20 Vintage Creek Chub Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune

Creek Chub Bait Company.  "True to Nature Lures - Catch More Fish".  Do You Have Any in Your Tackle Box?  I bet you do, but should you fish with them?  Well of course you should, that is unless you have these CREEK CHUB lures below?  If so, take a seat and be ready to be shocked and blown away by what they might be worth.  We present to you 20 Vintage Creek Chub Fishing Lures Worth a Fortune.

We had so much fun writing our top read page "25 Vintage Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune" we thought why stop there?  So we decided to take a look by vintage lure manufacturer and started with the Big Daddy of them all Heddon and wrote "20 Vintage Heddon Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune".  Our readers loved it so we thought why not keep going.  So on to the next giant in American Fishing Lure History, The Creek Chub Bait Company (C.C.B.C.O.), out of Garrett, Indiana.  So read on and be amazed.

Go out to the garage, shed, boathouse, etc. and take a look in those tackle boxes you have.  Rifle through them and I bet you you will find some Creek Chub lures.  Wooden and plastic.  Take a look at the wooden ones with metal lips.  See the ones marked CCBCO, GARRETT IND and 9-7-20 or 9-27-20?  Those are vintage Creek Chub baits.  Probably a lot more than you realized.  (By the way the 1920 date stamped on the lip is the patent date NOT the date the bait was made.)

Started in 1916 by Henry Dills, Carl Heinzerling and George Shulthless and based out of Garrett, Indiana.  Doing a quick Google search of Garrett, Indiana shows me it's a town of under 10,000 people.  If not for Creek Chub I would have no idea it even exists.  Yet from 1916-1978 it was front and center in the American Fishing World.  Creek Chub is a favorite among fishing lure collectors as they offered a wide variety not only of baits but some amazing colors.  Creek Chub is famous for its' colorful paint patterns that have held up amazingly well through the years.  The quality of these baits have really shown through.  

The most famous of all the Creek Chub lures is of course the Pikie.  It's the fishing lure that really put Garrett, Indiana and Creek Chub on the map.  The Pikie was produced very early on in the history of the company right up until the end in 1978.  You could spend a lifetime chasing down all the cataloged and special order colors of Pikies.  Amazing to fish and equally amazing to collect.  

Creek Chub stayed in Garrett mostly as a family run business until 1978 when they were bought out by Lazy Ike which shortly thereafter ended up in backrupcy.  Eventually Creek Chub along with many other classic brands were bought by PRADCO.  PRADCO still makes some very limited Creek Chub lures today but from a collector viewpoint most of the world still revolves around Garrett, Indiana and the wonderful baits that came out of there.

Creek Chub made millions of wooden and eventually plastic fishing lures, many of which are still fished today.  As fishing lures have become more and more collectible Creek Chub is one of the biggest brands collected.  One look at the baits below and you can see why.  As you will see there is some serious money involved in some of these very early baits in great condition.  It may make you want to dig through your tackle box again or head to the cottage to dig through Grandpa's tackle box or attic.  Who knows what you will find.  Every year new treasures are still being found in cottages, garages, basements and tackle boxes everywhere.  Take a look below and then go see what you can find...

 

Creek Chub Plunker "Special":

The Creek Chub Bait Company out of Garrett, Indiana made some of the most beautiful lures ever assembled.  They continue to gain in popularity with collectors and have a seemingly endless supply of "special order" colors that were made that have collectors emptying their wallets to complete their collections.  One of these "special" baits is this Creek Chub Plunker.  It is extremely rare in a Shur-Strike (another brand of Creek Chub baits) Yellow Scale Finish.  The lure and matching box are both in Excellent condition.  As you can see in the photo it is a beautiful example of the type of work that went on in Garrett, Indiana.  This one here kicks off the list but I expect this one will someday soon be surpassed and honestly has probably been surpassed several times in private deals.  This beauty sold at auction in 2019 for a little over $8,000.  See all of our vintage Creek Chub lures for sale here.

 

Creek Chub #3800 Beetle in Goldfish Color:

Extremely rare uncatalogued color of Goldfish on this beautiful Creek Chub Beetle.  Wooden lure complete with pearl spinners attached.  Goldfish is one of the most beautiful and collected Creek Chub colors and if you see it on a bait you can be sure you have a nice one.  Add in the fact that it is uncatalogued on this bait and you have a great price.  Bait has some minor wear but overall just so tough.  This one sold at auction in 2001 for just over $7,700. 

 

Creek Chub Jointed Snook Pikie in Black Sucker Color:

Here's another "special" bait.  That means an uncatalogued bait color, usually special ordered by a customer / company.  This one is a 5500 Jointed Snook Pikie in color 36 Black Sucker with the matching box marked SPECIAL 5536 box.  Such a tough matching combination to find!  Add in the fact that the bait and box are in great condition and you have a winner winner chicken dinner!  This gorgeous combination brought in just over $5,900 at auction in 2018.  

