Heddon Darting Zara
Heddon Darting Zara No. 6550, 6600
Heddon - Dowagiac, Michigan
The Darting Zara is a wooden lure made by Heddon in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Heddon referred to it as one of two models of its "Zarragosas of Florida" lures. In it's 1932 catalog, Heddon listed the Darting Zara under Heddon's #6550, describing it as a "new model with notched mouth..." This version had painted eyes and was listed as being 4 1/2" in length and weighing 5/8 ounces.
In it's 1935 catalog, the Darting Zara was listed under Heddon #6600 and had glass eyes. It was the same length and weight as the earlier version according to the catalog.
Early colors for this lure included Bullfrog (pictured) and Green Scale. Later versions added Silver Scale and Orange with Red Spots Colors. A plastic (Spook) version of this lure appeared in 1939.
Value of this lure is between $150 to $300 depending upon the color for the later verison and up to $400 for the earlier verison...wish Santa had left one of these in my Christmas stocking! (Note: these price estimates are from the original 1996 article.)
- The Darting Zara was introduced in the 1932 catalog (no picture) and was No. 6550. From 1933-1942/43 it was No. 6600. Note it was last shown in the 1938 catalog.
- Standard catalog colors included Bullfrog, Green Scale, Orange Red Spots, Silver Scale and Fancy Back.
- The Spook version (plastic) first appeared in 1939, No. 9200 and continued in production with a Spook Jr. well beyond the wooden production years.
- Below are some examples of some of the great colors these lures came in. A special thanks to our friends at Lang's for some of these photos.
| BULLFROG COLOR |  |
| BULLFROG COLOR (VARIANT) |  |
| GREEN SCALE |  |
|
ORANGE SCALE (ORANGE WITH RED SPOT COLORS) |
 |
| RED HEAD SHINER |  |
| SHINER |  |
| SILVER SCALE |  |
| STRAWBERRY |  |
Heddon History: Heddon history and information at My Bait Shop. Our page where we are continually adding historical information about Heddon. Be sure to check back as we add more information all the time.
Heddon Lures for Sale: Heddon lures for sale at My Bait Shop. Our selection of Heddon lures for sale. Different ages and price ranges. Whether you are looking for your collection or tackle box we have something for you. We add to our inventory almost daily.
Heddon Catalog Covers: Heddon Catalog Covers and History from 1902 - Present.
Lures For Sale: See what we have in stock at My Bait Shop for vintage lures. Our ever changing inventory makes this worth repeat visits.
Unknowns?
All three lures pictured above are wooden. The top two yellow lures appear to have been made by the same company and it has been suggested they were made by Lex Baits of Kentucky.
The bottom lure looks very much like a Surface Wobbler Minnow made by Winchester but lacks a front spinner.
If you have any further information on any of the items displayed on this page which you'd like to share, please send your comments to me and I'll update the page accordingly. Contributions of interesting items and/or unknowns are encouraged.
© 2021, My Bait Shop, LLC