Dr. Henry C. Farrin and his brother-in-law, George Ettles, developed one of the most ingenious lures of all time — the Superstrike Shrimp. The earliest examples were made with the actual celluloid wings of a flying machine — a locally built contraption that barely got off the ground. Although the plane struggled to fly, shrimp sales soared!

Uniquely constructed, the Superstrike's celluloid body sections are held together by brass cotter pins. The hooks are attached to a brass jack-chain that rides above the cotter pins, the full length of the body. Cleverly, these articulating lures were painted on the underside of the transparent celluloid sections, so that toothy fish could not remove the painted accents. In the late 1930's, George Ettles moved the company to Miami where all activity eventually ceased.

This collection was awarded "Best Educational Display" at the 2002 Florida Antique Tackle Collectors Meet in St. Petersburg, FL. Photographed here are all of the known packaging forms used by the Florida Artificial Bait Company.