Shovel Nose Louie

[Dave H]

I am in the same boat, so to speak. I think of July 15 to 31st as the period for testing new gear, experimenting and getting the bugs out of the system. Something you do not want to be doing once the fish arrive. I have 19 Olsen plugs that are all classic Tomic repaints to try, which is why I was inquiring about the best way to rig them for rowing speed.

Wish I could help you but ignorant here re: the Olsens. I've towed Tomics with the "tie the knot high" method and hooked fish though, but that's all I've got to offer.

Also, I've been corrected by one of my long-suffering rod-holders who tells me I have towed an old woody before, his Grandfather's, and it's still in my plug box.

And I've eschewed rowing early before but think I'll follow your example and tow a few different ones to assess action and what-not before the fish arrive too.

I've got to change my karma or something, given my lack of production the past couple of years.

Looking forward.

Take care.

 

[high tide]

Hey fellas.
Ive got one ol wooden plug called a Wallace Highliner.
It has 2 different paint applications. One side like a Red Gill Louie. The other side kind of like a Rainbow trout. Any one knowany thing of them .?
Another i thought was aPink pearl lucky louie but cant see any name on the upper back. Also awooden plug.
I can forward a pic if someone PMs me.
Thanks.

 

[wavetamer]

like this

 

[ChilliSpoons]

Anyone have any info on these Gibbs Martin plug?

I’ve been told that some of the Martin plugs have some collectable value. Not sure about this one but it sure is in great shape. No box.

 

[high tide]

like thisView attachment 45434 View attachment 45435

Yes very simular.
Cool old plugs hanging in my man cave.
Thanks for posting.

 

[Bruce P]

like thisView attachment 45434 View attachment 45435

Sure a pretty plug, but I know little about them.

 

[wavetamer]

love the old plugs , always looking for them, even old tattered ones to restore to original

 

[nootkaassassin]

Olsen plugs came with a brass tow bar and swivel that ran through the body. I would just rig the Olsen like a Tomic that has had the pin pulled, just use a bigger bead if you don’t have the original hardware. Olsen’s do have a similar head to a shovel.These are wood

 

[nootkaassassin]

Anyone have any info on these Gibbs Martin plug?

I’ve been told that some of the Martin plugs have some collectable value. Not sure about this one but it sure is in great shape. No box.

View attachment 45436

Hey Chilli, If it was produced in Vancouver it would be more valuable than made in U.S. Flip the plug over and see if there is a stamp on the bottom to clarify where it was produced. Here is a example.

 

[ChilliSpoons]

View attachment 45443
Hey Chilli, If it was produced in Vancouver it would be more valuable than made in U.S. Flip the plug over and see if there is a stamp on the bottom to clarify where it was produced. Here is a example.

Made in Canada


I would upload a picture but for some reason It won’t accept my picture when trying to upload a file. I’ve never had problems with this before??? Weird.

 

[ChilliSpoons]

View attachment 45443
Hey Chilli, If it was produced in Vancouver it would be more valuable than made in U.S. Flip the plug over and see if there is a stamp on the bottom to clarify where it was produced. Here is a example.

Made in Canada


I would upload a picture but for some reason It won’t accept my picture when trying to upload a file. I’ve never had problems with this before??? Weird.

 

[Bruce P]

Olsen plugs came with a brass tow bar and swivel that ran through the body. I would just rig the Olsen like a Tomic that has had the pin pulled, just use a bigger bead if you don’t have the original hardware. Olsen’s do have a similar head to a shovel.These are woodView attachment 45439 View attachment 45440View attachment 45441View attachment 45442

I do have the hardware which is probably how I will have to rig it and tie off high like a Tomic with the tow wire still in. With the flat bar out I don't think it would work to just thread the line through. With the flat bar out there is no neat round hole to thread the line through such as with a Tomic or Rex Field that has the pin pulled. Rather there is a slot in the face and a large hole on the back the swivel fits into. Not very conducive to pushing a round liner into place for the line or bead swivel to thread through. I am thinking that without the liner the line would likely just cut through the soft cedar wood plug. I have seen this before, with wood plugs that the owner kept fishing after the hole liner had come out. I repaired one of these recently, that was nearly cut right through. The other option would be to fill in the larger space and slot with epoxy or other filler and re drill the hole, but if I were going to all that trouble, why not just have some made with the typical round hole, more conducive to installing a liner and if I were going to that amount of trouble, why not use a Lucky Louie shovelnose as the pattern with it's more aggressive face, rather than the modified Olsen.

