April 2015
Hi-Yo Activated Lure
Activated Lure Co
Barberton, OH
1947


One day, in the early 1940s, a man by the name of Charles Hiltabidel was walking by a lake when he caught and tossed a large grasshopper into the water.  Nothing happened, until the grasshopper kicked.  Suddenly the water exploded and a large bass took the insect.
 
Well, whether this happened or not is debatable, but Charles decided that he would invent a lure that would emulated this hapless action.  He consulted an engineer and friend, David Yoder, and they invented a new bait…the Hi-Yo.  The patent was applied for in 1945, and awarded in 1947.
 
Charles and David were hoping to capture the interest of all the servicemen coming back from World War II with their new lure.  They advertised this lure as using the new technologies of the day by stating it was “jet-propelled” and “as new and revolutionary as atomic power”.
 
How did this lure get its unique action?  Well, that was the gimmick.  The lure consisted of an aluminum body with a rubber “cap” and a rubber “tail” with a small hole at the tip.  You were to remove the rubber cap, and fill the body half-full or less with dry ice (all fisherman carry some in their boat, right?), add a cap of water in the body, replace the cap…and cast!  The water/dry ice combination will create a gas that will vent out the hole at the tip of the tail and the lure will move erratically in the water…just like a hapless grasshopper.
 
A few more tips.  Fill the body with more dry ice…and now you have a underwater lure!  And, if the tail breaks, you are supplied with a couple spares.  Or, just use a small balloon.  Think of all the color combinations!
 
But, alas, this lure did not sell well.  One reason was the hefty price in the late 1940s, $2.60.  But, even lowering the price did not help sells.  What I feel was the main reason for its failure was the need to have dry ice to activate the lure.  Dry ice was and still is very hard to obtain locally.  And, when the lure needed to be “recharged” every 10 minutes or so…you could need a lot of dry ice.  Also, you needed to carry your supply of dry ice in a vented container.  How long would this supply last?
 
After being offered for sale for a few years, the Hi-Yo was discontinued due to poor sales and became a lure for the history books…and collectors.