OAHU, HAWAII — ACTIVE YEARS 1960s – ? (end date unconfirmed)

The Sonodas were a family of Oʻahu lure makers who began creating lures in the 1960s — that freewheeling decade when, as the old-timers tell it, nearly everyone with a boat and a rod was carving and pouring new shapes every week. Working in the Honolulu tradition, they're best remembered for their heavily weighted bullet lures, built to run true and dig in through the choppy trade-wind seas off Oʻahu, where lighter lures tend to skip and wash out.

They're rumored to have had close ties with Joe Yee, and the lures themselves bear it out: the eyes on a Sonoda show a distinct resemblance to those on early Joe Yee lures, and Yee himself counted "Sonoda" among the makers he worked with over the decades. Today their work sits firmly in the vintage-collector tier.

As a museum and archive, we're honored to preserve the work of the Sonoda family, part of the rich Oʻahu lure-making tradition.

Notable shapes: Heavily weighted bullets (Oʻahu rough-water style)

Identification tips:

• Their signature tell is a small maker's mark — a slip of paper typed on a typewriter — tucked into the seam of the insert
• Eyes closely resemble those of early Joe Yee lures (a reflection of the rumored connection)
• Heavily weighted bullet profile; genuine examples are scarce collector pieces — confirm through provenance

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