In 1955, national and local outdoor magazines were full of articles and advertisements that vaulted two Wisconsin brothers to fame. They had caught “42 muskies in 12 days!” Combined, these muskies weighed just over 553 pounds! Even more impressive, all these fish were caught on their own fishing lure, the Burmek B-1 Lure. Sales of this lure obviously surged from this publicity.

Today, however, I want to write about the lure that came before the B-1. I still get calls and emails about the lure from fisherman willing to pay “collector prices” for to take it fishing for the elusive muskie. The lure I am referring to is the Burmek Secret Bait.

Secret Bait

In 1953, two years before the fame of the B-1, Tony Burmek introduced his Secret Bait to the market. Tony and his brother Fred had begun making bucktails around 1952. Production and sales were set up at 4173 North 15th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Unlike most vintage muskie lures, the Secret Bait did not get its commercial origins in wood. While some prototypes and a few lures were made from wood, the commercial beginnings began with plastic—almost unheard of for a muskie lure in that time.

The first version did have its problems, though. The middle of the body proved to be too narrow, causing the lure to flip in the water on retrieve, and the tail hook had a reputation for pulling out. This first version was quickly shut down (and is now quite collectible and difficult to find). The second version, and one so sought after today, corrected both issues. A wider body improved the run of the lure, and a new hook eye insert fixed the pull-out problem.

One area where Burmek excelled right from the start was the packaging. Through the years, the boxes were marketing masterpieces. Full of images and publicity, they knew how to grab fishermen’s attention (photos show the transition of the boxes over time). You will notice the first box has only “17 muskies in 12 days.” Still a feat, to be sure. By box three, he worked up to the full “42” he had accomplished in 1955.

Burmek also excelled in generating publicity in general. In addition to garnering national attention over his “42 muskies in 12 days” catch, he mastered local newspapers and magazines. One doesn’t have to search long to find a vintage Burmek advertisement highlighting the virtues of his baits. I’ve included here two of my personal favorites.

Colors and sizes

Literature from 1956 shows the baits began with three basic colors and one size. The colors were: Sucker, Red Rib and Yellow Sucker. From there, additional colors were added over the years, such as Perch, although I have not found an official color chart for the baits. Note the yellow with gold spots color pictured with the last box version. It was a later color added, but one that was popular with muskie fishermen on other baits such as the Pflueger Globe.

Later years

The Burmek brothers went on promoting their lures, and muskie fishing, throughout their lives. They would introduce other muskie lures such as the B1, B2, and B3, which all went on to at least some level of success. The B1, in particular, was a very successful lure. However, the Secret Bait lure still holds a special place for a lot of collectors and fishermen.

Tony Burmek passed away at the age of 73 in 1985. After his death, promotion of the lures slowed and eventually the rights to the B1 lure were sold to the Uncle Josh Bait Company in 1987. Fred Burmek passed away in 1996.

Collector’s value

The Burmek Secret Bait with a matching two-piece cardboard box sells in the $40-50 range in excellent condition. Rarer colors can go for up to double that amount. Catching a muskie of a lifetime on one of these vintage lures: priceless.