The only other way I have thought about was using a large bead glued into the large hole on the back and a small bead fitted into a spot opened up ever so slightly on the face for the small bead to fit into (so it does not move up and down in the slot) and thread the line through the beads.

Do you know anyone who has fished the Olsen with the flat bar out and how they rigged it?

 

[Bruce P]

I do have the hardware which is probably how I will have to rig it and tie off high like a Tomic with the tow wire still in. With the flat bar out I don't think it would work to just thread the line through. With the flat bar out there is no neat round hole to thread the line through such as with a Tomic or Rex Field that has the pin pulled. Rather there is a slot in the face and a large hole on the back the swivel fits into. Not very conducive to pushing a round liner into place for the line or bead swivel to thread through. I am thinking that without the liner the line would likely just cut through the soft cedar wood plug. I have seen this before, with wood plugs that the owner kept fishing after the hole liner had come out. I repaired one of these recently, that was nearly cut right through. The other option would be to fill in the larger space and slot with epoxy or other filler and re drill the hole, but if I were going to all that trouble, why not just have some made with the typical round hole, more conducive to installing a liner and if I were going to that amount of trouble, why not use a Lucky Louie shovelnose as the pattern with it's more aggressive face, rather than the modified Olsen.

The only other way I have thought about was using a large bead glued into the large hole on the back and a small bead fitted into a spot opened up ever so slightly on the face for the small bead to fit into (so it does not move up and down in the slot) and thread the line through the beads.

Do you know anyone who has fished the Olsen with the flat bar out and how they rigged it?

Thought I would add some pictures.

 

[Bruce P]

View attachment 45476
Thought I would add some pictures.

A friend suggested I add some advice about the lucky Louie Shovelnose Plug, for someone trying to find one online. All I can do is pass on my experience.
1. There are no wood Lucky Louie Shovelnose fishing plugs. The shovelnose was only ever made in plastic in the late 1950's and early 1960's. There are some other Louie wood plugs that have similar heads and have always been known to fish well in the pool, but they are not Shovelnose plugs. If someone is advertising a Lucky Louie wood plug as a shovelnose, send them a message and move onto the next seller.
2. The Lucky Louie shovelnose is 5 1/4 long, but occasionally, usually by a collector, a shovelnose will be advertised as 5 1/8 long. Do not be scared off. In the language of the shovelnose, 5 1/4 does equal 5 1/8. They are the same plug and if you talk about a 5 1/8 long shovelnose online, no one will know what you are talking about. I have seen a shovelnose that measured short of 5 1/4 but I suspect short plugs were manufacturing errors. We are not talking rocket science construction.
3. Lucky Louie Shovelnose plugs are expensive. If the seller does not accept returns, move onto the next seller.
4. I have never seen a lucky Louie Shovelnose plug that has the words "Made in USA" printed on it. The regular Louie does. A collector friend says the same thing. Until someone produces an unaltered, true shovelnose, with those words on it, treat it as false shovelnose, send the seller a message and move onto the next seller.
5. Watch out for rope the dope advertising. Lots of sellers have become adept at making their plug sound like a shovelnose with statements like "this is the rare and highly sought after Louie plug by the rowers in the Tyee Pool in Campbell River," When you ask whether the plug is a shovelnose, either you will not hear from them or you will receive a terse note that the seller never said that it was, which is true. Even if the seller outright miss describes the plug as a shovelnose, there are so many false pictures and descriptions purporting to be the shovelnose on the internet, that the seller will still say that it is, because they have seen the pictures. Never buy from a seller who does not accept returns for any reason.
6. Unless you know and really trust the seller or the plug passes all of the above tests, move on. Even then there is no guarantee.

My recommendation is to buy your first shovelnose from a reputable collector or a mentor in the club. Once you have seen one, you have seen them all. It makes it less likely that you will get taken on the internet. I tried loading some more pictures but they would not post. I will try again.

 

[wavetamer]

this one doesn't work

 

[Bruce P]

this one doesn't workView attachment 45489

Needs to lay off the sauce.

 

[db340]

Shovels were actually only made from 1949 to 1952 before Minser moved from Seattle to Chinook Washington. If you are fortunate enough to find an untouched one in the box it will always be a Seattle marked box.

 

[Bruce P]

Thanks. We learn something new every day.

 

[nootkaassassin]

Here is a wood Rex-Field Shovel. Cool stamp on belly.

 

[nootkaassassin]

Here is a plastic Rex-Field Shovel.