South Bend History

  In 1909 three people, F.A. Bryan, F.L. Denis and B.W. Oliver did all of the work making and distributing their products. These gentlemen brought in investors from Chicago and formed the South Bend Bait company in 1909. By this time Mr. Worden had grown into a large tackle company. In 1910 they brought in a man named Ivar Hennings. He had an ability to organize and implement new ideas. He then built a new factory and moved the company to Colfax Avenue in downtown South Bend, Indiana. By 1915 they had fifty women working on the assembly line and fifteen salesmen distributing their products in the U.S., Canada and France.

  The wooden baits were made of red cedar. The wood was produced by the South Bend Dowel Works. Each piece of wood was chemically treated to prevent the swelling of the wood and protect the enamel finish from cracking. Only hand welded hooks that were imported from England were used. The hooks and hardware were nickel plated. Each wooden lure required at least fifty operations. Twenty-five thousand deer tail, used to produce Bucktail lures were stocked.

  Since South Bend began making baits and into the forties the company was very prosperous. They grew from one floor of the Electric building in downtown South Bend, to a 55 thousand square foot space in 1936. A ten thousand square foot addition was done in 1941. During WW II the companies factory was used towards the war effort and after the war fishing tackle production started up again. In 1947 the Fishing Tackle Company of Americas was founded as an affiliate with 20,000 square feet of production in Maquoketa, Iowa to produce South Bend lures. By 1949 they had grown to 100,000 square feet and more warehouse space was purchased in Iowa.

    By 1952 South Bend was once again in full production of their fishing tackle following WWII.  Harold O. Stream was now President of the company.  In December of 1954 William Martindill became President of the company and Harold O. Stream was Chairman of the Board.  The South Bend Bait Company changed it's name to the South Bend Tackle Company in 1955.  The general offices, service center and warehousing remain in South Bend.  The manufacturing plants were in Maquoketa, Spencer and Esterville, Iowa.  In 1957 William Martindill resigned and Gerard W. Brooks became President of the South Bend Tackle Company.

  The South Bend Tackle Company was sold to Seymour and Benjamin F. Fohrman in 1958.  Mr. Fohrman had other interests in company's such as The South Bend Toy Manufacturing Company and the South Bend Tool and Die Company.  Following the purchase of the company Gerard Brooks resigned and Seymour was then in charge of the company.  A few years later Seymour moved the company's headquarters to Chicago, Illinois. The company address was 6710 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago.  In 1962 the South Bend Tackle Company returned to South Bend.  All of the company's operations were then consolidated at 1108 S. High Street, South Bend, Indiana.

  Through the sixties the company went through some management changes and in 1964 South Bend was sold to the B.F. Gladding & Co. which was a well known maker of casting and fly lines.  In the seventies the company went through hard times and had limited presence in the market.

  In 1981 two families from Chicago took a chance and purchased the South Bend Company.  They recruited Kel Krotzner as president who was the former head of sales of the company.  South Bend no longer made their famous traditional lures after 1982 when Luhr-Jensen & Sons purchased the rights for the Oreno line of lures.  Through the 80's and early 90's the company experienced good growth.  South Bend is still located in Northbrook, Illinois.  Today South Bend is still manufacturing rods, reels and terminal tackle under the guidance of president Jim Pickering.

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