Information listed on these pages has been verified through old Shur-Strike (S-S) documents, price lists, and displays except for a few question marks scattered throughout this effort that have yet to be "decoded". I've decided to move ahead & share this knowledge with you now rather than wait for answers that may never surface.

Every Shur-Strike collector approaches the challenging study of S-S in a different manner. Therefore, it's logical that no two hobbyists can agree on every detail regarding: (for instance) catalog colors against "Specials", written color descriptions compared to actual lures in hand, non-catalog baits that may or may not be a S-S product, plus many other mysteries. As you will see, this area of collecting is a web of confusion because production of this line of lures was helter-skelter at best. This compilation is a modest attempt to sort out the details to the best of my abilities. I look forward to hearing from collectors who have other opinions & input toward this initial effort.

Creek Chub introduced these baits in the late 1920's to compete with other discount lures flooding the market. Although Shur-Strike lures were priced much less than the regular CCBCo line, they were far superior to most second quality baits. In fact, the paint & components were comparable to many competitors' top line of lures. Creek Chub devised some new S-S designs, copied body styles from their own line, & "borrowed" many best selling styles from their competitors.

These baits were offered for as little as $1.00 a dozen to the trade! Creek Chub didn't sell their Shur-Strike lures directly to the public. A 1933 CCBCo wholesale "special bulletin" depicts prices for the entire line then available; special discounts & recommended resale prices for Shur-Stike baits. If the lures were ordered in quantities of 100 or more, they were shipped mounted on showroom display cards. Due to a very competitive price structure they weren't offered individually to any buyers.

Several Shur-Strike wholesale price lists and displays from 1933-1947 plus a group of documents from the CCBCo archives were used to formulate the information used here. However, there is still much that is unknown. Shur-Strike lures were also produced before & after this period of study which will add much to the database if & when this info becomes available. Some series & color details were taken from original factory in-house records. These particular lures may or may not have made it into production. Unlike the regular Creek Chub line, Shur-Strike lures didn't have a pictured color chart accompanying their price list. Therefore, it's very difficult to match existing specimens against their original written color descriptions, especially the scale patterns.

Many colors were painted specifically for certain stores with an angling department. These Special colors weren't listed in the Shur-Strike price lists. Western Auto is but one good example. A researcher should locate old retailer's catalogs or refer to modern lure reference books to confirm Shur-Strike baits & colors made especially for a particular sporting goods dealer.
As the years passed the same Shur-Strike catalog colors would sometimes take on new names (and numbers), apparently due to the whims of the person at Creek Chub in charge of producing the latest S-S price list. Also, modern collectors have given certain colors & series pet names that were never used originally.

All of these inconsistencies have added to the Shur-Strike riddle. Perhaps someday more data will be unveiled so collectors will have a clearer understanding of this desirable collectible from Creek Chub Bait Company.

A special thank you goes out to the many collectors who contributed toward this effort. Derek Heinzerling was particularly helpful & generous with his time & copies of old time Shur-Strike materials.

• All weights & measurements were taken from Shur-Strike archive materials.
• Each series is different. Some were produced with glass and/or tack eyes while
  painted eye baits were the norm for others.
• Not all of the series or colors were produced for the entire 1933-1947 study period.

#4 Series ("Round Nose Pikie" Type) 4 ½", ¾ oz.
Similar to the "P" series Pikie but the #4 series has a rounded nose & is listed as
¼" longer. The #4 series came first

#5 Series ("Round Nose Jointed Pikie" Type) 4 ½", ¾ oz.
Similar to the "PJ" series Jointed Pikie except the #5 series has a rounded nose &
is listed as ¼" longer. The #5 series came first.

#6 Series ("Wiggle Wizard" Type) 2 ½", approx. ½ oz.

#40 Series ("Clothes Pin" Type)
A typed page dated 10-17-40 from the SS archives lists this bait. #40-S series,
$3 a dozen. #40 series, $2 a dozen. The difference between the two is moot because it's doubtful this lure was every released.

B Style ("Baby Slant Nose") 2 ¾", approx. 5/8 oz.

C Style ("Surface Spinner") 3 ½", approx. ¾ oz.

D Style ("Baby Surface Spinner") 2 ¾", approx. ½ oz.

E Style ("Underwater Spinner Minnow") 3 ¼", 5/8 oz.

G Style ("Slope Nose") 4 1/8", approx. 5/8 oz.

H Style ("Shovel-Nose") 3 ½", approx. 5/8 oz.
Note: Listed in the 2002 CCBCo collector guidebook as Style F.

J Style ("Sarasota" Type) 4 ¼", ¾ oz.

