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Dated back to 1911, the “Nifty Minnie” was one mean lure

The Nifty Minnie was made for both fresh and saltwater applications. Two steel rods inside the tube held the hooks in place.

“Fish all day with one live minnow.” That was the marketing tag line for the Nifty Minnie. One source dated this unique lure back to 1911, when it was first available to fishermen.
The Minnie was manufactured by the Joseph M. Ness company in Minneapolis, Minn., and, unlike competitors who were making lures with glass, Ness used celluloid (clear plastic), which was much more durable. I can picture a large northern thrashing around in a boat; a glass lure could easily be broken.

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