Tell people that you’ve got a Swedish Pimple and they’re sure to look at you kind of strangely. They might even take a couple of steps back thinking you’re got some kind of mysterious disease. But if you’re a serious angler you know about the Swedish Pimple. It’s one of the best fishing lures in the world, especially for ice fishing.
The Swedish Pimple had its beginning in the U.P. of Michigan in the little village of Gladstone. “My Dad, Carl Nyberg was one of five people that starting manufacturing the lure back in 1955,” offered Anders Nyberg, owner of Bay De Noc Lure Co (http://www.baydenoclure.com/; 906-428-1133). The Aplegren and Nyberg families originally started the lure business.
The U.P. of Michigan is populated by a lot of individuals of Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish decent, where ice–fishing is not only a favorite pastime, but also a means of feeding the family. To them, you didn’t put a lure on your line unless it produced. The original immigrants brought some of their favorite lures with them and discovered that they caught fish even better in their new homeland than they did in the old country. Soon, demand outweighed supply and the group decided to mass-produce the lures and offer them for sale.
The Swedish Pimple is made of brass that is hammered into a triangular, three-sided shape. Initially, it would seem that the sides of the Pimple are smooth, but Anders Nyberg confided in me that the sides are actually a little bit crowned, which adds to the lure’s seductive action. When jigged or lifted and allowed to fall, the Pimple flutters enticingly mimicking the action of an injured or dying baitfish. The lure can be used clean, but I always liked to add a minnow head to the treble for scent and appearance. The Pimple comes with a couple of red or yellow little flickers that can be added to the lure’s treble hook. It’s amazing how much more effective the lure is when the flickers are added. It gives the lure a flash of color and an added subtle action that triggers strikes.
The originally Swedish Pimple was made in the brass color, but today it’s made in a myriad of colors and tape options, as well as glow-in-the-dark tones. Available in 10 sizes in everything from tiny, miniscule numbers that are perfect for trout and panfish, to bigger models intended to interest the biggest predators. I’ve caught everything from jumbo perch and crappies to walleyes to big northern pike and lake trout on the Pimple. The No. 7 Swedish Pimple in silver with white glow-in-the dark tape is my can’t-miss walleye bait through the ice.
The Swedish Pimple is not the only great lure that Bay De Noc Lures make. The company began manufacturing the Do Jigger in 1957 and it’s a go-to bait when you’re looking for a slower fall and more enticing flutter when working shallower water. To date, my biggest ice-caught walleye came on a gold/orange Do Jigger on Saginaw Bay.
Besides the Swedish Pimple and Do Jigger, the company makes the Lake Taker, which is hailed as a lure for trolling or casting for lake trout, pike and salmon. The Vingla is a variation of the Swedish Pimple that incorporates a unique wing design to give this lure a different trolling or casting action. The smaller size Vingla lures are very effective on brook, brown and rainbow trout in streams or lakes, also large panfish, walleyes, bass, stripers, or white bass. The Flute Spoon lure has a wiggling and wobbling action when retrieved or trolled and yet retains the falling back action of jigging lures. These spoons have build in retrieve and trolling action and fill the demand for a lighter “Swedish Pimple.” The thin Flutter Laker Taker has a sharp bend in the treble hook end that makes the lure very popular for slow trolling or multiple lure use on downriggers. These spoons can be trolled very slowly without losing their action and are similar to the popular Finn lures used in the UP. Lake trout, Chinooks, Coho, and walleye love the swimming baitfish motion of this lure.
While the Swedish Pimple is known mostly as an ice-fishing lure, it’s gaining notoriety as a lure that can be used throughout the season in fresh and saltwater. “It’s been a crazy year,” confided Nyberg. “We had quite an inventory going into the winter season, but it seems like we’re still behind the eight ball. We’re trying to keep up with orders and getting them out as quickly as possible. People have been pretty understanding. Instead of cancelling orders, they just want to know when they’ll be shipped.” Pretty good for a lure that started out as a summer fishing lure being produce by a small cadre of friends.
And the name? “Well, it’s certainly not one you’re likely to forget,” chided Nyberg.
The end
