it but it came home to Massachusetts with me !!!

So yesterday my girlfriend gave me a present and as I opened it up I was thinking to myself "did she get me some Striper plugs as they were wrapped in ziplock bags" but to my surprise it was the rest of the set of Nep-Tuna trolling lures I had bid on a few years prior !! She had remembered how much I wanted them and Doug knowing my love for Nep-Tuna cradles, rods, and anything else they made figured that I was the one who should own them so he sold them to Brenda my girlfriend !!!

My best Christmas present !!!      John Taylor

PS  Has any one out there every seen others similar or maybe know what company might have made them for Nep-Tuna ??  Both Doug and I think possibly Seven Strand ??? Any info would be great.

[54bullseye]

Here is each lure alone.

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

What an amazing gift John.  You owe Doug a big one!

I remember watching the bidding on those lures on eBay and they went for a ton of money, as well they should have as they are rarer than hens teeth in any condition and they appeared to be near mint.

Martin (the salmon plug company) made a series of big game trolling lures that seem suspiciously similar to the Nep-tunas, but the jointed-head does look just like the original Sevenstrand Knucklehead.

[54bullseye]

What an amazing gift John.  You owe Doug a big one!

I remember watching the bidding on those lures on eBay and they went for a ton of money, as well they should have as they are rarer than hens teeth in any condition and they appeared to be near mint.

Martin (the salmon plug company) made a series of big game trolling lures that seem suspiciously similar to the Nep-tunas, but the jointed-head does look just like the original Senenstrand Knucklehead.

Randy I think you might have hit the nail on the head ! On the back of one lure there was a name but paint wasn't great but when you said Martin I think your right !!!  Thanks Randy.      John Taylor

[54bullseye]

Well Randy you got it ! I did some searches on The Martin Lure Co. Seattle Wa.  and found they were around till the 80s and that most of there lures were painted by hand. I found one that is painted much like one of my trolling lures. I am posting pics of both first my Nep-Tuna then the Martin. I do believe there made by Martin Lure Company.   Thanks Randy !!     John Taylor

[Swami805]

Those lures are where the belong. Very nice

[Dominick]

Marry her.    Dominick

[1badf350]

Oh wow John those are awesome!

[coastal_dan]

What an amazing story and gift! 

I'm with Dominick...Marry her!

Btw, the photo fo the lures with all the Cradle's in the background NEEDS to be photo of the month, hopefully a Mod can throw it up there....stunning collection for sure.

Thanks for sharing John and Happy Holidays!

[oc1]

I'm with Dominick and Dan.  You're having too much fun and good luck 
-steve

[54bullseye]

Thanks to all you guys I really thought it was a great gift and they were about the last thing I expected !  I don't have many lures in my collection just a few South Bend Teasers and Tarp orenos . I do have some more Nep-Tuna trolling lures but they are the molded plastic type with plastic or rubber skirts I think these are special !!    John Taylor

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

John, does the jointed-head lure appear to have a wooden head like the Martins? If the jointed head is plastic or metal, I would bet dollars to donuts that it's a Sevenstrand Knucklehead, as you and Doug suspected.

[54bullseye]

Randy the head and body of the jointed lure with the feathers is light and I would say wood. I am posting a couple pictures of my other Nep-Tuna trolling lures that are bigger / newer and much heavier. These I am pretty sure were made by "Seven Strand" I have some and have seen others not marked Nep-Tuna but Seven Strand that are exactly like these. Let me know what you think ?  You can see the older feather tailed lure is different.   John Taylor

[Big Tim]

WOW...My guess is you have seen this one to :  https://www.ebay.com/itm/1950s-NEP-TUNA-LAVA-LAMP-JIG-GOLD-FLECK-in-Translucent-APPLE-JUICE-CHERRY-RED/122316274795?hash=item1c7a9e3c6b:g:5DkAAOSw32lYuHlQ

Not sure of the value, but if it said Hetzel it would have been gone by now>

Tim

[54bullseye]

Tim I got your PM and yes I have seen those Nep-Tuna lures on eBay they have been there a long time the person is asking way to much IMHO !! I bought these for around $20 apiece !  Thanks for the heads up though !!

Here are a couple Nep-Tuna fighting belts the small one you just hang on your belt for surf rods and the bigger one is for cradles and regular rods with gimbals .       John Taylor