KONA, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII — VINTAGE / OLD-SCHOOL

Billy Ross is one of the rare, almost mythical names among old-school Kona big-game fishermen. His lures — above all the "Big Blue," a pointy-nosed bullet — are highly sought after, especially by the tournament crowd, and they almost never surface on the open market. As the old line goes, to get one of Billy's bullets you had to know him personally, or get lucky and find a few at Bill Harris' tackle shop.

The Big Blue is a heavy, purposeful bullet — Billy's spec famously came in right around 330 grams — and its reputation has long outlived its scarcity. Del Wheaton of Jackpot Lures, who fished alongside Billy Ross back in the day, credits him as a major inspiration for getting into lure making at all, and built his own "Big Blue" as a tribute, matching Billy's exact weight out of respect. A genuine Billy Ross is a true collector's prize: one Hawaii lure shop noted that in six years of business, only a single Billy Ross lure had ever come through its inventory.

As a museum and archive, we're honored to document Billy Ross — a rare, revered name whose Big Blue bullet is the stuff of Kona tournament legend. (Swap in your distributor line if you carry the brand.)

Notable shapes: The "Big Blue" — a pointy-nosed heavy bullet (Billy's spec ~330 grams)

Identification tips:

• The tell is the nose: "pointy like a Billy Ross" — a distinctly pointed bullet
• The Big Blue is heavy for its size (~330g); a tournament fisherman's lure
• Extremely rare — old-school Kona provenance is everything; very few exist

Below, you’ll find our ever-growing digital archive showcasing every lure that has come through our shop. This collection is constantly evolving as new lures arrive, making it a living record of rare, limited-production lures. We will continue updating this database regularly, building what we aim to be the largest digital archive of offshore trolling lures in the world.

If you have any further information or any lures you believe deserve to be showcased, please reach out to us at ren@luremonger.com