The Creek Chub Bait Company was founded in 1916 by three anglers, one of whom, Henry Dills, invented a wiggling lure with a metal lip that could be used to alter the way the lure moved. Dills also patented a process of painting lures by spraying paint through a screen. The company's first lure was the 'Wiggler,' a basic minnow-type lure. But their most famous was the 'Pikie,' a bullet-shaped lure that could be purchased in one to three pieces, depending on the amount of wiggle desired. In the 1920s, Creek Chub introduced its lower quality 'Shur-Strike' line, hoping to grow its business. And after the war, they successfully made both plastic and saltwater lures. Harry Dills retired in 1978, and closed down the company.
Interviews & Articles
The Fun and Artistry of Antique Fishing Lures

I grew up fishing. And I always had a few old lures – several came from my grandfather – and I just decided one day that they were… [more]
Trends in Fishing Tackle Collecting

I’ve been a collector of antique fishing tackle for over 20 years, and have been selling antique tackle in my shop since 1990. I c… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Joes Old Lures

Joe Yates' website is a great showcase for hundreds of old fishing lures, providing high resolution photos and in m… [read review or visit site]
Mrlurebox.com

Take a big bite - you won't want to just nibble at Robbie Pavey's gallery of over 300 antique fishing lures, many w… [read review or visit site]
AntiqueLures.com

This extensive site features over 500 pages of information on pre-1940 wood fishing lures and lure boxes. Start wit… [read review or visit site]
Bob Vermillion's Fishing Tackle Web Site

Bob Vermillion started collecting lures at age 16, and has created a site dedicated to his love for Frank Knill 'Ve… [read review or visit site]
Oldfishinglure.com

This site is sure to snag you with its great collection of fishing lures from the early 1900s. Includes lures from … [read review or visit site]
TackleCollecting.com

Larry Nicholson's site dedicated to vintage fishing lures. Features beautiful images of lures and boxes from Fred A… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Fishing
- National Fishing Lure Collectors Club
- Florida Antique Tackle Collectors
- Carolina Antique Tackle Collectors
Discussion Forums: Fishing
Other Great Reference Sites: Fishing
Top eBay Auctions
Recent News: Creek Chub Fishing Tackle
Source: Google News
The search for antique fishing lures
Port Lavaca Wave, May 17thRobichau, who has been collecting vintage fishing lures since the late 1990s, is looking for Creek Chub, Hedon, Bingo, Nichols and Pico lures, which were saltwater lures made in Texas beginning in the 1940s. He began collecting lures 15 years ago after...Read more
To understand the future of Lake Mitchell look at its past
Cadillac News (subscription), May 1stPreviously recorded fish species that were not present in the survey included banded killifish, black bullhead, blacknose dace, brook trout, central mudminnow, creek chub, fathead minnow, golden shiner, hornyhead chub, Iowa darter, Johnny darter...Read more
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