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Just before World War II, Gus Bahr of the Bead Chain Manufacturing Company located in Bridgeport CT, developed a line of popular fishing tackle utilizing the natural ability of bead chain. One of their most popular items was a sinker with bead chain cast through it. This gave their product the unique ability to be trolled or pulled through the water column without twisting or kinking the fishing line. Mr. Bahr outsourced the casting of this product line to John Schmuke of the Bridgeport Silverware Manufacturing Company, also of Bridgeport, CT.
Mr. Schmuke, an avid saltwater fisherman himself, invented a very popular fishing lure in 1929. He called his product the Bridgeport Diamond Jig. His lure has become the standard that all plated jigs have tried to emulate. Bridgeport Silverware did a great deal of contract work for Bead Chain Manufacturing and was their primary manufacturing source for their line cast sinkers. In 1955 Bead Tackle Manufacturing purchased Bridgeport Silverware and Mr. Schmuke stayed on as its director of manufacturing. The Bridgeport Jig and Bead Chain fishing lines have become staple items with fishing tackle retailers worldwide for over seventy years.
In May of 2000 Larry Razza and Greg Metcalf of Atom Manufacturing acquired the assets of these two fine product lines and added them to their already great family of Atom fishing products.
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