EGER BAIT COMPANY HISTORY 

Eger Bait Mfg Co of Bartow, FL has a long history of making quality lures. The first lures were patented in 1932 and made with others up to the 1970's. During this time, the company was under several different ownerships. The first three lure models were the Grass Frog, the Florida Special and the Fish Hawg. Perhaps the most novel Eger lure design was the use of real frog skin on a lure. The skin of a frog leg was slipped over the wood body and allowed to shrink and cure. The result is an interesting design that catches not only fish, but also fishermen. Eger received a patent on his frog skin design on September 7, 1937. Among collectors, the most desirable of the Eger lures is the early Florida Special and the Grass Frog. The most common lure is the Dillinger. It came in two sizes, with and without props. John Dillingers topwater lures from the Eger Bait Company were originally called Florida Specials, but they evolved and came to be named after the gangster. One of the first colors to come out in the Dillinger was the white and black stripped, representing his prison garb. The Eger Bait Company also made other lures such as the Zig Zag, Bug Bait, Flutter, Frog and Pop Eyed Frog. Their largest lure was the Jointed Mammoth. Eger Bait Mfg Co. is considered one of the great Central Florida Lure Makers.