The
Red Devil ® is one of the most popular
freshwater fishing lures in
North America. It is particularly prized in
Northern Canada, where it is an
old standby for fishing
Pickerel/
Walleye and
Northern Pike.
A Red Devil is the first
spoon lure most sports
fishermen have in their
tacklebox. Originally a popular pattern for homemade lures, the distinctive
red and white swoosh, like the side of a
Coca Cola can, was trademarked by
Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, a
Brainerd, Minnesota tackle company, in the early 1960's. According to Lindy, the Red Devil is most effective in
dark water as found in the
prairie lakes of
Midwestern America, or the stained,
turbid lakes of the
Canadian Shield.
The Red Devil, while trademarked by Lindy, is available as a pattern from most
tackle companies. The
spoon size ranges from 1/4 inch
walleye spinners to 8 inch
lake trout spoons. The distinctive red spoon has an 'S' shaped white stripe down the middle. The pattern is also replicated in other colors, like the less common
Blue Devil, a
personal favorite of mine. The roughly teardrop shaped lure usually has a three pronged
barbed hook attached at the
apex of the wide end.
Lindy recommends
baiting the Red Devil Spinner with a
minnow during in the spring and fall fishing seasons. From personal experience,
trolling an unbaited Red Devil at low speed is just as effective. The bright colors, tapered spinner design and rattling hook are all attractions to the fish. The spinner emulates a wounded
baitfish, which would be an
easy snack.
I highly recommend the Red Devil. It was the
mainstay of my tacklebox as a kid, and I still use it regularly. It is the
cornerstone of an effective dark water tacklebox.