September 2012
Weed Bug
Creek Chub Bait Co
Garrett, IN
1927
Recently, I received the following email:
“Where is the love for the Creek Chub Bait Company? CCBC was one of the largest lure manufacturers in the United States and has a large following amongst collectors. I can’t believe you haven’t had a ‘Lure of the Month’ that has featured a CCBC lure yet.”
This person is right, I haven’t. So, this month’s Lure of the Month features what I consider to be one of the “coolest” CCBC lures…The Weed Bug.
Creek Chub Bait Company was started by 3 fisherman named Carl, Henry, and George in the early 1900s. For several years, they only made one lure..but thanks to the lure’s fish catching ability, the company grew and expanded to one of the top lure manufactures in the country. Lure inventions, such as the metal diving lip, ensured this company would have a place in fishing history.
In 1927, CCBC introduced the Weed Bug. This was a surface plug that was weedless thanks to two long wire ‘antennae’ and featured a small wire attachment at the rear middle of the lure if you wanted to add a pork rind to it. The flat bottom along with a metal hook plate on the underside allowed this lure to sit upright in the water. The “face” of the lure would create a splash when played towards the fisherman. Some Weed Bugs, like the one pictured, had glass eyes while some had bead eyes.
I would not classify this lure as “rare”, but it is very uncommon. One of the main reasons you don’t see this lure often is that collectors keep this lure due to its cool and unique look. The Weed Bug is one of the few lures where a red and white color pattern is more uncommon than some other colors, such as the frog pattern shown, and will sell for more money.
By World War II, the Weed Bug was no longer manufactured as more popular lures made by the company phased it out. All Weed Bugs were made of wood as this lure did not survive to the time when plastic lures began to take over much of the market.
