Copies, Compliments or Counterfeits?
By Art Kimball

‘Cadillac style’ automatically brings up the name of Oscar Peterson (1887-1951) who lived in Cadillac, Michigan. Generally speaking it can be said that Oscar Peterson set the style in his production of thousands (it now appears low thousands) of fish decoys from around 1907 until his death in 1951. It is important to remember that Oscar Peterson made fish decoys for fishermen – winter spearers! Michigan fishermen found Oscar Peterson’s decoys attracted northern pike and other game fish – success sometimes brings imitation. Other cadillac style makers such as Jess Ramey, Jim Nelson, Jim Pullen, George Aho, Don Johnson, Arnold ‘Hook’ Peterson, Al Williams, to name a few, supplied fish decoys to local spearers. This tradition goes on – Jim Nelson, Al Williams, Ken Hill, Tom Richards, Dale Goodrich, and Jerry Finch are still making Cadillac style fish for collectors and fishermen. Each example by these fish decoy makers represents a tribute to Oscar Peterson.

Jim Pullen gave me a fish decoy a few years ago that was dangerously close to an Oscar Peterson. Jim said he really needed an Oscar Peterson ‘fish’ to get fish. Sometimes nothing else will work. Jim was not trying to fool anyone. He signed it and used it. Jim simply could not afford to fish with an Oscar Peterson decoy. Jim Nelson painted some Oscar Peterson fish. He also used ‘Petersons’. He even had one that would swim in reverse (backwards). There seem to be almost unlimited examples of Cadillac style fish made by fishermen mostly for their own use.

Cadillac, Michigan is not the only provincial area in Michigan where a certain style of ‘fish’ took over after a maker started making successful decoys. Tower is a small town in northeast quadrant of the lower peninsula. Ervin Viehl is probably the best known maker and his ‘fish’ are the first to represent the ‘Tower style’. The Viehl family followed. Ervin, Woody, Lawrence, Rod, William, Ray, Ray, Jr. and Lois Viehl all made fine ‘fish’ that are extremely collectible. We just saw a neat little pike attributed to Carl Viehl. As of now we do not know where Carl fits in. In addition to the Viehl family of fish decoy makers are, Marvin Mason, John Eddy, Ken Bruning and Jim Wregglesworth. There are other Tower style makers; these are simply a few good examples. Regional fish decoy styles are not limited to Michigan. Wisconsin has its LaCrosse style fish deocys: size four to seven inches is the norm and the bar tie is diagnostic of LaCrosse ‘fish’. Lake Winnebago sturgeon vary in style from town to town. Generally speaking, the ‘coaxers’ i.e. decoys, display a different style on the east and west side of Lake Winnebago.

In Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, Chippewa Indians have been making fish decoys for generations. The Lac du Flambeau style almost universally included the following characteristics: curved wood body with wood tail and a single screw in line-tie. This style is made to swim in a circle to attract the illusive musky whose feeding activity is different than its cousin the northern pike. Ross Allen, Sr. is one of the leading all time fish decoy makers from Lac du Flambeau. He made ‘fish’ for fellow tribal members to use. Like Oscar Peterson in Cadillac, Michigan, Ross Allen, Sr’s general style has influenced fish decoys by other fishermen including his son, Gordon, Donnie, Augie, John and Ross Allen, Jr. (Little Ross:) and his grandsons, Mike and ‘Little Mike’ (son of Little Ross:), Terry and Richard. Ben Chosa, Duane Poupart, DJ Poupart (Duane’s son) John Snow, John Cross (John Snow’s son), Maurice Beson, Ron Peterson, Buckshot Christianson, Buddy Wyman and James Wyman have all made fish decoys for their own use. Each of these makers has his own unique style. A Lac du Flambeau fish decoy does not have to be signed to identify the carver. Another maker who greatly influenced the current Lac du Flamabeau style was Earl Cross, Sr. (Fishtrap) who was known as one of the greats.

In Minnesota the regional styles are perhaps more difficult to define. There are so many lakes spread all over the state it’s diffcult to pinpoint. However, there are some clearcut examples worth noting. The Brothers Fau, William and Otto, made fish decoys for their own and eachother’s use. I guess we could call this the ‘Buffalo style’. Henry Ranthum’s style reflects this particular style. Once again there are many examples by unknown makers that express the ‘Buffalo style’. Le Roy, Howell, Frank Mizera and Fred Lexow are other well-known makers whose style has been copied to fish with – imitations of the makers.

In this article we have been discussing the complimentary aspects of regional styles – the dark side of this situation are the fakes (to treat as to falsify), and/or counterfeits (to copy or imitate in order to deceive.) These fish decoys were and are made to fool collectors. The bottom line here is to sell something for much more than it’s worth – fakes are not made for fishermen! Vigilance is needed here. It is always good advice to get a money-back guarantee or a chance to get a second opinion. The existence of fake ‘fish’ need not discourage new collectors. The more you study fish decoys the better off you will be. Good luck to all collectors in finding great ‘fish’!

Article reprinted with the permission of The American Fish Decoy Association.