The Okie Drifter dates back to the late 1950s. This unique design was originally developed by Maxwell Manufacturing and distributed by Grizzly Tackle. Rights were later sold to Luhr Jensen in the 70’s. The design was changed to an injected polystyrene which rendered the Okie opaque and less effective. Several other companies have made versions of the Okie, but all were opaque. Translucency is an important factor to the Okie’s success. Now, over 60 years later, Robolize is pleased to present the first translucent re-creation modeled after the design of the original Maxwell Manufacturing Okie Drifter. What’s old is new again.
If you want to learn more about the Okie Drifter and its history, please read Herzog’s History of the Okie Drifter - An excerpt from "the Bead fishing Bible" by Randall Bonner. This article is the most comprehensive article written about the Okie Drifter. It explains all you need to know about how it started, how it evolved over time, why it was such a good lure, and even how to fish it.
A percentage of profit goes to Hatchery And Wild Coexist. Fish hatcheries play an important role in wild fish recovery and providing abundant fisheries. Robolize fully supports the mission and will ensure the Okie Drifter is used to benefit our fisheries.
Please visit Hatchery and Wild Coexist to learn more.
https://hatchery-wild-coexist.com/
Okies in Fish Hunt Northwest
On this episode of FHN, the new Okies were discussed near the end of the show.
Okies in Fish Hunt Northwest
See Joe on FHN as he talks about Okie Drifters and Mercurial Beads.
Okie Sizes
The sizing mostly follows the Grizzly/Maxwell sizes. However, Juhr Jensen introduced some new sizes too. Here is how the current sizing compares to the old sizes.
Mapping
- #0 – Diamond shape like Luhr Jensen.
- #1 – Like the Grizzly/Maxwell #1.
- #2 – Like the Grizzly/Maxwell #2.
- #3 – Like the Grizzly/Maxwell #3.
- #4 – Like the Grizzly/Maxwell #4.
- #5 – Like the Luhr Jensen #5.
Measurements
- #0 - 13.2mm tall, 13.6mm wide
- #1 - 12.6mm tall, 13.5mm wide
- #2 - 14.5mm tall, 15.5mm wide
- #3 - 16.5mm tall, 17.1mm wide
- #4 - 20.5mm tall, 20mm wide
- #5 - 23.8mm tall, 22.9mm wide
Colors
The color pallet has been reduced to only a few translucent colors. The colors and names are not intended to replicate the legacy colors. We are still working on developing a match for the classic Sunrise color and when that is ready, it will be called Sunrise. We plan to add additional colors over time.
Make Your Own Colors
You can use the Clear/You Paint color to make your favorite color using nail polish, paint, or dye. Here are some examples.
Thank You
Thank you to all who contributed in some way to help make this happen! Don New, Bill Herzog, Randall Bonner, Jarrod Kirkley, Larry Stamp, Josh Nilsen, Alex Fotenos, Mike Lane, Ryan Clark, Connor Davidson, and Mike Voss.