Have a Creek Chub? Photograph it
The app confirms the model and era from one photo and shows live eBay listings for the same lure, so you know what yours is worth today.
Maker of the lure behind the world-record bass
The Creek Chub Bait Company put natural scale patterns on wooden lures and changed how baits looked forever. Their Pikie Minnow became one of the best-selling lures in history, and in 1932 George Perry caught his 22-pound world-record largemouth on a Creek Chub Fintail Shiner. That record still stands, and it keeps the brand in every collector's shortlist.
Creek Chub made huge volumes, so common Pikies are affordable entry points. The money hides in early glass-eye examples, rare colors like the Gar pattern, giant musky sizes, and special orders. Boxes matter enormously: a clean two-piece cardboard box can turn a $30 lure into a $120 package.
| Model | Era | Type | Typical value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pikie Minnow | 1920s-1950s | Crankbait | $15 – $75 | The volume classic; glass eyes and rare colors climb |
| Beetle | 1930s | Topwater | $100 – $450 | Distinct bug shape, prized in every color |
| Gar Minnow | 1920s-1930s | Minnow | $150 – $600 | Long thin body; scarce and heavily faked |
| Fintail Shiner | 1920s-1930s | Minnow | $200 – $800 | The world-record lure; fragile fins rarely survive |
| Giant Pikie (musky) | 1930s+ | Musky bait | $50 – $250 | Big sizes attract musky-tackle collectors |
| Crawdad | 1920s-1940s | Crankbait | $40 – $150 | Rubber legs intact doubles the price |
Good collector condition, no box. The original box typically makes the package worth 3-4x more.
Full walkthrough: how to identify old fishing lures. Ready to sell? Check which lures are worth money.
The app confirms the model and era from one photo and shows live eBay listings for the same lure, so you know what yours is worth today.
The Fintail Shiner, Gar Minnow, and Beetle lead the regular catalog, each capable of several hundred dollars in nice condition. Special-order colors and salesman samples go higher.
George Perry used a Creek Chub Fintail Shiner to catch the 22 lb 4 oz world-record largemouth bass in 1932. The record has never been broken.
Early Pikies have glass eyes and hand-sprayed scale finishes; later ones use painted or decal eyes and simpler paint. The box style also dates the lure precisely.