 

 

Creek Chub 2400 Wiggle Fish Special Green Scale Color:

Here's a beauty.  This one is another special color bait.  It originated from a former Creek Chub employee as a lot of the really rare special colors seem to have historically.  They must have kept some really nice ones for themselves all those years (and who wouldn't).  This lure is a Wooden Creek Chub Wiggle Fish in Green Scale Color which is beyond rare and simply beautiful.  If you are a Wiggle Fish collector, this piece is front and center in your collection.  It sold at auction in 2017 for just over $5,500.

  

Creek Chub Sunfish Special Order Color Plunker:

A simply beautiful bait here.  In uncatalogued "Sunfish" color.  This bait is pictured in The "Special" World of Creek Chub Lures book (which I high recommend) adding to it's appeal.  Great condition on this bait and a matching 3200 SPECIAL stamped box.  Plunkers don't get much nicer than this one.  This one of a kind fishing lure sold for around $5,400 at auction in 2019.

 

Creek Chub Tarpon Pikie Mullet Scale:

A rarely seen fishing lure and box combination here.  Bait is in beautiful early Natural Mullet Scale Finish.  This 4007 Tarpon Pikie is a fantastic example of this bait despite having some minor wear to it.  A very tough addition to a Tarpon Pikie condition.  This awesome bait sold for just under $5,000 at auction in 2018.

 

Creek Chub Jointed Striper Pikie Yellow Flash Special Color 6837:

You notice the continued trend?  Creek Chub Specials are well... special.  It's one of the really great things about collecting Creek Chub lures.  There were a lot of special order baits made through the years.  The beautiful Jointed Striper Pikie comes in spectacular Yellow Flash color and special order hooks as well.  The matching box is marked correctly as well.  This is a centerpiece bait for a 6800 collection for sure.  This bait went up for auction in 2018 and sold at just over $4,800.

 

 

1920's Creek Chub Ice Decoy:

Here's a rare entry.  The Creek Chub Ice Decoys were only made in the 1920's and 30's and were generally made from the bodies of the Injured Minnows except with no hooks and fins attached instead.  The point of an ice decoy is to attract fish beneath a hole in the ice and then spear them through the hole as they come to investigate.  As you can imagine not a lot of these survived in good condition.  This one pictured here is in spectacular condition!  It is in Red Side Finish color and was probably never used under the ice.  Maybe the nicest example known.  In 2018 it sold at auction for just over $4,700.  At that price, here's hoping it won't be going down to the bottom of a frozen lake.

 

 

Creek Chub Pikie 700 Intro Picture Box and Bait:

The 700 Pikie is the lure that went on to become the World Famous Pikie and the bait that really put Creek Chub on the map.  Yet when it was introduced it came in this box in 1920-1921.  If you had purchased one and put it in a time capsule with climate control it might look like this bait.  Great condition on this bait but more importantly the box is in spectacular condition and it comes with the box catalog.  The combination of these makes this one of the best examples known of this important historical piece.  Who knew in 1920 that this would be so valuable.  It probably sold for about $1.00.  In 2019 it sold at auction for just under $4,500.  Now that's a nice investment return.  Ask Grandpa if he has any like these.

 

 

Creek Chub Baby Albino Crawdad 401 and Intro Picture Box:

Another very early intro box and bait.  This one dates to 1917 / 1918.  An extremely rare combination of bait and box and both are in great shape.  The lot also included the box catalog which just added to the value.  These early intro pieces are very rare and very collectible.  This one sold at auction in 2016 for over $4,400.

 

 

 

Creek Chub Greenback Color Snook Pikie with Box:

Here's another very rare uncatalogued Creek Chub bait.  This one is a Snook Pikie in Greenback color, code 3409.  The box is not the correct box but still a nice combo and the bait is spectacular.  A very tough special color to add for Snook Pikie collectors.  This one sold at auction in 2020 for just a little over $3,800. 

 

Red Horse Sucker Creek Chub Pikie:

Another listing, another Creek Chub Special color.  You see the photos and you can see why these are so collectible and the prices they fetch.  This beautiful bait is a famous 700 Pikie with a correctly marked matching SPECIAL box.  The color is a very tough one, Red Horse Sucker.  A beautiful and very tough color to find.  This matching combo sold at auction in 2020 for just over $3,800.

 

Creek Chub Intro Wiggler with Box:

Here's another great Creek Chub Intro bait with the box.  This one is an all Red Wiggler.  A tough color to find a real example of and even tougher with an Intro Box.  This one is in nice shape with just a little wear on the side not shown in the photo.  This one sold at auction in 2019 for $3,800.  As you can see, Intro boxes and baits in nice condition tend to do very well.

