baby crab wiggler

Antique Fishing Lures by Floyd Roberts

History of the Heddon Crab Wiggler

Slant Head Crab Wiggler #1600

This Slant Head Crab Wiggler was made from a #1600 Deep Diving Wiggler 1915-1926 body and it is believed to be the earliest of the Crab Wigglers. The #1600 and #1700 Near Surface Wiggler (1915-1926) were no longer in the 1930 Heddon Catalog. The company must have had a lot of basic lure bodies in stock because such lures are the bodies of the #1600 or #1700 Deep Diving Wiggler. This lure has a Marked Front Collar, Screw Eye Line Tie and the Smallest of Cups (1/8") with Screw Hook Hangers. These same cups were used in the #1600 and #1700 as rear hanger metal inserts. This lure also never had eyes. It was never advertised in any of their catalogs and is a rare find is you are lucky enough to own one.

(1915 - 1929) Crab Wiggler - #1800 Series

The Crab Wiggler was introduced in 1915. The oldest Wigglers had Cup hook rigging, "U" collars, Screw Eye Line Ties and were 3-3/4" in length. There were two version of the u-collar. The earliest u-collars has smaller script stamped on the collar front side. The latter version u-collar had much larger script stamped on the collar front side. It is unclear when Heddon started to use the later version of the u-collar. Heddon used the early u-collar on the all the way through 1922.

The next version of the collar was the "O" collar. It was called the o-collar because the collar went completely around the lure. The name was stamped on the front side of the collar and this style collar remained on the Wigglers till the end of this lure in 1929.

c.1915 - Cup Hook Rigging - (3-3/4" Length)

L-Hook Rig - 1915 - 1920 (3-3/4" Length - U-Collar - Variable Line Tie)

L-Hook Rig - 1924 - 1929 (4" Length - O-Collar - Single Line Tie)

Cataloged Lure Length

Lure Length #1800 Series

1915 - 1923 (3-3/4 length)
1924 - 1929 (4" length)

Lure Hardware

Early "U" Collar

Small script stamped on the collar front. (1915 - 1922)

Later "U" Collar

Large script on collar front. (c.1920 - 1923)

"O" Collar

Name stamped on collar

(1924 - 1929)

"O" Collar

No name on collar

Not used on #1800 series

Variable Line Tie

(c.1915 - 1920)

Single Line Tie

(c.1921 - 1929)

Cataloged Colors

1916 - Colors

Fancy Green Back
White body, Red and Green Spots
Rainbow
White body, Red head
Yellow body, Red and Green Spots
Yellow Perch
Imitation Frog
Imitation Crab

1921 - 1923 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale

1924 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale
Shiner Scale

1926 Colors

Fancy green back
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale

1927 - 1929 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body, red eyes and tail
Frog coloration
Imitation crab
Frog scale
Green scale
Yellow perch scale
Shiner scale

(1915 - 1941) Baby Crab Wiggler - #1900 Series

The Baby Crab Wiggler was introduced in 1915. The oldest Baby Wigglers had L-Hook Rig, "U" collars and variable line tie. The earliest u-collars has smaller script stamped on the collar front. The latter version u-collar had much larger script stamped on the collar and the name was on both sides. It is unclear when Heddon started to use the later version of the u-collar.

The next version of the collar was the "O" collar. It was called the o-collar because the collar went completely around the lure. The name was stamped on both side of the collar. The next and final change for the o-collar was that then no longer stamped the name on the collar. For both o-collar version's they used a single line tie that was secured to the body by using the same screw used to hold the center flange of the collar. The line tie now was moved to the bottom of the tail.

L - Hook Rig - 1915 - 1920 (3" Length - U-Collar - Variable Line Tie)

L - Hook Rig - 1921 (3" Length - U-Collar - Single Line Tie)

L - Hook Rig - 1927 - 1933 (3-1/8" Length - Stamped O-Collar - Single Line Tie)

Toilet Seat Rig - 1927 - 1935

Not Shown

2 Piece "Flap" Rig - 1934 - 1936 (3-1/8" Length - Blank O-Collar - Single Line Tie)

2 Piece "Flap" Rig - 1937 - 1941 (3-1/4" Length - Blank O-Collar - Single Line Tie)

Cataloged Lure Length

Lure Length #1900 Series

1915 - 1921 (3" length)
1922 - 1926 (3-1/4 length)
1927 - 1936 (3-1/8 length)
1937 - 1941 (3 1/4 length)

Lure Hardware

Early "U" Collar

Small script stamped on the collar front.

(1915 - 1922)

Later "U" Collar

Large script stamped on both sides of collar.

(c.1920 - 1923)

"O" Collar

Name stamped on both sides of collar

(1921 - 1933)

"O" Collar

No name on collar

(c.1934 - 1941)

Variable Line Tie

(c.1915 - 1920)

Single Line Tie

(c.1921 - c.1941)

Cataloged Colors

1916 - Colors

Fancy Green Back
White body, Red and Green Spots
Rainbow
White body, Red head
Yellow body, Red and Green Spots
Yellow Perch
Imitation Frog
Imitation Crab

1921 - 1923 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale

1924 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale
Shiner Scale

1926 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body with red head
Yellow body, spotted
Yellow perch
Frog colors
Imitation crab
Green scale
Red scale
Frog scale
Goldfish scale
Yellow perch scale

1927 - 1929 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body, red eyes and tail
Frog coloration
Imitation crab
Frog scale
Green scale
Yellow perch scale
Shiner scale

1930 - 1941 Colors

Fancy green back
White body, red and green spots
Rainbow
White body, red eyes and tail
Frog coloration
Imitation crab
Green scale
Yellow perch scale

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