Joe Yee, one of the world’s most successful and innovative lure makers, passed away earlier this week at the age of 96. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1928, Joe’s love for the ocean began at an early age and over time, he became renowned for creating some of the most coveted marlin lures in the sportfishing world.
Joe grew up on the island of O’ahu and was naturally drawn to surfing. During his teenage years, he met Duke Kahanamoku, the legendary Olympic gold medalist who is widely credited with popularizing surfing around the world. Joe worked for Duke, crafting surfboards and honing his skills in shaping fiberglass—a skill that would later influence his career as a lure maker.
After World War II, Joe became an aircraft mechanic. Combining the skills he had learned shaping surfboards and crafting aircraft parts, he began creating hard heads for marlin lures around 1960. Yee’s lures gained international popularity thanks to the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament where Joe began selling his lures to participants from all around the world.
Despite the growing demand and technological advances, Joe resisted the temptation to mass-produce his lures. Rather, each of his handcrafted lures incorporated unique elements like shells, doll eyes, and colored resins to create lures that were not only highly effective but works of art. Some of Yee’s more popular lures include the Crackerjack, 505, Apollo, and the Super Plunger.
Credited with catching more grander marlin than any other handmade lure, the long list of noteworthy catches on Joe Yee lures includes Ray Hawkes’ 1,166-pound Pacific blue marlin caught in 1993 that still holds the IGFA men’s 50-pound line class world record. In 2022, Joe Yee was inducted into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.
Joe Yee is survived by his loving family, and will be remembered not just for his extraordinary lures, but for his gentle spirit, humility, and the lasting impact he made on the world of sport fishing.
