The top five casting lures that set the bar and defined LURES IMPACT
the genre along the Texas coast over the past half century. By Joe Doggett
K K Photos by Devon Kocian
ALEIDOSCOPES of killer baits sparkle and dazzle on tackle shelves all along the Gulf Coast. Some lures are better than others,
but most models of suitable size are capable of catching speckled trout and red drum under favorable conditions. The options are many but virtually
all inshore casting lures can be placed into four basic categories: topwater plugs, spoons, sub-surface plugs, and soft-plastic “tails.” Each has a benchmark, the concept and design that defined the genre. Here are my picks for the top five impact lures during the past half century on the Texas tides.
TOPWATER PLUGS The original Heddon Zaragossa
created the tidal surge of zigzagging surface plugs. The so-called “dogwalk-
In 1939, the Heddon Lure Company in
Dowagiac, Michigan,
changed the construc- tion of the plug
from wood to hollow plastic. It was renamed the Zara Spook.
TIDE
ers” are far and away the most popular topwater lures for specks and reds. The original wooden Zaragossa was
conceived and carved by James Heddon in 1922. He was bass fishing in Florida. As the story goes, Heddon claimed the jiving action resembled the wiggling of one of the exotic dancers on Zaragossa Street in the “red light” district of near- by Orlando.
The dogwalker design is the essence
of simplicity. The lure has no built-in action, and the alluring tempo of slid- ing and skating is created by a prac- ticed cadence of rod-tip jive and reeling speed. As such, the dogwalkers are not the best choice for the beginner, but they are deadly for the practiced angler. As a big advantage, the sleek shape and solid heft have excellent ballistics, easy to chunk even into a gusting wind. The soft zigzagging probably
is most effective across a calm or slightly riffled surface. Signifi - cant chops tend to overpower the action, but under proper conditions the Zara Spook is a killer. And so are the dozens of
Some contemporary anglers may
not be familiar with the Heddon Zaragossa, but then there is the Heddon Zara Spook. In 1939, the Heddon Lure Company in Dowagiac, Michigan, changed the construction of the plug from wood to hollow plastic. It was renamed the Zara Spook because the plastic had a translucent and ghostly quality. The hollow-plastic Zara Spook has
remained virtually the same for almost 75 years. It has the profile of a robusto cigar, but with each end tapered. The original version measures a tad longer than four inches, with two sets of large treble hooks and it weighs approxi- mately 5/8-ounce. The line-eye is screwed into the
lower face to help lift the bullet nose and facilitate the zigzagging motion during the retrieve.
www.joincca.org
other dogwalkers on the market. Some are longer, some are shorter, some are wood, some are plastic, and many boast rattle beads. But all owe their pedigree to James
Heddon’s vision. SPOONS
The Johnson Sprite is the gold stan-
dard. Or, if you prefer, silver. Or cop- per. Oh, wait, they don’t offer those anymore. A pity. But, regardless of plating, the simple
Sprite has dominated the bays for more than 50 years. The Sprite was con- ceived by Louis Johnson, a metalwork- er in Chicago who first designed the Johnson Silver Minnow spoon in 1920. The Silver Minnow is more specialized, intended for snagless work amid sub- surface cover.
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