Jim Beam Bass Whiskey Decanter

Our Friday Finale today spotlights a cool fishing collectible, a Jim Beam bass whiskey decanter. This particular decanter is one that I own and was one in a series of 10 that Jim Beam made for the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Hayward, Wisconsin. The Jim Beam distiller joined the FWFHF project in its early fund raising years as the major corporate sponsor by committing to release a commemorative whiskey decanter every year for 10 years, beginning in 1971 with their first bottle, a musky decanter. The involvement of Jim Beam is what really got the ball rolling as far as attracting other corporate sponsors (including Evinrude and Johnson Outboard Motors), as well as personal donations. The sales of those first musky decanters netted the Hall of Fame project more than $28,000, its first significant source of revenue, which translated into around $30,000 per year over the 10 year period Jim Beam had promised to sponsor the project.

The FWFHF website indicates that,
The original idea for the Hall of Fame came from Bob Kutz, of Hayward, Wisconsin, in 1960.  Kutz with the aid of his wife, Fannie, became the developers and managers of the project. In 1969, a group of five local individuals decided that there was a need to generate some well-needed funding for the project and after a several-year effort to generate government funding did not materialize, the effort turned to soliciting individuals and fishing industry corporations for a one million dollar fund goal. While individuals began to respond immediately it took a non-fishing corporate entity to become the major donor: the Jim Beam whiskey distillers of Chicago and Kentucky. Beam offered a ten-year program to produce benefits from the national sale of collectors fish decanters from which the fledgling Hall would net about $300,000 over a ten-year period. The Hall concept now had assurance of $20-$30,000 a year for an extended period to pay basic ongoing and promotion expenses while national support was nurtured for further funding and growth.  That “Beam” contract generated the interest of the nation’s outdoor writers and encouraged thousands of individual’s contributions.

The “James B. Beam” Corporation can rightfully be called the “Father” of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.

Because this is Bass Fishing Archives we’re only going to look at the bass decanter Jim Beam created. The distiller released this decanter in 1973. It shows a stylized bass – what looks to me to be a smallmouth bass, but I’m not certain, I’ve also seen it labeled as a largemouth – and some very fanciful water spray, especially when viewed from the back. Others in the series that I own are the first musky decanter (1971), bluegill (1974), northern pike (1978), and perch (1980). It looks as though Jim Beam may have continued creating additional decanters beyond the originally promised 10, I’m not sure. Others in the series that I’ve seen include rainbow trout (1975?), walleye (1977), leaping trout (1976), crappie (1979), and catfish (1981). And there is also a very realistic Jim Beam FWFHF musky decanter, year unknown, that is decidedly different in construction to the previous bunch.

Hope you enjoyed this look at a fun fishing collectible. Do you happen to own any of the Jim Beam fish decanters?