Heddon Chugger Jr Lure
Before we talk about the Heddon Chugger Jr Lure let me tell you about my friend Andy Tindale. What does one thing have to do with the other, well a lot.Let start with a brief intro;
Andy was born November 14, 1949 in Chicago to the former Harriette Ramsey and Thomas Keith Tindale. He died peacefully February 11, 2009, at his home after a long battle with multiple myeloma.
He spent his childhood living all over the world as the son of a public administration advisor. He spent his earliest years in Japan, Chile, Sri Lanka, and attended high school in Afghanistan. His childhood experiences shaped his worldview and acceptance for all cultures and religions. He returned to the states as a young man and attended Norwich Military Academy, the University of Miami, and Western New Mexico University. Andy marched to his own drummer, whether in Washington D.C. to end the Vietnam War, at Woodstock to hear great music, or fishing for great blue marlin. He married Janice deLeeuw Pontier in 1976 and they shared a loyal and loving partnership for 32 years. They moved from Hanover, Massachusetts to Ardmore in 1979. In 1987 his son Thomas was born, and Andy has been a proud father ever since.In the 1980s Andy operated Andys Fur House and later built a small rental real estate business in the area. He was a naturalist, an avid fisherman, hunter, trapper, artist and fishing lure collector. Andy was a friend of the forest and established his home place as a Stewardship Forest, where he planted over 2000 trees. He also served on the Ardmore Tree Board. Andrew was a true, loyal and generous friend to many. His thoughtful, curious, intelligent spirit will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Many who visit this page will not know Andy or his passion for the Heddon Chugger Jr Lure, and I could never do him justice even by filling all the pages on my site. Andy was a good guy, and a very good friend. I met Andy in the 1990’s at a show in Dallas and we spoke about collecting and our collections. Andy was from a town in Oklahoma, Ardmore, which just happened to be the same town my mother in law was living in at the time. If you were to tell me close to a decade later I would move to that small town I would have laughed, but life has a way of making a mockery of what we think the future may hold. I would befriend Andy and slowly we would exchange phone calls, emails and eventually live in the same town. Andy and I traveled to shows together, enjoying each other company, share lure stories, and life. Andy had an amazing 2000 sq ft man shed, well a fur shop that was converted into a fishing tackle cave. Rows of piano wire adorn the walls of a massive shop that not only housed fishing tackle, tools, equipment, fur stretching boards, bear traps, a pot belly wood stove, antique guns & 2 very large python and Boa constrictors.Andy was and had an amazing personality, and his knowledge of life and its offerings were as vast and eclectic as his zest and zeal were for life. Andy must mean friend in some other language because honestly I dont know of anyone who met him, who didnt after that first meeting consider him a friend. Andy grew trees, loved mother earth, had an amazing flower garden, kept bees, had cages for large cats that when a few local zoos would over flow they would house them there for a time. Andy could tell you stories about his Dad helping Japan write Japans Constitution after the war, and talk about driving across country with his wife and a station wagon with a canoe on the roof to a small town in Oklahoma and setting up one of the largest and only fur houses in Oklahoma. From carving sculptures to drilling out logs to grow mushrooms to framing and painting houses, to making a mean dinner, Andy seemed like he knew a bit about everything.Andy was a loving father to his son Tom, a amazing and devout husband to Jan, someone who you could confide in, or seek advice from. Anyone who met this towering man knew his heart was as big as he was. His mad scientist hair and 6’4 frame was just the outer shell of one of the kindest people Ive ever met.Every lure had a story, a person that sold it to him, a picker who found it for him. It didnt matter if the lure was worth $1 or $1K, they hung next to each other on the wires. Andy would share everything he knew with you about lures, and life and did it all with a heart felt and genuine smile. Im a better person today because I knew Andy, and Im grateful and sad for what felt like too short of a time.Andy was a true collector, it wasnt about the money, ever. It was about helping each other add to each others collections. What does a does this have to do with the Heddon Chugger Jr Lure. Well the Chugger Jr lure was Andy’s passion. Andy never brought his collection or Chuggers to a show, it wasn’t Andys style to be locked down to a table when there were lures to find and friends to see. He never wanted to brag or show off it wasnt in his being, he was a modest, kind and humble friend I miss very dearly.These are Andy’s Chugger’s. He would want you to enjoy, share and learn from what he enjoyed, and this is my feeble attempt to make sure that wish is fulfilled. Tight lines my friend and save a seat in the boat for me.
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Heddon Chugger Jr Lure
The Heddon Chugger Jr Lure was first introduced in 1950 by the James Heddon’s Son’s Company of Dowagiac, Michigan. The Chugger Jr was a plastic lure, as were all but a few by that time in the Heddon Historical footprints. The Chugger spook was a mighty fish catcher, a top water lure that was a favorite of fisherman, and later collectors alike. The antique lure was given a model series number 9520 and would be the second smallest in the series, right above the Tiny Chugger.
The Heddon Chugger Jr Lure, also referred to as the “Baby Chugger” weighed in at 3/8 oz and measured 2 1/2″ in length. The antique fishing lure has two treble hooks to secure its catch both of which used surface rig to be mounted to the body of the fishing lure. The lure had a concave or cupped mouth which was home to the single forward line tie as well as the “reason” or secret to its “Popping” Top water action.
Being that the lure was made from 1950 to 1984 the lure would only ever to be known to the masses with painted eye. There would be the evolution from Gold to cream & white and other variations even orange over time. The lure can be found in a myriad colors as you will see in the galleries below. Many of the lure colors having slight variants along the way giving us collectors reason to continue the hunt to find one we dont yet have.
Below is a wide array or sample of colors, this isn’t the end all be all but a pretty honest attempt. I will need your help as collectors as over time I add the color codes. I cant know them all, and truth be told I’ve never been proficient on all things Heddon Spook. So if you see a number under the photo and know the corresponding color code please drop me a line with the number and the color as I try to build this out to be a good resource for other antique fishing lure collectors, including those who love the Heddon Chugger Jr Lure.
Heddon Chugger Jr Lure 1957 Catalog Cut
Heddon Baby Chugger Spook
The New Baby Chugger Spook is in an answer to an overwhelming public demandfor a small size of the famous “Chugger Spook”. Especially designed for the light tackle bait caster and spinning rod angler who prefer small lightweight baits. Casts like a bullet and produces a bubbling noise that brings up big bass.
Heddon Chugger Jr Lure Series 9520 Gallery
Hello Matt, I have the Green Scale Chugger Jr in gold eye and white using the Daisy Green Scale color in my Green Scale collection. If you want a picture of both let me know.. also it would be great if you had the color codes listed as that is a nice collection of Chugger Jr.s .. super nice write up too!