Robinson Bait Co lures can be found from three periods of his lure making. Earl Robinson’s early lures have hand carved gills and eyes. They were hand painted silver with a dark back as shown in the photo below. Lures from Robinson’s middle period in the 1940’s were also hand painted. The two styles offered were the thin bodied “Orlando Shiner” and the darter-like Best Yet Popper. The later Robinson lures were produced in volume in the 1950’s but still maintained high quality. The spots on the later ones were sprayed on with a mask rather than being hand painted. The first Robinson boxes were red two-piece cardboard, then next a two-piece cardboard with green border, and then a cardboard bottom with a soft plastic lid. Robinson Bait Co lures are considered to be made by one of the great Central Florida Lure Makers.
The ROBINSON Lures
The ROBINSON Lures and Boxes
The early ROBINSON Lures, circa 1930’s
The ROBINSON “BEST YET POPPER” Lures, circa 1940’s
The ROBINSON “ORLANDO SHINER” Lures, circa 1950’s
The ROBINSON “BEST YET POPPER” Lure, circa 1950’s