 

Hot Pink Pikie:

Only a handful of Creek Chub baits have been found in this special "Hot Pink" color.  This very special 700 Pikie is one of them.  Coming in a correctly matching SPECIAL 700 marked box this combo is a rare bait indeed.  This color is so rare in fact that it is believed that all known examples may have originated from the same special order placed with the factory.  We may never know but it sure is a thing of beauty.  This one sold at auction in 2021 for $3,750.

 

Creek Chub Gar Perch Scale:

The Creek Chub Gar is one of the most famous early Creek Chub lures.  Usually finished in beautiful Gar Scale.  A very nice bait in it's own right.  This one here is special color Perch Scale.  Not many are known to exist (probably even fewer perch colored gar out swimming the waters) but a stunning bait to say the least.  In 2018 this lure sold at auction for $3,600.

 

Creek Chub Fly Rod Bug-A-Moth Fly:

Unless you are a vintage lure collector (or an old-timer) you probably don't know that Creek Chub made fly-rod lures.  They only made a lot of these for a short period of time with most of them ending before 1950.  They were however beautiful creations and are highly collectible and very tough to find.  This Bug-A-Moth lure was only made from 1934-1937 and finding one in nice shape with the original box is a rare find indeed.  This one sold back in 2006 for right around $3,500 at auction.

 

Creek Chub Solid Red Pikie:

First a word of caution.  Anytime you find a solid color vintage bait, solid red, solid black, etc. be suspect.  It is one of the easiest colors to repaint and unfortunately there are dishonest people out there.  That being said, when you do you find a legitimate one, you have something special.  This one is one of those.  This Special color 712 Solid Red Pikie with the correctly matching box is a beautiful example of a solid Red Pikie that would make any collection proud.  A tough color to be found.  For whatever reason it wasn't produced standardly but as you can see it really pops.  This one fetched a whopping $3,100+ at auction in 2020 and I am sure now resides in the center of a Pikie collection case somewhere.

 

 

Creek Chub Select-Six Lure Pack:

Over the years lure manufacturer's put out packs and gift assortments of their lures.  Creek Chub was no different.  This assortment was made by the Creek Chub Bait Company between 1927-1933.  This was the last of the six pack assortments they offered and in my opinion the most beautiful one.  This box may be the best know example to have ever come up for auction.  The final price at auction in 2016 was just over $3,100 for this amazing selection.

 

 

 

Creek Chub Wawasee Reel:

Creek Chub is famous for the lures they produced but they actually produced a reel as well.  While not nearly the success the lures went on to be it has become quite famous with collectors.  The Wawasee Reel is from the early 1920's and quite tough to find, especially with it's original box.  This fine example sold at auction in 2018 for $2,900.  Not bad for a reel from a lure company.

 

 

Creek Chub Injured Minnow in Goldfish Color:

Here's another lure in stunning uncatalogued Goldfish color.  This time it's a famous Creek Chub Injured Minnow.  This lure comes with a super tough correctly marked box to just add to the rarity.  Thankfully it looks like it never saw the water.  The beauty fetched $2,900 at auction in 2021.

 

 

There you have the complete list of twenty stunning Creek Chub lures (and some of the most expensive fishing lures ever to be sold) and the amazing prices they brought at auction.  Time to go digging through those old tackle boxes and see what you can find.  Who knows maybe you can get lucky.  There are still treasures out there to be found.  New lures are discovered every year.

Want to learn more about collecting old fishing lures?  Come check out our page on Collecting Fishing Lures.  We have lots of resources for new collectors.  The only way to truly find out which lures are the most valuable is to spend time in the hobby learning everything you can.  

A special thanks to our friends at Lang's Auction.  We appreciate the use of their images and their help in the hobby in general.  It's nice to have friends like them in the vast internet.

 

Related Articles / Pages:

25 Vintage Fishing Lures Worth a Fortune:  We take a look at 25 of the top fishing lures from all manufacturers that are worth a fortune.  We start with the number one lure coming in at a whopping $101,200 and count down from there.  You don't want to miss this article.

20 Vintage Heddon Fishing Lures Worth A Fortune:  Our previous article to this one.  We take a look at Heddon and 20 show-stopping lures sold at auction.  We started with Heddon.  Check out these 20 great lures.

Collecting Fishing Lures:  An Introduction to a Wonderful Hobby.  A background on the hobby, where to start, books, resources, what to collect, appraisals and more.

My Bait Shop Vault:  Our collection of our Rarest and most one of a kind items we come across and offer for sale at My Bait Shop.

Creek Chub History:  Creek Chub Bait Company history and information at My Bait Shop.  Our page where we are continually adding historical information about Creek Chub.  Be sure to check back as we add more information all the time.

Creek Chub Lures for Sale:  Creek Chub lures for sale at My Bait Shop.  Our selection of Creek Chub lures for sale.  Different ages and price ranges.  Whether you are looking for your collection or tackle box we have something for you.  We add to our inventory almost daily.