Len Thompson purchases Northern King Lures

Great Lakes spoon pullers are no doubt rejoicing over yesterday’s announcement that Thompson-Pallister Bait Co. Ltd. has acquired iconic Northern King Lures, vowing to use the original die sets to continue making NK’s popular trolling spoons.

“Retailers and consumers throughout the region raved about the quality and dependability of Northern King Lures,” says Brad Pallister, president of Lacombe, Alberta-based Thompson-Pallister. “There are many trolling spoons on the market, but few that have the proprietary die sets that are the key to the success of the product.”

Plans are now underway to officially relaunch the 33-year-old NK brand this coming July at the annual ICAST tackle trade show in Orlando, Florida.

The purchase follows a year of discussions between Len Thompson Lures and the heirs of NK founder Pat Distaffen, who had been evaluating their ongoing role in the tackle industry.

“My dad had a passion for designing and manufacturing a premium quality trolling spoon that outperformed its competitors. He worked hard to make sure the lure had just the right action,” says Beverly Cahill, Distaffen’s daughter. “Over the years, my family developed a brand name that stood for quality and success on the water. But recently my siblings and I were trying to figure out how we could take Dad’s Northern King Lure to the next level.”

Itself a family owned and operated tackle company, Thompson-Pallister was established in 1929 and today handcrafts and distributes almost 1 million lures a year throughout North America. Among its many offerings is the famed Yellow & Red spoon, commonly referred to as the Five of Diamonds.