Andy Reekers — Vintage Trolling Spoons

The origins of the Andy Reekers brand date back to 1922, when the founder applied for a patent for his first trolling spoon. Andy immigrated to the US from Holland in 1902 at age 21. By 1930, Reekers had officially established his profession as a manufacturer of these lures. The production was centered in Portland, Oregon, at a workshop located at 33 SE Hawthorne Street. This was a family-run operation where his wife, Harriet, served as a packer, and their children, Margine, Jack, and June, later joined the production efforts.

The technical evolution of the lures included a second patented model in 1936. Following the conclusion of production shortly after 1948, the patent rights and trademarks were transferred to the Maxwell Manufacturing Company in Vancouver, Washington. Under this new ownership, the spoons were distributed under the Grizzly brand name.

By the early 1970s, the original trademarks had been declared void by the U.S. Patent Office. As original Andy Reekers stocks became increasingly scarce by 1981, Luhr-Jensen introduced a similar model known as the Salmon Seeker. Although the original manufacturing era has ended, these specific spoons remain present within the community of collectors and active anglers.

Acknowledgments: We extend our sincere gratitude to Anne Olson, Andy Reekers’s granddaughter-in-law, for providing invaluable historical details regarding his immigration and family business. We also honor the late Gary Olson for his dedication to preserving his grandfather's legacy.