Who gets your vote? Based on knowledge of formulation and how well their lures attracted animals.

I vote for Russ Carman

I 2nd that Russ was creating lures way back when that still hold up solid today Mr Jamison and Mr Dobbins are also excellent top shelf formulaters as well

E J Dailey. But if your starting the Luremaker Hall of Fame ya better built a 1,000,000 sq ft building! So many out there past and present.

Russ Carman, Craig OGorman, and Tim Caven

In my book ain't been trapping but the last 14 years. I've had the best luck on Dunlap lure for predators and the bossman dobbins back breaker. Have used many others. Always went back to Dunlap and dobbins. Now I did get some stuff from Seth (yes sir) on here and I can't wait to try that. Super excited. I will always have dobbins lure for beaver in my bag.

Hard to beat Tom Mirandas stuff

Bill Nelson Herb Lennon ?

Even though I no longer use the stuff (other than a little Widowmaker)...Hawbaker's was a staple for many for decades.

Hawbaker from that era, Carman since, IMO.

God! . . . made Women! HA!!

Trapper Art!

don't know who's the greatest.

but one has to mention Dave Edwards in the discussion of influential Lure Makers.

I don't know who made the best, impossible for me to determine, but I would bet Hawbaker sold the most.

X2

Lew Eckhart in Barryville NY made some excellent Fox lure that I used in water sets. Russ Carmen later on.

Gary Jepson

Gotta put a plug in for Bob Jameson!!!
I also like Blackies Blend cause I cut my teeth on it.

Made some great paydays 77- 85 with Hawbakers, Carman, Blackies, Leggets

Gotta admit that I make a pretty good marten lure myself.

Also Caven’s lures makes a real good lure I use on fox.

Mr. Paul, and pingleys professional.

Not sure if Hawbakers formulations were the best but I suspect that they’ve sold more ounces of a few formulas like 500 and 800 than many others have even dreamed about

Herb Lenon

Oscar Cronk

Bill Nelson , Fuller Laugerman , my buddy Dale Billingsly deserves a honorable mention just because !

I don't know how you'd ever pick one. There are so many greats, past and present.

I would agree with many on this topic, hard to say who was/is the best, but during the 70s-80s fur boom, there was Hawbaker's and everybody else. I've ate many PBJ sandwiches that tasted like Hawbaker's raccoon lure, and I know if you asked my dad..."if you could only take one lure on the fox/coyote line, what would it be?"...his answer would be Hawbaker's Wiley Red 500.

Impossible to know, can say about every lure maker i ever bought from had at least one red hot lure of some sort.

Couldn't tell you, but I've done well with Carmans and Leggetts Canine lures. I don't use lure for anything else.

Carman, TS lures, and PGC

I seriously doubt that anyone has sold more lures than Hawbaker's. No one is even close.

Lot of great lure makers over time... the greatest still might not of even been born yet,... but if i had to pick a lure out of all the lures I ever used and was confident with over time... it would probably be a bottle of O.L. Butchers or L.A. Smiths that found its way to my pocket.... jim

Are Hawbaker's lures still the same old formula? I've ordered a couple within the last couple of years and they seem to work pretty well so far but I haven't used them extensively yet.

Lennon

Leo hoeft had some great lures used them for alot of years.

Fuller Laugeman gets my vote.

Russ Carman!! Everyone else were wannabees!!

Greatest lure maker of all time is the BEAVER with its castor glands

There's alot of good lure and bait makers past/presently.

I'm just gonna say excellent job to them all.

Lennons. The Leggett's went from dairy farmers to having a very successful lure... Lots of variables

Old Ted Stinky Fingers

That must have left a bad taste.

Lots of makers out there that I have used and did well...Hawbakers, Lenon, Hoeft, Grawes, JC Conner, Gary Jepson, Bob Young, Slim Pedersen, Calvin Cobb, Carmens, Tim Caven, Dobbins, Jameson, Milligan, Billingsley, Laugeman, O'Gorman, Graham, Dirk Miller and more that I can't think of now.....but you can't forget about Mike Marsyada being one of the biggest makers.

I think the GOAT for lure making will never be known. Are you only considering the ones that went commercial and sold their products? looking back 30,40,50 years and the trend in sharing information sure has changed. When I was a kid learning, my mentor Walter Rosenlof was very secretive. Only taught a few of us many of his tricks. Sad to know just how much knowledge passed with him. I never learned lure making from him, but know his stuff out produced just about anything I ever bought from the big names. I believe there were trappers around the country that mastered the art and kept their information to themselves.