Shur Strike Underwater Minnow Lure

The Shur Strike Underwater Minnow Lure is Circa late 1930’s. The three hook underwater antique lure was not a cataloged option and is highly sought after. This wooden, glass eyed, antique minnow measures 3 1/8″ in length. The lure was produced with only a single floppy prop, unlike the Heddon 3 Hook 100 lure.

We have a nice bar chain 3 Hook in on consignment this week. Click below to view

3 Hook Shur Strike Underwater Minnow

The lure is shown in a very desirable Frog Spot Color making it even more collectible. The Shur Strike Underwater minnow lure uses a cup and screw eye rigging for its side hooks and the rear treble is affixed to the rear screw eye. You will notice a small cap at the rear of the lure that the rear screw is inserted through for reinforcement. I point that out to preface what Ill state below that Shur Strike was not built by Creek Chub like most “Economy” line lures.

Born in the early 1930’s, the Shur Strike line of lures was introduced by fishing lure industry giant Creek Chub. Creek Chub, while late to the game in this area, wanted to increase it’s already massive market share of the American Fishing lure industry. While many of the other larger makers such as Heddon, Pflueger and Shakespeare had for decades, produced similar less expensive line ups Creek Chub had yet to come to the table.

Surviving, thriving and trying to increase its market share the great depression was no easy feat. Bait Casting itself was not a poor mans leisure. One would not only have to have a rod, but a reel, and a assortment of expendable wooden lures, that were not cheap when you put into context with the great depression. What would make a common man spend his hard earned dollars during what was Americas largest and longest economic downturn. The answer in and of itself has always been create a lower priced item, or provide a product or service that suits it time.

Creek Chub however was not willing to sacrifice is quality in building Shur Strike lures. You will find that whether it was the paint, its use of glass eyed, and use of some of the same type hardware, Creek Chub created a quality product that wasn’t that much of an inferior product to its original design. What the Shur Strike line up did instead of making a “cheaper” product, they used a different type of distribution network to accomplish this task. Being sold and distributed through a network of sometimes non conformist type shops, Shur Strike would become a large entity in the secondary bait market.

Yes will find Shur Strike housed and Sold inside of its own “Shur Strike Minnows” box, but you will also find the lures being sold through places like Montgomery Wards using the names like, Wards, or Strike King, or through Western Auto, Gateway and other sporting goods houses of the era they would make special finishes for.

So in closing, while Shur Strike can be considered a “Cheaper” Line of Lures, it wasn’t done by cutting quality corners. Shur Strike lures are a great item to focus on, and collect. Through their Diversity of Distributions, their myriad colors and array of different models sold, they can provide a great many years collecting.