Get Hooked
Well-Known Member
Sadly was informed this morning that my good friend Phil Jensen has left us. He was a giant in the North American Salmon, Steelhead, Trout and Bass tackle fishing industry. The best at designing, manufacturing and promoting his world famous products and the sport fishery not only on the West coast, but on the Great Lakes as well. Farewell and God Bless.
Luhr Jensen was one of the five largest lure companies in the USA.
Luhr Jensen was a role model to the rest of the fishing tackle industry when it comes to providing their customers with information on their legendary line of fishing products. Through the use of printed materials called "Tech Reports", "Tech Sheets" and "Tech Bulletins" which provided information on when, where, and how to use their line of fishing products.
I don't think there is a Great Lakes or Stream/River fishermen that has not used 1 or several Luhr Jensen & Sons (now owned by Rapala VMC Corp.) products. For example Dipsy Diver's. Likely most fishermen don't know this but Luhr Jensen did not originate the Dipsy Diver but bought out the Mfgr. that did. It was invented and initially patented by Russell William Weber, an avid angler from Milwaukee Wisconsin. Weber invented the Dipsy Diver in the mid 1970's as a result of his frustration with lines getting tangled under his boat and lures not sinking low enough to catch fish effectively. The first Dipsy Divers were manufactured in Weber's basement with the help of his children and friends. Weber sold his invention at shows around the Milwaukee and Chicago areas and through word of mouth, attracting the attention of a few large manufacturers. In the late 1970's Weber sold his invention to Luhr Jensen and Sons.
Weber did not have a clue on how successful his invention would become and now used by Trollers around the world for all types of game fish. https://ilovemydipsydiver.blogspot.com/2010/10/introducing-dipsy-diver.html
Over the years Luhr Jensen out of Hood River, Oregon ultimately bought more than 40 other manufacturers — including Les Davis in 1986. Others are the Crippled Herring from Captain Pete Rosko out of Ohio who was creating Walleye lures before the age of ten. Even Rapala’s Ron Weber referred to it as the “Rapala of metal jigs.” The Crippled Herring was awarded a mechanical US patent in 1986. By 1990, the Crippled Herring was winning most Salmon tournaments in the Pacific NW including the Columbia River. It was then that this lure was contractually assigned by license to Luhr Jensen to market the lure.
Kwifish Lures was manufactured by Val Breitenstein in Windsor, Ontario, (a knock-off copy of the Helin Flatfish now owned by Yakima Bait Company purchased in 1989. Although early Flatfish models were made of wood, they to were later changed to Tenite (plastic) to save on manufacturing and labor costs). The original Kwikfish owners used to go to the Toronto and Buffalo sportsmens shows and sell lures cheap. In 1989, Luhr-Jensen of Hood River, acquired the company.
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Jensen, the youngest son of Luhr Sr. and Clarice Jensen, joined the family business in 1960. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, which included four siblings.
www.andersonstributecenter.com
Over the years, and under the leadership of Phil, brother David, and brother Luhr Sr., the company expanded from just a handful of employees to up to 400 employees which included the creation of a meat smoker business in 1968, “Little Chief Smokers”, that featured a line of smokers that used various fruit wood chips and was quickly recognized as the original smoker for serious fishermen who smoked their catches of salmon, trout, and steelhead. The company continued to grow steadily from its inception in 1932 to its sale in 2005.
www.columbiagorgenews.com
The permanent exhibit will chronicle the nearly 75 years the fishing tackle manufacturer resided in Hood River before it was sold in 2005 to Rapala — a company from Finland that is the world’s largest producer of fishing lures — which moved manufacturing operations overseas.
oregonbusiness.com
“To see Luhr Jensen products made in China would be an abdication of what Luhr Jensen is: an American fishing-tackle manufacturing company,” he says. In fact, a quarter of the company’s lures have been fabricated in Mexico since 1990 and Jensen has visited China several times since 1998 to explore possible manufacturing partnerships. But, ultimately, he says, “I really didn’t want to be the architect of just another marketing company of offshore product.”
Instead, he will let another company move jobs to China and continue a trend that has swept through the U.S. fishing-tackle industry over the past 15 years, according to the American Sportfishing Association. Jensen gets worked up over the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to China — he calls it “a national disaster”
Luhr Jensen Story Parts 1 & 2
Luhr Jensen Lures Parts 1 & 2
Luhr Jensen was one of the five largest lure companies in the USA.
