The Northwoods of Minnesota and Wisconsin inspire tales of Paul Bunyan—the famous lumberjack folk hero who helped clear the woods with his large axe—and his faithful blue ox companion Babe. Dig into an old tackle box, though, and Paul Bunyan takes on a different meaning: the Paul Bunyan Bait Company.

The Paul Bunyan Bait Company originated in 1939 in Minneapolis, Minn. They were a very popular fishing lure manufacturer and distributor through the 1960s, creating a large range of fishing lures and products. A lot of these baits are still in use today, and many are in collectors’ displays. One of the more famous ones is the Dodger.

The Paul Bunyan Dodger

The Paul Bunyan Dodger was made starting around 1938. It measures 4 inches in length and lists at 5/8-ounce. The lure is made of Tenite (early plastic) and is a slim, slightly concave shape with a metal diving lip on the front and two treble hooks. Besides the distinct shape of the lure, the Dodger came with two variations of eyes, one being a silver, flat disc and the other rhinestone eyes. In 1939, they added “transparent” colors and called these versions Transparent Dodgers. In fact, after 1939, the Dodger name is used always interchangeably with Transparent Dodger, no matter the color. 

The bottom of each lure has a rib pattern which, in the case of the transparent colors, shows through the lure. One variation appearing on the back of some lures are the words, “PAUL BUNYAN DODGER” in raised letters. It was advertised as “Darts, wobbles, dodges and dives with the action of a crippled minnow. Irresistible to all game fish, for all game fish for minnows—particularly one that acts injured! Transparent Tenite, ribs and spine give a skeleton-like appearance.”

The Transparent Dodger proved a big success for the Paul Bunyan Bait Company. They would make this bait up until 1963. Soon after they launched, though, they spun off another iteration of the bait, the Artful Dodger.

The Artful Dodger was made for fly fishing and was 1 1/4 inches in length and weighed 1/25 ounce. It was introduced in 1941 and was made through 1961, proving quite successful in its own right.

Paul Bunyan briefly made a third model called the Brookland Dodger (you will commonly see this called Brooklyn Dodger). From its introduction in the 1950 catalog: 

“A Paul Bunyan original with a new design and new scope in a unique, deceptive lure. Has a specially designed rear winged fin assembly finished in 14-K. gold plate. The new, unusual action gives this tantalizing lure an irresistible appeal to game fish. Must be seen in action to be fully appreciated.”

Essentially, this looks like a Dodger with side wings. It was quite an experiment for its time. Unfortunately, it didn’t catch on with fishermen, as the lure only lasted from 1950-1953. This lure is by far the rarest and most collectible of the three.

The Paul Bunyan Bait Company was purchased by Prescott Spinner Company in 1966.

Colors and packaging

The paper catalog lists six colors with catalog numbers as follows: 900C – Clear Transparent, 900R – Ruby Transparent, 900A – Amber Transparent, 900G – Green Transparent, 900WR – White Opaque with Red Head, 900B – Black. A seventh known color has emerged from collectors. It is Solid Yellow Body and has a black face and black ribs on the belly.

The Artful Dodger came in the same colors as the Transparent Dodger except for the Solid Yellow Body. There are two shades of green as well, one much darker than the other. This is probably more of a production change more than an intentional color change.

The colors for the Brookland Dodger are the same as the Transparent Dodger.

Given the length of time the Dodgers were available, there were a variety of packaging options. They range from cardboard boxes including plastic film tops to plastic tubes, and customer purchases without a package from display cards in bait shops.

Collectors value

Paul Bunyan Dodgers, Transparent and Artful, in excellent condition without the box/packaging would be worth anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on the color. With the matching box in excellent condition, the price would jump up to anywhere from $25 to $50. The Brookland Dodger in excellent condition runs from $40 to $60 without the box/packaging, and up to $100 or more with the box/packaging, as they are scarce and tough to find. These lures make very colorful and nice displays.