Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Art of the Lure with Elissa Ruddick: Heddon Black Sucker




Considered by many collectors as the “Holy Grail” of all Heddon lures, is the No. 1300 Black Sucker Minnow. This life-size, wooden, carved-tail lure was Heddon’s interpretation of the dietary staple of the mighty muskellunge, or is that muskallonge? Heck, no wonder everyone just refers to this species of fish as a “musky”! Heddon only offered their No. 1300 in one color, natural black sucker, but they have been found in several special order Heddon colors. I suppose it would be akin to fishing a swim bait of today given it weighs in at 2-1/2 oz. and its wooden body is 5-3/4” long, but I bet more often than not, it was fished on the bottom and trolled instead of being cast out and retrieved. Originating in 1913, they were gone from catalogs by 1928. Although they were produced for several years, finding one in great condition today can prove to be quite a task. After all, a musky’s teeth versus even the finest of painted wood would have left a definite impression!

If you have any questions/comments, Elissa Ruddick can be reached at elissaruddick AT aol DOT com.

-- Elissa Ruddick

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