The 7200 surfsters depicted above show the color patterns introduced for all three models. As you continue viewing this site you will see many additional colors, variations in rigging and special order items. Since the creek chub catalogues only give a limited amount of information on this bait, I hope the photos in this collection are helpful to other collectors. Please feel free to e mail me, and I will share any information I have about this CREEK CHUB BAIT CO. classic.

1953 was the year that the Creek Chub Bait Co. introduced the surfster. It's characteristics being a noticeable slope in the head, a newly designed lip, two treble hooks in the belly and one in the tail.

All were stamped in gold "creek chub surfster", made only in glass eyes. The patterns available were red/white, perch scale,  pikie scale, silver flash red eye shadow, blue flash red eye shadow, yellow flash and purple eel yellow eye shadow. Since they were very popular with east coast striper fisherman, in 1956 mullet was added and the two freshwater patterns perch scale and pikie scale were discontinued.

 7200 surfster length 4 1/4" weight 3/4 oz.

7300 husky surfster length 6" weight 1 7/8 oz.

7400 salt surfster length 7 1/4" weight 2 1/2 oz.

1956-1961 The popular patterns in use during this period were also produced on the surfsters', all in glass eyes, all stamped. For example black scale,red head orange spotted and yellow spotted to name a few.

1961 With ccbco making the transition from glass eyes to painted tack eyes on many of their baits, so did the surfster line including many new patterns.  For example

pearl, tiger stripe and white with black eyes. Although the regular surfster body was used soon ccbco did not bother to stamp some baits. Shown here a 7238 te pearl.

1964-1967 Here the term used by ccbco "with preg" comes in to differentiate the two 7200 surfsters in production at the same time.

Those marked 7200 "with preg" would be the wider surfster body with the sloped head as opposed to just a 700 pikie body with a surfster lip both were stamped "creek chub surfster."

hybrid surfsters:   

There is some confusion related to the so called "hybrid surfsters" and as far as I have found here is how I understand the term to mean. 7200 hybrids are 700 pikie bodies with a surfster lip not stamped "creek chub surfster". I have a few examples in glass eye and tack eye and have not found any in boxes marked 7200 except for those with the new surfster red eye shadow pattern. This te 700 pikie body with a surfster lip in dace scale is considered a 7205 surfster since it is stamped on top"creek chub surfster".  

The photo to the left a te 700 pikie body with a surfster lip in black would be considered a 7200 hybrid since it is not stamped.  7300 hybrids are 2300 husky pikies with a surfster lip not stamped.  

I have a few examples in tack eye with surfster eye shadow and some without. Some are in boxes marked 7300 others are marked 2300.

The example to the right is a 2318 te silver flash husky pikie with the surfster eye shadow.

7400 hybrids are 6900 striper pikie bodies with a surfster lip not stamped. I have a few examples in tack eye with surfster eye shadow and some without, that are in boxes marked 7400 others are marked 6900. The example pictured here is a 6907 te  striper pikie body in mullet with a surfster lip.

The somewhat consistent numbering of these three pikie models leads me to believe that the creek chub factory used surfster lips on these three baits to keep up with the demand for surfsters and or used the remaining stock of these lips after the regular surfster line was discontinued. This is only my speculation and that of other collectors I have spoken to. Anyone that has any information that will clarify the mystery surrounding this term hybrid surfster please contact me.

specials:

The creek chub bait co. was very interested in a fisherman's needs and was also accommodating when it came to special ordering. Like the rest of its line of baits many wonderful examples exist.

Shown here a  rare blue flash pattern marked 7334j special

A very interesting special silver flash husky surfster. The body style is a salt water special one hook model that is tarpon rigged and has a regular pikie lip. Any one of these characteristics is unusual by itself.

a pair of 7200 wired thru specials.

Please follow the link at the top of the page to view some very rare surfsters.

  salt water specials:

To accommodate the unique needs of east coast surf fishermen the Creek Chub Bait co. altered the regular production surfster line and made the salt water special  available. They modified the bait by manufacturing the regular surfsters with only one belly hook omitting the rear belly hook and inserting lead around the thru wire. This in the case of the salt surfster changed the weight from 2 1/2 oz. to 4 oz.

The husky surfster weight changed from 1 7/8 oz to 2 1/2 oz .  It is my opinion that these baits were not individually special ordered, but because of their popularity the factory made them in advance to satisfy the demand for requests. In support of this opinion I have two 2 pc cbd boxes marked as follows. 7434 4 oz. and 7418 4 oz. and neither carry the word special. The 7300 models were issued in the 2 pc cbd box and plastic slide box and carry regular 7300 numbers none that I have found are marked special.