Ye Olde Bass Lures By The Bassman™

In Mr. Harbin's "Footprints" book W.T. Heddon stated in a October 7, 1927 write-up in the Clearmont Press that his father, James Heddon one day whittled out a "stick bait" on which he put gang hooks and a bottle top on the front of the bait.  James Heddon handmade these lures for himself and friends.   There were several variations of this handmade frog bait such as body length and body configuration. One such frog had a fatter belly and others were slimmer and longer than others.  These personally handmade Heddon Wooden Frogs are extremely rare.  The rarest of the rare is the pilot model without the frog body configurations which the hooks were embedded into the body (stick frog).  One such lure is in the 1977 Heddon Company Old Lures display. 

There are eight known Heddon 1898 Handmade Frogs

• Clyde A. Harbin Sr. had one in his collection until it was sold to Bass Pro Shops in 1995.
• John Goodwin got one from the factory in June 1978.  Later it was sold to Karl White.
• Dudley Murphy got one from the factory in June 1978 and it sill resides in his collection.
• Bruce Dyer has a 1898 "Broomstick" frog that he got from the factory in December 1975.
• Gilbert Pawelek purchased one by a phone auction July 3, 1985.
• Jim Daniels had one with a "Slot Belly Hook Hanger".  The frog was sold to John Romero in 1995.
• PRADCO acquired two of the frogs after they purchased James Heddon's Sons on November 28, 1983.

The two 1898 Heddon hand carved frogs were in Mr. Harbin's lure collection.

Record of Exchange of the 1898 Heddon Handmade Frog from Mr.Wysong to Mr. Harbin

Record of Exchange of the 1898 Heddon Handmade Frog from Mr. Harbin to Mr. Zahn

Six Pack of Heddon Game Fishers

Shown (L-R) - Interesting Six Pack of Heddon Game Fishers with different Hardware.

CCBCO Wiggle Fish

Above:  (left) 1902 Dowagiac Underwater Minnow.  It had no eyes, marine brass large front propeller with no name on the prop and one outside hung lead belly weight.  (center) 1902 Underwater Minnow.  (right) 1903 Underwater Minnow with non working tail propeller is the second version.

Above:  (left) 1903 Underwater Minnow with non working tail propeller.  A second model of the Dowagiac Underwater Minnow surfaced in the 1903 Dowagiac Perfect Casting Baits catalogue.  The body was slightly shorter.  These lures with this body configuration are the forerunners of the Heddon #100 minnows.  (center) 1902 Dowagiac Minnow "The Missing Link" between 1903 and the 1904 ad of the new Dowagiac Minnow showing the extended rear tube propeller.  This was the last un-catalogued Underwater before the 1904 extended rear tube propeller.  (right) 1904 Dowagiac three belly weight #100 Minnow.

Patent for See Through Hook Hardware - The US and Canadian patent offices have allowed us a patent which not only covers the socket or inset as used in the hook adjustment on the Dowagiac baits, but also its equivalent, as might be found by making a hole entirely through the body of the bait, building a socket up on the outside of the body of the bait and by other analogous methods.

In the 1906 "Bait Casting and Dowagiac Baits" Heddon catalogue claims US and Canada patent for the "see through hook" hanger style.

The Dowagiac Expert Lure - The very first commercially produced Slope Nose was in 1901 and they did not have a marine brass cup for the hook hole in the wood body.  The Dowagiac baits were patented April 1, 1902.  In the 1902 1st edition of the Heddon catalogue "Are You a Bait-Caster" this was the only lure listed.  This was a "one lure" catalogue.

1902 Dowagiac Perfect Surface Casting Bait.  It has rimless cup, small line tie, friction collar and crude paint finish.

The wood hole was a feature of the Heddon method of attaching hooks to prevent body and paint damage from the hook travel.  The second method of hanging hooks featured a no lip shallow marine brass cup to protect the wood hole.  The third change came with full lip marine brass cups and the screw hook as in the previous hook rigging.

