Help with Old Plug ID

[Bill L]

This isn't a plug building question, but it seems most of you guys collect plugs as well. I have two old plugs from my grandfather; one looks like a Point Jude flaptail in excellent condition. The other is a large wooden swimmer, identical to the on in the picture below. Anybody have an ID?

[Tattoo]

Captain Bills Swimmer.

[Adam R]

Could you post a picture of the flaptail?

[Bill L]

Thanks Tatoo, I was hoping it was something else.....
The plug dates to before 1968; who made the Capt Bills, or was that the name of the company rather than the plug? Are they a good collectors plug?

Adam R., my mistake, it is actually a Pt. Jude Surf Slapper. I don't have a picture, but I saved one T. Lapinski posted of the same lure (Thats how I knew it was a Pt Jude). This is T. Lapinski's plug:

[Tattoo]

Matoonoc,

Captain Bills was owned by Red Top Bait company. Yup, the Red Top sport shop located on the cape, thats the one.

Here's a picture of what Red from Red Top, back in yester year.

[Tattoo]

Not exactly sure what happend with the company, as the box states, % Red Top Bait Company, which kind of means they were partners with someone else along the way.

[Tattoo]

GAMSBY was involved somewhere along the way as well, I would assume.

The bottom one is a GAMSBY, almost the same as the Captain Bill's.


The prices range from $20 - $40 bucks, but like they say, there is an a$$ for every seat.


Maybe some other guys around here can help get the facts straight.

[Bill L]

Well, finally got my borrowed camera working.
Here's a pic of the two from my grampa; the top looks more like the GAMSBY than the Cap'n Bill'; the bottom is the PJ Surf Slapper.
Whats the story with the GAMSBYs?

[Bill L]

Here's two more of the Capn Bills (GAMSBYs?) I picked up on ebay. The top was listed as a "wooden atom" and came with an Atom 40 box, that the plug barely fit in. The other was listed as "possibly a Point Jude Pug Nose", which I had seen pictures of and didn't think it was.

[Adam R]

The info I have on Cap'n Bill's plugs is : started in 1946 by Charles Sherer. He supplied bodies to some small local shops, and subcontracted them to build the plugs, in addition to building them himself. At this time the plugs were being made in Little Compton, RI. Sometime in the mid 50's he sold the plug mfr. business to Red Top, in Buzzard's Bay. They built them well into the 60's. I hope this helps.

[Bill L]

Thanks Tatoo and Adam, good stuff. Imagine what $100 bucks could buy if you could walk into that Red Top photo