Erie Dearie
Erie Dearie is an American fishing lure manufacturer. Dan Galbincea – Captain Dan – is the company founder and the inventor of the famous American lure, the Erie Dearie Walleye Killer. Americans say that this lure made Lake Erie the capital of the Walleye world.
Dan was passionate about fishing since childhood. After returning home from the war, he found employment as an arc welder at a good company, enjoying stable high earnings, but he never let go of his dream of producing his own lures.
In 1954, he opened his own fishing shop with his wife, Helen.
Captain Dan is a legendary figure among American anglers. He often said he dreamed of dying with a fishing rod in his hands. A boat enthusiast, in addition to manufacturing lures, he was professionally involved in sport fishing.
The name of the lure, Erie Dearie, has its own legend. Every weekend when he set out to fish on Lake Erie, his wife asked if he couldn't stay home just one day. Dan replied that he desperately wanted to fish, to which she reportedly responded, "Go on, already, to Erie, Dearie." Whether true or not, both the lure and several of Captain Dan's boats are named "Erie Dearie."
He developed the Erie Dearie lure specifically for catching Walleye, as the fishing on Lake Erie was booming at the time. Walleye was the main prize, and there was no effective lure for trolling them.
Design: It is a hybrid between a spinner and a jig head. The lure features a unique elongated, heavy jig head in the rear, to which a freely rotating blade is attached in the front.
Action: The unique design allows the lure to perfectly imitate a wounded or dying minnow that is trying to swim but is wobbling side to side. The blade creates vibration and flash, while the head ensures precise depth positioning.
Fishing Method: The lure is ideal for slow-speed trolling or for jigging (vertical presentation) from a boat.
The Erie Dearie quickly became the standard for catching Walleye on Lake Erie and other Great Lakes, where it remains one of the most popular lures today. Its impact on the Walleye fishery is immense.
The lure continues to be manufactured and remains one of the most reliable means for catching Walleye in North America.
