David Hutton
Palmetto Fly N Fish
Jan 12, 2023
There have been thousands of lures over the years, of course, so it is not astonishing that a long-gone one escaped my attention.
But - it stopped me noodling around with my current project long enough to take notice. So it only seemed right to share it with you.
In fact, this old lure was not really a lure, at all. Rather, it is something you add-on to an existing top-water plug...it is the Bill Norman, 'Front Runner.'
The Norman Front Runner
Bill Norman was a big deal in the 1960's - 1990's. He was a tournament angler, for one, and was reportedly the main lure designer for Rebel Lures throught the mid-1960's.
At some point, he fell out with Rebel's top man, George Perrin, so he moved down the street and started his own company.... Which he named, "Rebel Manufacturing."
Not only did he copy the Rebel name, but he likewise knocked-off most of their popular lures of the day! Maybe he reckoned that, since he designed them, he could do what he wanted... I dunno.
As you might imagine, this activity landed him in legal hot water with Rebel, such that he had to change the names of both his company, AND his lures. To look at them, you cannot tell the Norman lures from the Rebel versions.
So, its no wonder he got in a jam over the whole affair.
Norman catalog from 1970/71... The resemblance to the Rebel Minnow and Humpback Rebel is obvious. (1)
It certainly qualifies as a unique creation in its own right, after all, so kudos to Norman for that. And it made a minor splash (pun intended) with bass anglers back in the 1990s.
What It Isn't Is What Matters
The Front Runner is not a lure, per se, but is kind of a “teaser”... but it doesn't trail behind the main lure like most of those. Instead, it is tied out in front of any standard topwater lure, so that the main lure trails behind.
Definitely different, I know.
It was envisioned as part of a one-two punch to the fish, so it sported a single treble hook dressed with a sparkle skirt. The usual hypertisement that goes with this is, "You can catch TWO fish at once!"
In theory, the Front Runner was supposed to imitate a baitfish being chased by another fish, which is a pretty cool idea, really.
But adding a Front Runner to your fishing line impacted accuracy, and complicated both the casting and action of the trailing topwater plug.
A few folks still tout the Front Runner approach..., mostly guys on YouTube trying to get subscribers. But for the average angler, it has been compared to casting a Carolina-rigged lure that wants to tangle if you don't pay attention. And the reality didn't live up to the hype, it seems. Appareently, the thing didn't do all that much to improve the fishing, anyway, even if you did manage to cast it.
So, it's little surprise that the idea, and the Front Runner, faded from the scene.
But now it gets interesting - because it has NOT died, as you might expect!
Read on...
Yes, friends, right NOW, today, you can hand over $13 for the Phil Hunt, PH Custom Lures, 'Phront Runner Topwater.'
The Phil Hunt, 'Phront Runner'
Tackle Warehouse (2)
It is rigged 8 to 16 inches in front of your selected topwater, like the first Front Runner.
It does the same thing as the first Front Runner.
And but for a minute grammatical twist, it even copies the name of the first Front Runner.
Tackle Warehouse, the exclusive distributor of the lure, says this ...”The Phront Runner moves in tandem when twitched, and produces a feeding presentation that mimics a small predator chasing a minnow. This triggers aggressive strikes from bass and gives anglers the opportunity to ignite a feeding frenzy and hook multiple fish at once...It will make a deadly addition to your topwater arsenal and help you out fish the competition.”
I'm thinking Bill Norman would like this approach.
Unfortunately, no real concept improvement has come with the "new" Front/Phront Runner. The reviews of those willing to chance it indicate as much, and they are not exactly congratulatory...
Comments: It doesn't walk well, it comes with a sub-par hook that needs to be replaced and it costs $13 for something that small. Hopefully the rest of you have some of the old front runners...
From: Unknown: 9/7/22
Comments: I agree with the previous review that this bait does not walk well, if you can make it walk at all. This bait only has a popping action. So far I have caught three fish on it in three hours of fishing, which is not too bad. Make sure to change out the hooks as the hook on one of the two baits I received was dull right out of the package.
From: Yousuo: Virginia 9/25/21
Comments: So far I am not impressed with the action of the phront runner at all. doesn't walk at all just kinda pops when you twitch your walking baits. can't totally hate it yet because I have not tested it on schooling fish so we'll see if that extra hook / bait holds any merit.
From: Charlotte,
NC 7/9/21
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/PH_Custom_Lures_Phront_Runner_Topwater/descpage-PHPR.html
To
be fair, it appears the reviewers don't quite grasp the idea behind
this add-on gadget. It is NOT intended to do anything more than float out in front and augment
an existing top water plug. But the fact remains that it seems more
gimmick than substance.
Which means, now, I really do have to try one!
Would you like to add the catching pattern(s) seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com
Thanks so much for reading, and...
Tight Lines,
Dave Hutton
1. https://bass-archives.com/norman-lures-1970-71-catalog/
2. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/PH_Custom_Lures_Phront_Runner_Topwater/descpage-PHPR.html
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