Al Foss & True Temper Fishing Lures

Al Foss
Cleveland, Ohio

History

Lures

Blades

Blades Used on Al Foss & True Temper Lures

Al Foss and True Temper used a number of different blade styles over the years. Some of the blades were used on multiple lures and others were specific to a particular bait. Blades on some lures changed as blade modifications were introduced. For example, the Shimmy Wiggler has been seen with five different blade styles. It is possible to date Al Foss lures based on the type of blade that it has.

Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see a larger image

Colorado Spinner The Colorado Spinner was the earliest type blade and was used on the first version of the Skidder and the Little Egypt.

Figure Four - Plain This blade is shaped like the number four. The earliest version of the Figure Four Blade had no markings and was introduced in 1917 on the #3 Oriental Wiggler with a molded-in hook. A box paper for the Oriental showed a 1901 patent. This patent was for a spoon attachment designed by Arkless Weiss and is believed to be the starting point for the design of the Figure Four Blade. It is not known how Foss acquired design rights from Weiss Foss advertising described the Figure Four as a self-clearing spinner...more weedless than any...

Figure Four - Marked Al Foss Pat Apr 30'18 May 14'18 The blade structure is unchanged, but it was stamped with two patent dates: April 30, 1918 and May 14, 1918. These dates reference patents granted to Al Foss in 1918. The first was for the Oriental Wiggler showing this blade. The second was for a hook blade mechanism in which Foss described an improved spinner...which is formed so that the water will act on it to cause the bait behind the spinner to wiggle, and which is formed so that the fishing line is not likely to become fouled around it.

Figure Four - Marked Al Foss The last version of the Figure Four Blade was stamped with the Al Foss name and was used by American Fork and Hoe Company.

Shimmyette A Miniature version of the Figure Four was used on the Shimmyette Fly Rod Wiggler.

Ponca - Al Foss Pat Apr. 17'28 This blade was based on a 1928 patent by Al Foss lure designer Charles Schlipp. In his patent application Schlipp described a blade that would resemble and act as a screw or propellor blade to cause it to spin rapidly when it is drawn through the water. He intended the blade to be durable and weedless, describing it as sufficiently rigid so it will not be bent or rendered inoperative by the fish, or obstruction encountered in fishing...

Discolator This fixed, rounded blade was used on Minnie the Moocher and The Little Minnie. It set up a rippling motion in the water as the lure was retrieved.

Improved Figure Four An "improved" version of the Figure Four Blade was introduced in 1936 with the Sheik. The blade structure was modified, with the number four being elongated.

Large Doc The Doc spinner had two rounded blades and was used on a number of baits introduced in 1940. It appeared in the 1940 patent application for the Hell Cat lure. Louis "Pop" Adam assigned his patent to American Fork & Hoe in 1943.

Small Doc Small version in a fly rod size with the bait sharing the “Doc” name.

Ponca Double Blade Unbalanced Spinner This blade was developed by Louis "Pop" Adam of Ponca City, Oklahoma, hired by True Temper as a designer. His blade was used on the Jerry and other baits by True Temper.

Adam The Adam blade used a single spinner shaped like a “Doc”. This blade was also developed by Louis "Pop" Adam of Ponca City, Oklahoma and included in the patent drawing of his weed guard.