Luhr Jensen was a role model to the rest of the fishing tackle industry when it comes to providing their customers with information on their legendary line of fishing products. Through the use of printed materials called "Tech Reports", "Tech Sheets" and "Tech Bulletins" which provided information on when, where, and how to use their line of fishing products.
I don't think there is a Great Lakes or Stream/River fishermen that has not used 1 or several Luhr Jensen & Sons (now owned by Rapala VMC Corp.) products. For example Dipsy Diver's. Likely most fishermen don't know this but Luhr Jensen did not originate the Dipsy Diver but bought out the Mfgr. that did. It was invented and initially patented by Russell William Weber, an avid angler from Milwaukee Wisconsin. Weber invented the Dipsy Diver in the mid 1970's as a result of his frustration with lines getting tangled under his boat and lures not sinking low enough to catch fish effectively. The first Dipsy Divers were manufactured in Weber's basement with the help of his children and friends. Weber sold his invention at shows around the Milwaukee and Chicago areas and through word of mouth, attracting the attention of a few large manufacturers. In the late 1970's Weber sold his invention to Luhr Jensen and Sons.
Weber did not have a clue on how successful his invention would become and now used by Trollers around the world for all types of game fish. https://ilovemydipsydiver.blogspot.com/2010/10/introducing-dipsy-diver.html
Over the years Luhr Jensen out of Hood River, Oregon ultimately bought more than 40 other manufacturers — including Les Davis in 1986. Others are the Crippled Herring from Captain Pete Rosko out of Ohio who was creating Walleye lures before the age of ten. Even Rapala’s Ron Weber referred to it as the “Rapala of metal jigs.” The Crippled Herring was awarded a mechanical US patent in 1986. By 1990, the Crippled Herring was winning most Salmon tournaments in the Pacific NW including the Columbia River. It was then that this lure was contractually assigned by license to Luhr Jensen to market the lure.
Kwifish Lures was manufactured by Val Breitenstein in Windsor, Ontario, (a knock-off copy of the Helin Flatfish now owned by Yakima Bait Company purchased in 1989. Although early Flatfish models were made of wood, they to were later changed to Tenite (plastic) to save on manufacturing and labor costs). The original Kwikfish owners used to go to the Toronto and Buffalo sportsmens shows and sell lures cheap. In 1989, Luhr-Jensen of Hood River, acquired the company.
Remembering Phil Jensen
HOOD RIVER — Hood River native Phil Jensen has died at the age of 87. The former owner and president of Luhr Jensen and Sons Inc. passed away on Nov.
Jensen, the youngest son of Luhr Sr. and Clarice Jensen, joined the family business in 1960. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, which included four siblings.
Phil Jensen Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information
Our pledge to you is that we will treat your family as we would our family. Our services are tailored to your specific needs; you will never be asked to pay for services that you do not choose or need. We also guarantee the professional quality of our services.
Over the years, and under the leadership of Phil, brother David, and brother Luhr Sr., the company expanded from just a handful of employees to up to 400 employees which included the creation of a meat smoker business in 1968, “Little Chief Smokers”, that featured a line of smokers that used various fruit wood chips and was quickly recognized as the original smoker for serious fishermen who smoked their catches of salmon, trout, and steelhead. The company continued to grow steadily from its inception in 1932 to its sale in 2005.
Luhr Jensen Gallery opens Saturday at History Museum
After six months of preparations, the Luhr Jensen & Sons Gallery has been completed and in celebration, will have a grand opening today at 1 p.m. at The History Museum
The permanent exhibit will chronicle the nearly 75 years the fishing tackle manufacturer resided in Hood River before it was sold in 2005 to Rapala — a company from Finland that is the world’s largest producer of fishing lures — which moved manufacturing operations overseas.
Hood River's Luhr Jensen & Sons decides to cut bait
<p>A story of the one that got away</p> <p> </p>
oregonbusiness.com
“To see Luhr Jensen products made in China would be an abdication of what Luhr Jensen is: an American fishing-tackle manufacturing company,” he says. In fact, a quarter of the company’s lures have been fabricated in Mexico since 1990 and Jensen has visited China several times since 1998 to explore possible manufacturing partnerships. But, ultimately, he says, “I really didn’t want to be the architect of just another marketing company of offshore product.”
Instead, he will let another company move jobs to China and continue a trend that has swept through the U.S. fishing-tackle industry over the past 15 years, according to the American Sportfishing Association. Jensen gets worked up over the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to China — he calls it “a national disaster”
Luhr Jensen Story Parts 1 & 2
Luhr Jensen Lures Parts 1 & 2
