October 2011
Cree Duk
Bill Szabo
Oregon, OH
1950
I love the fall and it is my favorite season of the year. I like the mild weather, the harvesting of farmer's fields, and the autumn colors of the trees. I was born in the fall and was also married in the fall. I guess you can say that it is in my blood. And, of course, I like the hunting season that fall brings!
One of the great hunting seasons I enjoy is duck hunting. But, for the first time in about 35 years, I did not participate in the duck hunting opener this year. This year, other events took precedence over duck hunting...so, it only seems fitting to have a “duck lure” as my “Lure of the Month”.
Ducklings are very vulnerable and have many natural predators. When they are born, they have the inability to fly, making them easy prey for any land dwelling predators. So, ducklings are born with the ability to swim as a form of protection…but this does not make them safe. On the water, they have little protection from snapping turtles, fish-eating birds (such as pelicans and herons), and even big fish.
One person that understood this was Bill Szabo, and in the 1950s he came out with a fishing lure called the Cree-Duk. The duck was available in three sizes and several different colors. It was made of hard plastic and had two metal spinner “feet” and a flat bottom like a rubber duckie that allowed it to sit upright in the water.
While the Cree-Duk can catch fish, I believe it is one of the lures that was made to catch the fisherman…not the fish. Who could resist passing this lure in the store without buying one and showing their friends. Even today, this lure draws a lot of attention at tackle shows and it is still quite popular amongst collectors. If you collect plastic fishing lures and don’t have a Cree-Duk in your collection, you are missing one of the true classics of the early plastic lure era.
Swim, Duckie, SWIM!!!