K Style ("Lobotomy Wiggler") 2 ½", 5/8 oz.

L Style ("Floating Spinner") 4", ¾ oz.

O Style (*"V-Groove") 3 ¾"(2 ¾" ???), 5/8 oz.
Note: Floating, diving

P Series ("Pikie" Type or "Imitation Pikie") 4 ¼", ¾ oz.
Similar to the #4 series except the "P" series has a flattened head &
is listed as ¼" shorter.

Q Series ("V-Groove Bass Oreno") 3", 5/8 oz.
SS note: Grooved head, floater-diver Sold by the dozen in one color
(no mixed color lots) or offered as part of an assortment pack with Series "X"& "Y". Four lures from each series. No list of colors was shown in the old Shur-Strike documents for this or the "X" & "Y" series.

R Series ("Gar Minnow" Type) 4", ¾ oz.
See GM series below

X Series (*"Pointed Nose Wiggler")
SS note: sharp nose, diamond head minnow.
See "Q" series for more information about this & the "Y" Series.

Y Series (*"Concave Belly Darter") 3", 5/8 oz.
SS note: V mouth, sloping head, and concave belly.
See "Q" series for more information about this & the "X" Series.

BBO Series ("Baby Bass Oreno" Type) 2 ¾", 5/8 oz.

BGM Series ("Baby Gar Minnow" Type) 3 ¼", 5/8 oz.
A copy of the Eger Baby Dillinger bait, NOT a small version of the
#2900 Series CCBCO Gar Minnow.

BIM Series ("Baby Injured Minnow" Type) 2 ¾", ½ oz.
SS Catalog note: other colors furnished on request.

BO Series ("Bass Oreno" Type or "Bass-A-Lure") 3 ¾", ¾ oz.

BP Series ("Baby Pikie" Type) 3 ¼", 5/8 oz.

BPJ Series ("Baby Jointed Pikie" Type) 3 ¼", ¾ oz.

BSO Series ("Baby Surf Oreno" Type) 2", 1/2 oz.

CR Series ("Heddon Crab" Type) 2 ¾", 5/8 oz.

FF Series ("Fast Fish" or "Helin" Type) 4", approx. 3/8 oz.
See S-S "Cross Reference Chart" on another Creekspeak educational page for a better description of Fast Fish colors (e.g. #63 color listed as Black is actually Black w/ Orange spots). FF known with 1 (rare), 2, 3 & 4 hooks.

FHR and FRR Series ("Floating Heddon Runt" or "Floating River Master" or
"Floating River Runt" Type). 3 ¼", ½ oz.
The series code was changed to FHR in 1939. Both codes are listed here.

FO Series ("Fly-Oreno" Type) 1", weight?

FRR Series ("Floating River Runt" Type) 3 ¼", ½ oz.
See FHR & FRR Series above.

GM Series ("Gar Minnow" Type, known earlier as "Style R") 4", ¾ oz.
A copy of the Eger Dillinger bait, NOT the CCBCo #2900 Series Gar Minnow.
Two different letter codes used on this bait.

HR/RR Series ("River Master"/"River Runt" Type/"River Rascal") 2 ½", 5/8 oz.
The series code was changed to HR in 1939. Both codes are listed here.

HRJ/RRJ Series ("Jointed River Master"/"Jointed River Runt" Type) 3 ¼", 5/8 oz.
The series code was changed from RRJ to HRJ in 1939.

HV Series ("Heddon Vamp" Type) 4 ¼", 3 /4 oz.

HVJ Series ("Jointed Heddon Vamp" Type) 4 ¼", ¾ oz.

IM Series ("Injured Minnow" Type or "Crippled Minnow" Type) 3 ¾", ¾ oz.
SS Catalog note: other colors furnished on request.

MBO Series ("Midget Bass Oreno" Type) 2 ½", ½ oz.

MO Series ("Shakespeare Mouse" Type) 2 ½", 5/8 oz.

MP Series ("Midget Pikie" Type) 3", ½ oz.

PJ Series ("Jointed Pikie" Type) 4 ¼", 3/4oz.
Similar to the #5 Series but the "PJ" Series has a flattened head &
is listed as ¼" shorter.

PL Series ("Plunker" Type) 3", ½ oz.

PP Series ("Paw Paw Mouse" Type) 2 ¼", ½ oz.

PS Series ("Petite Spinner") 1 ¾", ½ oz.
Note: Listed in the in-house documents as "Pumpkin Seed" series but listed in Shur-Strike price list as "PS" series. A close copy of the Paw Paw Pumpkin Seed.