Clyde Harbin - Heddon Catalogs 1902-1953: 50 Years of Great Fishing

Sign up for our newsletter and receive special offers, access to free content, and information on the latest new releases and must-have deer and deer hunting resources! Plus, receive a coupon code to use on your first purchase from ShopDeerHunting.com for signing up. or visit us online to sign up at http://deeranddeerhunting.com/ebook-promo 2004 Krause Publications This new work is based on earlier editions of James Heddons Sons Catalogues by Clyde A. Harbin Sr., The Bassman, copyright Krause Publications.
All Rights Reserved.

700 East State Street Iola, WI 54990-0001
715-445-2214 888-457-2873
www.krause.com
Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain
a free catalog is (800) 258-0929. All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio or television. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2002113123 ISBN: 0-87349-484-9
eISBN: 978-1-44022-452-2 Designed by Donna Mummery
Edited by Tracy Schmidt Printed in the United States Dedication In the fishing world Clyde A. Harbin, Sr., was known simply as The Bassman. The nickname, however, was the only simple thing about this wonderfully colorful, opinionated and passionate man. A foremost authority on all things fishing, Clyde was helping to complete this book when his wife of 65 years, Ellie Polk, called with the sad news of his death, March 24, 2004. Clyde was 88.

A throwback Southern gentleman, Clyde was both unfailingly polite and famously outspoken. But more than anything, he was a fisherman extraordinaire. At one point, Clyde had the largest and most complete old lure collection in the world. He was the preeminent authority on Heddon lures and authored two books about the company: Heddon Footprints and JamesHeddons Sons Catalogues. His amazing collection and wealth of knowledge served as the foundation for the first edition of Old Fishing Lures & Tackle some 25 years ago. Fisherman, father, husband, author and friend, Clyde will be missed.

We dedicate this book to the memory of this fine man. In his own words, Keeepppa Pluggggin. Krause Publications

---

Author and Heddon historian Clyde A. Harbin, Sr., The Bassman, with the utmost respect for their foresight and ingenuity, is honored to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Billy Bass and Jeanette Hawley, better known as W.T. Heddon and his wife, Laura. Clyde A. Clyde A.

Harbin, Sr. Once again, Wendy allowed me the time to write about my second love, fishing lures, while my first love took the sidelines. Without her support and kindness none of this would be possible. Thanks Wendy, it is my hope that all lure collectors have such understanding partners. Russell E. Russell E. Russell E.

Lewis, Bishop Hall 515, 1349 Cramer Circle, Big Rapids, MI 49307
Email: findingo@netonecom.net or lewisr@ferris.edu
Voicemail messages or phone contact: (231) 591-3581 at anytime
Web Site: www.wwbait.net
Photo credits
The lure images appearing on are used with the permission of Russell E. Lewis, and are from his personal collection. The pocket catalog is also from his personal collection.
The pocket catalog appears courtesy of Buddy Link. Table of Contents Chapter One:
The Earliest Years Chapter Two:
The Growth Years Chapter Three:
Lean Economic Years Chapter Four:
The War Years Chapter Five:
The Spinning Years Introduction HEDDON CATALOGS 1902-1953
To the fishing tackle enthusiast and lure collector, Heddon is indeed the top of the line in the eyes of many, if not most, collectors. Heddon began with its fabled tale of James Heddon carving out a few wooden frogs to use as surface lures on a pond in Dowagiac, Michigan, and grew to one of the strongest and largest of the worlds tackle manufacturers prior to its final sale to EBSCO/ Pradco in 1983-84. The name Heddon still lives on as a trademark owned by EBSCO/Pradco, but the factory in Dowagiac is now a museum dedicated to Heddons legacy.

All of the love and lore of what was Heddon has now been consumed into a modern megalith of lure production. Heddon lures are still manufactured and sold, but for the most part, the vintage lures of greatest interest have not been produced for more than fifty years. Clyde A. Harbin, Sr., known to all collectors as The Bassman, pioneered the field of studying Heddon lures, and has done more than most in the hobby to promote the beauty, quality, and value of Heddon lures. One of his projects was to make available to the collecting public excerpts of Heddon catalogs for the first fifty years, and to share his wonderful notes and charts on major Heddon lure changes as documented from the Heddon catalogs. The book he produced was James Heddons Sons Catalogues by The Bassman, Copyright 1977 by Clyde A.

Harbin, Sr. It is from that wonderful, early book on Heddon catalogs that this project has grown. It is with great thanks to Mr. Harbin, and with honor, that I bring this newer version of his work to the collecting public. Without the solid foundation which he has provided for us, lure collecting would still be in its infancy. We now know much more about Heddon than most companies due to his pioneering efforts.

This book is dedicated to the vintage lures. Our goal is to show covers, color charts, and catalog contents from fifty years of Heddon catalogs, and to reprint a few of them in total. By so doing, the reader will be able to take the grand tour of Heddon production from its beginnings in 1902 until that vintage era declined at the introduction of the popular spinning tackle and other factors as demonstrated in the 1953 catalog. Prior to the existence of Heddon, lure production was primarily the production of terminal tackle and some early rubber baits, and the production of spoon and Devon-type baits. These metal baits are of interest to the collecting world, and fine metal baits from the 1800s are valuable indeed. However, the collecting world as a whole has not shown much interest in metal, or even early rubber baits.

It is the early wooden baits that have created the most interest and demand. Heddon was indeed a pioneer in the production of wooden baits and worked continuously to add to its extensive line of casting baits from its inception. Many of us have noted that vintage wooden fishing lures are little pieces of art and many would argue that Heddon was the manufacturer of the fine art line of these items. The wooden baits of Heddon are desired for a number of solid reasons, including the fact that the baits were available in a large variety of types and colors. In addition, the paint quality on the lures is superb, and they are easily identified as most Heddon baits are clearly marked on the belly. The prices of Heddon baits have remained the strongest even in weak economic periods.