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The making of a fishing icon
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My very first Daredevle
Those old timers who spent so many years developing some of the best fishing lures in history are an amazing and innovative bunch. Many of these lures are still used today and have been virtually unchanged from their original designs. The late Lou Eppinger is one of those old fellows who revolutionized the fishing industry and his company continues to do so today.
On a trip to Ontario Lou Eppinger decided to trek into the Canadian woods for some good lunker catching. Known among most midewesterners as a mecca of freshwater fishing, Lou was in the heavy wilderness for a solid month. The year was 1906 and he had created his very own design of a freshwater lure. It was a piece of metal that he had hammered out by hand in a way that was thinner in the middle and thicker around the edges. This made the action of the lure swing side to side perfectly.
The lunkers loved Lou's lure and in 1912 he was ready to sell his unique design. The lure was originally called the Osprey and in 1918 Lou's nephew Ed came to work in the family business. Together they decided to change the name of the lure to Daredevle. During World War I there had been a battle in which the U.S. Marine 4th Brigade had captured a bunch of German soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods. It was a harrowing fight that displayed the unrelenting character and courage of the fighting brigade of young Americans. This led the allies of the war to name the brigade, the Dare Devils. Hence, the name of Lou's lure was coined with a bit of a twist on the official spelling. Back in the early days of the company, Lou and Ed had been selling around five hundred lures per year. Quickly learning the value of marketing a good product, Eppinger lures expanded. Lou and Ed eventually created an entire family of lures. Today, they have big Daredevles, little Daredevles and Daredevles of many colors. In fact, there are more than 16,000 of these lures with their own design, size and color. Though many have tried to copy Lou's original design, The Daredevle remains a staple of every fihserman's (or women's) tackle box. Eppinger Lures remains family owned and operated with Ed's daughter and granddaughter at the helm In 2006 the company celebrated its 100th anniversary, a sure sign of quality in itself.
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