Pure Fishing lure developer pursues two hobbies at once.

Chicago, IL (June 16, 2023) – Most people have a hobby. Some engage in two different hobbies at the same time. Few have two activities which, on the surface, look totally different, but are actually very similar. Dan Spengler has discovered that fishing and metal detecting have many overlapping areas.

Dan started metal detecting, “dirt fishing” about 30 years ago. His dad bought him a Radio Shack machine and they went to a local park to try it out. They found a pull tab. That was it, a pull tab. About 10 years ago, he decided to get a new detector and see if he could do better. Like most others who begin detecting, he tried several different brands and while Dan had success, he elevated his game with the purchase of a Minelab EQUINOX in February of 2020. And his first hunt with the ‘NOX was incredible.

Again, like many others, Dan started fishing when he was young, using old, used fishing tackle and whatever body of water was close to home. His interest grew and he actually gained a master’s degree in fisheries. His plan was to be a fish biologist. He started making his own baits when he was nine and continued through college as a hobby. He passed up a state level job as a biologist to take a position with Pure Fishing in Iowa. When asked what his actual job title and duties are, Dan replied, “My current role is Senior Project Engineer—Bait Development. My roles and responsibilities include leading the hard bait and soft bait design team. Specifically, I have been designing and developing Berkley hard baits and terminal tackle from concept to shelf for the last 13 years.”

Back to his first hunt with the EQUINOX… He was detecting an old park and found a barber quarter, barber dime, and two seated dimes along with some V nickels and Indian head pennies. Since that day, the EQUINOX 600 has been with him on all his outings. Just recently, he added a Minelab EQUINOX 900 to his arsenal and it is all he has used since. His comment on site selection for detecting was, “I hunt it all—yards, beaches, woods, and fields. However, I do about 60% old field sites, 20% private yard permissions, 10% parks, and 10% beaches.” During drought periods, he works the beaches, and in the spring and fall, when the ground is soft and wet, he returns to land hunting.

To find the best spots to detect, Dan starts by researching properties which may have had historic gatherings in the past. He looks in old newspapers, and studies aerial photographs and old plat maps. But, like fishing, he has some bad days on dream sites which for some reason never produce.

To do well fishing, the proper equipment and a good location is also necessary. When queried about the electronics he uses, Dan explained, “I have Lowrance HDS Live units on my boat. It has a 12” display up on the bow paired with Active Target (forward facing sonar) and a 9” screen by the wheel. Today’s electronics are amazing, and with GPS you know your exact location on the lake. Add the side imaging which allows you to see structure (rock piles, trees, etc.) off to the side of the boat, then you have the Active Target forward facing sonar which allows you to see fish respond to your lure in real time. It’s a huge asset for watching and observing fish behavior, particularly for a lure designer like me.”

Even with all the best equipment, a lot of research goes into his fishing trips. Dan’s goal is to fish a few new lakes a year. He studies lake topography to understand seasonal patterns of fish behavior and location. When fishing a new location, research is very important to avoid being skunked.

“My most memorable day was on a field site where I found six silver dimes, five seated and one barber in a single day,” said Dan about his top trip. “I’ve also had some amazing double digit silver days at an old park with the ‘NOX, which sniffs out silver so effectively. When I went with a friend, Mike Peschon, to an amazing beach which obviously had never been hunted, I found 18 silver coins in a single hunt, a personal record.” He said he has had great luck finding barber and seated coins, with one site producing nearly 20 seated coins over the last few seasons.

Dan Spengler, Senior Project Engineer at Pure Fishing, has been designing and developing Berkley hard baits for over 13 years. In this photo, Dan showcases a prototype Money Badger, which took over 31 different prototype configurations to approve.

Using any of the Minelab EQUINOX series detectors gives Dan the advantage of Multi-IQ technology, which allows him to search for silver, gold, or jewelry, at park, field, or beach. All Minelab VANQUISH and EQUINOX series machines offer this technology, allowing the user to hunt all metals, all soils, all the time.

Dan then mentioned his favorite kind of fishing. “My favorite type of fishing is topwater and my favorite species to pursue is smallmouth bass. By far the coolest freshwater fish out there. One of my favorite lures to fish topwater is the Berkley Choppo 75, a lure I created a few years back.”

When asked what is still on your fishing “bucket list”, he related, “I’ve fished a lot of different fisheries through the years with many great fishermen and pro-level anglers. I guess for me, it’s possibly fishing with my all-time favorite baseball player growing up, Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins. I wrote him a letter to fish with me when I was nine years old and sent him a baseball card. He signed the card and it would be amazing to fish with him someday.

Working for Pure Fishing is Dan’s ultimate dream job. And he is good at it. “I think my favorite career moment was developing the Berkley Stunna with Hank Cherry. I’m a big jerkbait guy, and Hank is a legendary jerkbait fisherman. In my opinion, I believe we built the best jerkbait on the market and Hank took it next-level by winning the 2021 Bassmaster Classic championship on the Stunna months before we released it. Growing up, I never could have imagined building a bait that would win the biggest fishing tournament in the world, but we did it. Talk about a dream come true!”

While Dan of course spends a lot of time in his office designing new fishing lures, and more time on the water testing the lures, he also spends a lot of time at home working on his detecting hobby. He catalogs all key finds by site, area, and year. Everything is cataloged and artifacts and coins are put into display cases. He tallies up the total number of each coin denomination each year, and then competes with himself to break his own records on future trips or seasons.

Research is a big part of his detecting game. That’s the reason 11 of his first 13 silver coins this season started out as Barber dimes. To him, Fishing and metal detecting are all about the challenge. For him, it’s about personal best records and great days on the water or a field site. Whether chasing trophy walleye or targeting personal bests while detecting (record silver days, best V nickel days, annual records, etc.), Dan is always trying to improve his work and hobbies.

Story by Rich Creason