1902 - 1904 Four hook Slope Nose.  This lure was not listed in the 1905 Heddon catalogue.  To the best of my knowledge a 1904 catalogue has not yet surfaced.  So it is possible this Slope Nose could be a 1904 or as early as 1902.

1904 or earlier Dowagiac No.2 or Slope Nose.  The 1905 Heddon catalogue did not offer a 4 - hooker.

In 1907 the metal hardware (propeller, hook cups, screw eyes, screw hooks and tool caps) were nickel plated instead of marine brass hardware.

All of the Dowagiac or Heddon Experts, Dowagiac Surface Bait No.200 had a tail hook metal cap.  In the 1924 "Tackle Science and Successful Fishing" Heddon catalogue shows this lures as the "Dowagiac Surface lure No.200 without a tail cap.

In 1915 the "L rigging" was introduced and was called the New Heddon Double Screw Hook Fastening.  The Cup rigged lures are more difficult to find and there are more of the L-rigged No. 200 in the hands of collectors.

A five hook "L rigged Pencil Nose, Expert 200 with flanged collar and tail cap.

 

The last Expert 200 hook rigging change came in c.1930 through 1933 when the 2-pc Heddon hook hardware appeared on their lures.

  The Dowagiac Expert through the Surface 200 hook hardware was in this order.

• Wood hole
• No Rim Shallow Marine Brass Cup or  possibility with a cup with thin lip in Marine Brass.
• Full rolled lip cup in Marine Brass
• Full rolled lip cup in Nickel plated
• Nickel plated L-rigging
• Nickel plated One Piece Bar
• Nickel plated 2 Piece hook rig - There were two versions of the 2pc.  One was round in apperarance and the other was rectangle in shape.  The round hardware was the oldest (1930) and the rectangle came out in 1935.
• The last of the tail cups was in 1923.  

Another hardware feature to place manufacturing changes is the Collar.

• In 1907 the metal collar was small in circumference and narrow in width and they were painted Red
• If the red collar is held in place by one pin or small round head nail from the belly side this lure is a 1906 or before but not a 1903 lure.
• In 1907 the small narrow red collar was held in place with a top and belly pin or nail.

Until the 1903 Heddon catalogue was reprinted and published by The BASSMAN™ the 1903 Dowagiac Underwater Minnow with rear propeller was identified.  Since this event the second model has surfaced.  The Dowagiac Underwater lure are extremely rare and only about a half a dozen of these lures are in the hands of collectors.

In 1921 and 1922 the Heddon, Dowagiac Minnow No. 200 was priced at $1. for the White body, Blue Head - White body, red head - Frog coloration and Scale finish, natural green.  These four color finishes were offered through 1929.  In 1930 the green scale was replaced with the luminous finish and the price held at $1. through 1933.  In 1934 and 1935 the No. 200 was not listed but it was listed again without pictures in 1936 through 1941 for $1.00 and for $1.10 in 1942 and 1943.

James Heddon was not the only lure manufacturer that used the name "Expert" for their wood bass lures.  In 1904 J.C. Holzwarth of Alliance, Ohio advertised the "Expert" Wooden Minnow with two propellers, 5-treble hooks that had a cigar shaped wood body.   In 1907 Fred C. Keeling of Rockford, Illinois offered "Expert" Wooden Minnows that had slightly rounded bodies and had holes in the propellers.  This lure had 3 or 5 treble hooks and came in lengths from 2 to 5 inches.

The Heddon Night - Radiant Moonlight Bait - This lure is not listed in any known catalogues except it was pictured with its box on the back cover of the 1965 James Heddon's Sons Catalogue.  Two models were manufactured c.1912.  One had 4-treble hooks 5 inches in length and the other had 3-treble hooks 4 inches in length.  They both had glass eyes and cup hook rigging. By 1978 only four Radiant lures have surface.  Two of these lures are in the Heddon collection and two are in the hands of collectors.  One collector is Mr. Clyde A. Harbin.  As the interest increases in this hobby of lure collecting more Heddon Radiants will surface from attics, basements, old tackle boxes and out of wall or under floors of 100 year old buildings.

 

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