Every once in a while I get a hankering to delve into the history of some aspect of bass fishing. This time, I decided to research the history of spinnerbaits. As it turns out, these baits date back 105 years to 1917, when the W. J. Jamison Company of Chicago, Ill., came out with the Shannon Twin Spinner.
Following is part of an early Jamison promotional write-up for the Twin Spinner that appeared in the April 1917 issue of the National Sportsman:
"This wonderful spinner has taken fishermen by storm wherever shown, as its merits are apparent at first glance. It is an entirely new idea in spoon baits, and its principle is the only correct one. It is a most extraordinary weedless device and comes through any kind of weeds clean, no matter how thick they are. It has the blades placed in such positions that no fish can strike at them without getting caught. This means many more fish will be taken, as fish very frequently strike at the blades, and with all other spoon baits, it means a lost strike, but the Shannon gets them. No matter how slow you run this bait, the blades are bound to spin, making it great for deep-water fishing and also for trolling. It is very beautiful and attractive in the water and is a sure winner."
It also should be noted here that Jamison Company was a big lure company at the time and made both baits under J. P. Shannon patents. As a result of this arrangement, Jamison sold the baits under their own name, as well as that of J. P. Shannon Company out of Lake Geneva, Wis.
Over the years, I watched Dewey Mullins come out with his version of a host of different baits, one of which was a small twin spinner. Somewhere between my garage and the house is a bag full of these baits that he made for me, but as luck would have it, I'm unable to lay my hands on them at the moment. Would have included a photo here if I had found them.
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