A Mainstay in Many Dads' and Granddads' Tackleboxes

That's one way to describe the Heddon Lucky 13, an infamous topwater lure with antique collectors and fishermen, alike--and not just bass fishermen, either. This proven winner also has been popular with pike, striper, speckled trout, redfish, white bass, and salmon anglers, to name only a few.

The Heddon Lucky 13 is series number 2500 for the regular size (3-3/4 inches long, 5/8 oz.) and series number 2400 for the Baby model (2-5/8 inches long, 3/8 oz.). Both have been around, in some configuration, since the late teens but weren't first catalogued until about 1920.

According to some, the Lucky 13 materialized after the Wiggler King had been done away with because of similarities and name confusion it had with the Creek Chub Wiggler. Whatever the reason isn't really important. What is important is that the Lucky 13 has established itself as one of James Heddon's best selling lures of all time. By some accounts, more than 10 million copies have been sold over the years.

When the Lucky 13 was first introduced, it had cup-rig hardware, with no eyes and an elongated lower lip. Soon afterward, the lure came out with L-rig hardware and a shortened lower lip (thought to give more strength to the hook harness). It was offered in both regular and heavy-duty L-rig, the latter used mostly for salmon and saltwater fishing.

The lure then was offered in toilet-seat (both upturned and regular) and two-piece flap rig, with and without eyes. This modification was followed by a configuration using surface-rig hardware, with tack eyes, and finally came a plastic lure with painted eyes. There also is a musky version of the lure that is larger and made with and without glass eyes, in a Spook body.

While this lure can be fished like any topwater popper, it also scores a lot of success when fished with a slow, steady retrieve--a popular method with tarpon fishermen. With this method, the lure runs just below the surface with a surfacing minnow action. Many times, a mixture of the two retrieves works best. Cast the Lucky 13 and let it sit until the ripples disappear, then pop it and let it sit again. Pop it a second time, then point the rod straight at the water and slow crank it, creating the familiar wide wobble. Vary the cadence until you find the speed and presentation the fish want.

After that, it's a matter of the fisherman's skills, the gear he's using, and how much luck is riding on his side. Here are a couple of tales I found online in which things didn't quite work out right but, nevertheless, are worth repeating in this forum. After all, everybody enjoys a good fish story, right?

The first case involved an 8-year-old boy who was camping with his family at a state park. He was a self-proclaimed "master" at catching bluegill and bullheads, but like most boys his age, he wanted to catch a bass--"like a real man."

So, on this one particular morning, he grabbed his cheap fiberglass rod with a trusty Zebco 202 and a bullfrog-pattern Lucky 13. He then walked down a steeply sloping trail, under some huge overhanging oak trees, until he came to the water's edge. At that point, he started lobbing long casts out into a narrow cove of the state park's lake.

After several casts, the water suddenly erupted around his lure. He set the hook, then started cranking like mad, with the fish taking more drag all the while. In a moment that I'm sure still stands locked in his memory, the fish made a spectacular head-shaking leap that sent the lure flying from its mouth.

Said the boy, "I was left on the bank with my heart pounding and nothing to take back to camp but a story. But from that day forth, I was not just a fisherman--I was a BASS FISHERMAN!

The other case I read about happened one oh-dark-30 (4 a.m., to be exact) morning several years back, when a fella was fishing a lake from his boat. The surface was as smooth as glass when he cast his Lucky 13 toward a big tree standing in the water. He popped the lure only once before a huge fish slurped it under, and the fun began.

"The fish took off, then launched itself way out of the water, landing with a thunderous splash," said the fella. "My blood really was pumping after two more jumps and a drag-peeling run... but then, just as quickly as it all had started, it was over."

A bit later, a friend showed up, and the fella trolled over to where he was on the shore. He told him about losing the fish, at which point the friend asked, "What happened to your popper?"

The fella looked over at it and realized that one of the hook barbs on the rear treble was straightened. "Just made me even sicker," said the fella. "You never forget the big ones you lose."

As these two cases show, that deep, resonating sound a Lucky 13 makes as it's chugged across the water's surface can drive gamefish crazy. The pathway to success, though, is being ready for the strike, being armed with the right gear, and having Lady Luck riding in your hip pocket.