George Lum Lures

George Lum Lures were handcrafted in Oahu, Hawaii by George Lum from the 1960s until his passing in 1999. By trade, George and his wife Hilda owned a typewriter store in Honolulu, but as a lure maker he became best known for his "Fat Boy" fish head scoops — inserts noticeably larger and wider than his contemporaries', with in-depth detail and paint work. He was among the first makers to use lai skin as an insert, and refined his lures' eyes throughout his career for maximum realism.

The telltale sign of a genuine George Lum lure is the "chicken feet" marking engraved on the lower skirt saddle — actually the kanji for the Lum family name, making him one of the first lure makers to consistently sign his work. Cornelius Choy's 1,805 lb. marlin, the largest ever caught on rod and reel, is said to have eaten an ahi that had itself eaten a George Lum lure.

View the full history and identification guide for George Lum in our Digital Archive