Museum Archive: Yakima Bait Worden’s Original Rooster Tail, 1/4oz Tiger spinning lure #0970

Adorned with a striking Tiger pattern, the willow leaf blade on this specimen features bold black stripes over a vibrant yellow base. This specific Worden’s Original Rooster Tail, identified by product code 0970, weighs 1/4oz (7g) and measures 2 3/4" (7cm) in length. Produced by Yakima Bait, the design adheres to the legacy of Howard Worden’s original 1950s Wisconsin creation, characterized by its distinctive feathered hackle tail. The olive-toned feathers are hand-tied to conceal the treble hook, providing a natural profile that complements the flash of the rotating blade. This lure is an unused example, preserved in its original packaging, which has kept the Tiger paint scheme and the delicate hackle in their original state. The construction highlights the classic in-line spinner assembly designed for a gentle splashdown, a feature historically favored by anglers fishing pressured trout streams. The wire form remains perfectly straight, leading to a clevis-mounted blade designed to spin freely even at slow retrieval speeds.