Helldiver

[Schultzy]

Shakespeare Helldiver, made of timber.

!Helldiver.jpg

[fishaholiclures]

Neil,
Is it a Shakespeare?? I have perused my US ref books and can not find reference to a Helldiver model in their range.

I have the exact same lure I bought from the US in a bunch I identified it as a Whopper Stopper Hellbender . After some asking on US boards, I was informed that Whopper Stopper made very few wooden lures before they went to Tenite/plastic construction. Some replies actually said it wasn't a Hellbender at all, but a well made copy. I tend to disagree as the dimensions, colour scheme and hardware all say Whopper Stopper to me. If yours is the same as mine, lock it away cos its VERY rare.

Wood Hellbender.JPG

Brad

[Schultzy]

Brad,

Absolutely 100% certain mine is a Shakespeare. They were on the market in Australia in the late eighties. This was their cheap copy of the Hellbender, possibly outsourced manufacture to Asia?

If Frank still has the lures from his second round of depth tests, he will have a Shakespeare Helldiver too. It featured in the list of lures tested for that article in the deepest dozen, running at 6m.

Schultzy.

[Fizza]

Brad,
Ill have a ganderthrough a couple of my books as I'm sure one has referrence to this particular Shakespeare.

[fishaholiclures]

Hi Dave,
I would appreciate that, I have been through my US books, as well as Franks 3 tests and cant find any reference to the Helldiver.

Be nice to find out whether mine is one also.

Cheers Brad

[Fizza]

I couldn't find it in any of my books but found this info on a US lure site.

"Shakespeare moved production to Hong Kong in 1968"

Coldwater Bait Company and Eureka Bait Company

Coldwater, Michigan

Sometime around 1913, Sam Larrabee of Coldwater, Michigan received a patent on one of the first wooden plugs whose action was dependent upon water forced through a hole in the chin that exited on the sides or belly. Thus was born the Coldwater Bait Company, one of Michigan's classic early lure makers. The relationship between Coldwater, Eureka Bait Co. and the W.E. Phinney Bait Co. remains a little muddled to this day, but the three companies intermittently made some of the century's finest antique fishing lures in a little town not far from Kalamazoo, Mich., home to Rhodes and Shakespeare.



Coldwater Hell Diver

The Coldwater Helldiver was a diving bait. This one is unusual in that it has glass eyes. The picture box features the patent date of May 14, 1918. This lure is later than the Phinney's example picture below. Shakespeare eventually bought and manufactured this lure in later years. Glass-eyed Coldwaters are rare.

[Schultzy]

Brad,

To see the Helldiver stats in Franks test you have to go back before his 3 lure test books. From memory (which is risky in my case) the first of the lure shoot out books published by AFN was 1991.

Frank had already done two sets of tests in earlier years. The first in the mid eighties and the second in the late eighties Those were published in fishing mags, not as stand alone books. The Helldiver was in the second round of tests in the late eighties and was the third deepest running lure tested.

Also from memory (be afraid) the deepest dozen contained three Aussie lures. The Custom Crafted Extractor, wooden Downunder Boomerang and the deepest of the Aussies.........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
drum roll please
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
The Newell Kadaitcha!

[Fizza]

This link has the 1988 results on page 6

http://www.originallures.com.au/lures/l ... Sept88.pdf

[fishaholiclures]

Neil,
The date of Franks 1st test article was 1988 as in the link by fizza. The second was 1991 also in FWF format. The 1995 was a stand alone book as is the latest 2004 versions. I have copies of 2,3 & 4 and only a print out from the Original lures site for the 1st one.

The 1st one is the only place I can find reference to the Shakespeare Helldiver. I might have to lean on Steve & Kim to see if I can get some info out of Shakes in the US

Thanks for the memory refresher Dave, I was only looking at that article on Original lures the other week

Cheers Brad

[Schultzy]

Brad,

It might pay to check with Frank on the history of his lure tests. I think there may have been an earlier test published in Fishing World magazine as early as 1985 involving only about 50 lures. Than again it may just be a case of my intermittent Alzheimer's playing up.