Museum Archive: Vintage Al's gold fish, 1/4oz Nickel fishing spoon #7236

Polished nickel plating coats the 1/4oz (7g) fish-shaped body of this iconic casting spoon, highlighting the stamped scale patterns and gill details along its flanks. Measuring 2" (5cm) in length, the concave reverse side clearly displays the manufacturer stampings for Al's Gold Fish and the original patent number, 2,542,806, which traces this design back to 1952. This particular specimen, identified by product code 7236, is in 5/5 condition, maintaining a brilliant reflective surface across its entire silhouette. Recognized by Field & Stream in 2006 as one of the 50 best lures of all time, the lure features a simple yet effective hardware setup including a rear-mounted treble hook and a single line-tie hole at the nose. The stamping on the back remains deep and legible, a hallmark of the high production standards originally set in the USA.