Point Jude Cobra
Point Jude Classic Tins • PO Box 4706 • Middletown, RI 02842
401-846-1808 • www.PointJudeLures.com

By John Silva

Fishing withdrawal is a cruel affliction, one that torments many shut-in outdoorsmen during our long Northeast winters. At its peak, a number of displaced anglers will find themselves traveling long distances to attend one outdoor fishing expo or another, for no reason other than to wallow around in all that is new and exciting in fishing gear. In this regard, I am no different.

   During one outdoor show last year, I happened upon Joe Martins, who was keeping vigil in front of the Point Jude Classic Lure booth. As I spoke with Joe, it quickly became apparent that he was very excited about a new lure prototype he was working on – a revival of a classic Point Jude Tin design from the mid 1900’s. Close inspection of the lure revealed that it was definitely unique, even if not technically “new.”
   The Cobra is Point Jude’s latest reincarnation of a classic tin lure. Describing it in words to someone who hasn’t seen it before can be a little difficult, but you could say that it appears to be somewhat of a cross between a live sand eel and a shiny new keychain. In talking with Martins, as well as some fellow anglers and lure aficionados, I soon found out that there was much more to the Cobra than first impressions might allow.
   The Point Jude Lure Company is owned and operated by Joe Martins of Newport, Rhode Island. Martins bought the company in 2004, and in the years since he has managed to revive what was once one of the largest saltwater lure companies of the 20th century.  Many of Point Jude’s original, classic “tin” lure designs – some upwards of 50 years old – are considered collectibles today, and Martins has reintroduced them to the market with great success. These modern-day versions are made from new molds based on the original lures, and the Cobra is no exception.
   Martins initially came across the Cobra while hanging around plug maker John (Habs) Haberek’s workshop. As he talked with Haberek, Martins began looking at some of the old-time lures lying around the shop. “In a lot of these lure-makers’ workshops, they’ll have a bunch of old, classic lures scattered around and hanging from the rafters,” Martins said. “I was looking at some of them when I saw an old, shiny lure that caught my eye. It looked a little bit like a snake, but I had never seen anything like it before.”    Intrigued, Martins inspected the lure more closely, wondering what it was and who it was made by. When he turned the lure over, he was surprised to discover the name Point Jude printed on it. This unique design – one that he’d never seen before – was owned by him! Upon further research, Martins learned that this mystery lure was another one of Point Jude’s Classic Tin designs that had quietly gone by the wayside in the many years since its inception. Ultimately, Joe decided to try to revive the model. In doing so, he felt that it was only fitting to keep the new/old lure’s original name, the Cobra.
   Point Jude currently offers two models of the Cobra, a 1.5-ounce model and a 1.1-ounce model. The head portion of the 1.5-ounce model is made out of lead, which gives the lure its weight. The lure is then nickel plated, gold plated, or painted black. The 1.1-ounce model is made entirely out of tin, which makes it slightly lighter and provides a little more flexibility and movement. All of Point Jude’s Cobras come with heavy-duty, red VMC tuna hooks for maximum strength and durability.
   Tackle shop owner Mike Thomas is a collector of unique, antique lures. At present, Thomas owns a number of Point Jude’s original lure designs from the early to mid 20th century, including several made from the same flexible material as the Cobra. So when Martins told Thomas he was going to revive the Cobra, Thomas thought it was a great idea – provided Martins could find the right materials to make it with. “Locating the source of what I call the ‘bracelet material’ was rather difficult [for Martins],” Thomas explained. “It took him about a year of research just to find the company that did that.” Once those materials were finally located, the next decision involved style and color. “The [original lures] were all two-tone,” said Thomas. “There was green, there was orange, there was red… so a two-tone, green back with a gold or silver belly was the perfect sand-eel imitation.” But the problem with the original classics was that the two-tone finish didn’t hold up well and tended to chip off over time. Therefore, Martins decided to stick with solid colors on his new Cobra models, at least for the time being.
   Since its reintroduction to the market, the Cobra has proven effective on saltwater gamefish such as striped bass, bluefish, bonito, and fluke (summer flounder), among others. In order to provide solid hooksets on the soft, thin mouths of smaller-sized species like fluke, a little alteration might be in order. Some anglers choose to replace the red VMC hook with a size 2 long-shank or size 3 bucktail hook. This alternate configuration works well for smaller-sized fluke, black sea bass, bonito, and false albacore, just to name a few. For larger sport fish species such as school tuna, striped bass, and bluefish, no alterations are necessary.
   The slender design of the Cobra effectively mimics a variety of baitfish found in the Northeast. “You can consider it a sand eel, you can consider it an elver… and the black one looks just like an (American) eel,” Thomas said. “And the red hook disappears quickly – the visibility of the hook – so it’s not even seen.”    Effective techniques vary somewhat depending on the quarry, the conditions, and the preferences of the individual angler. “We’ve had guys use them at Race Point [Cape Cod] and do very well on bass and blues,” said Thomas. “Using braided line, they get great [casting] distance on it, and they let it sink right down. Then they drag [the lure] on the bottom like a sand eel. The panned head keeps it down, and you can actually bend the head a little to control it.” Other techniques include casting and retrieving (swimming it), or quickly skipping it along the top of the water for surface-feeding fish.
   Among modern lure designs that have been made available in recent years, Joe Martins’ Point Jude (Classic) Cobra arguably might be one of the most distinctive lures on the market, if not necessarily one of the newest. “It’s different, it’s unique,” said Thomas. “It was a gamble that did very well at the trade shows, and it’s done well for him.”

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