The Porter Bait Company lures were first introduced when Dick Porter made his first lead-headed pier baits in about 1920. In the 1940’s, he expanded his lure line to include traditional looking wooden lures. The Pop-Stop, Darter and Shrimp are a few of the lure names. The older Porter lures have a bull’s eye on the belly as a distinguishing characteristic. The first boxes are yellow, then black and then with a clear cellophane window. Porter is probably best well known for his clothes pin type pier bait lures. The Sea Hawk Pier bait was probably Porter’s most popular lure. He received a Design Patent for the “Sea Hawk” lure design on January 11, 1955. Porter Bait Company lures are considered to be made by one of the great Central Florida Lure Makers.
Porter Bait Company First Style Lure Box
The PORTER POP-STOP Lure in Second Style Box
The PORTER POP-STOP Lure in Third Style Box
PORTER 1956 “Salt Water Sportsman” Magazine Ad
The RICHARD PORTER 1955 Lure Design Patent