News came down a couple of days ago that Cotton Cordell had passed away. Since then we’ve been able to confirm his passing. Cordell had a big impact on fishing and his lures and support helped not only anglers but other big names in the industry.
He was a nationally known fishing guide at his father’s resort on Lake Catherine near Hot Springs, Ark, legendary tackle manufacturer making such lures as the Hot Spot, Gay Blade and Red Fin. He also manufactured others creations for them like the Fred Young Big O, and lures for Pflueger, Creek Chub and Heddon.
He also helped some big names in the sport get their start like producing the first shows for Bill Dance and providing the capital for Gary Loomis to start his rod business.
When Cordell sold to EBSCO (Pradco) in 1980, it was the largest tackle manufacturer in the world making 22,000 lures per day.
He was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2002.
For more information on Cotton Cordell, check out Ken Duke’s article on Fishing Tackle Retailer and this article on EncyclopediaofArkansas.com. To Read his obituary, click here.
