If you haven’t been to the Saltwater Lure Collector’s Club (SWLCC) Show in years past, you really need to make a point to hit it this year. This show is unique in several ways, first and foremost, it’s free to the public! The show is being held Saturday, May 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at White’s of Westport in Westport, Massachusetts. If you’re not familiar with the area, it’s very easy to get to; if you’re coming from the north take Route 24 to 195, (if you’re coming from Providence or points west, take Route 195) to Exit 15 (Sanford Rd), take a right at the bottom of the exit and then take a right onto Route 6 at the light. White’s is less than a mile down on the right hand side. If you’re coming from points east, take Route 195 to Exit 16 (Route 88), then take your first exit off of Route 88 onto Route 6 and travel about 1.2 miles where you’ll find White’s on your right.
The second thing that makes the show so unique is the diversity of things for sale and on display. This is not one of those shows where you’ll find fudge and custom engraved dog collars, this show is all about fishing, saltwater plugs and the history of striped bass fishing. If you’ve ever wanted to see a SoCo Chief in person, you’ll find them there. If you’ve ever wanted to see some of the largest collections of Musso, Danny Pichney, Atom, GooGoo Eye or Masterlure plugs, you’ll find them there. If you’re more into contemporary plugs, you’ll also find collections of GRS, Mike’s Custom, Ryan Smith and other modern day builders too. If you’d like to buy some top-end plugs, you’ll find many builders there including Atlantic Plug & Lure and Paiva Lures, among others. And for those of you that like to rummage around for deals, you’ll find bins loaded with used plugs of every make and model you can think of, just begging you to take them home, rehab, re-rig and put back in front of a striper.
I have been attending this show for several years now and the one thing that stands out ahead of everything else I just highlighted, is that this show feels like a celebration. Collectors get a big a rush from uncovering hard-to-find or mint condition versions of vintage plugs, but once the items are found and purchased they sit in cases in their homes where only a few people can enjoy them. But when they have the have the opportunity to bring them out for the masses to enjoy, these guys and girls really light up and leap at the chance. And you can benefit from the obsessive tendencies of these collectors; they spend untold numbers of hours researching their favorite makers and they are a treasure trove of information if you love the history of our sport or if you want to know more about the design, the action or the person who made them. Ask a collector and you’ll get a history lesson you won’t soon forget.
Sadly, I have a conflict this year and I won’t be able to attend the show. But please, take my word for it, this show is one you can’t afford to miss and you’ll come away with so much new knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the history of wooden plugs, how far we’ve come, but also how close our methods and methodology really are to those that came before us. For more information visit www.swlcc.com.
