Heddon lures that are mis-shapen are not uncommon due to problems with early plastics but in the case of the Heddon Prowler, a 'bend' in the lure is perfectly correct!
In 1972, Heddon introduced a line of lures called the "Prowler", a lure designed to "...duplicate the action of a near lifeless dying minnow, easy prey for a lazy fish at minimum effort..." according to the fishing instructions which came with this lure.
The Prowler is a floating lure designed to take a nose dive when you gave the line a twitch, then slowly rise to the top. It could also be retrieved slowly or at a medium fast retrieve, depending upon the action you wanted and the depth you wanted to fish at. With the line tie on the side of the lure rather than on the nose, the action of a dying minnow was assured.
This lure came in 4 different sizes and each had it's own Heddon number - these were:
#7015: 2-5/8", 1/4 ounce, #6 trebles
#7025: 3-5/8", 3/8 ounce, #4 trebles
#7050: 4-5/8", 5/8 ounce, #2 trebles
#7075: 6-1/2", 1-5/8 ounce, #3/0 trebles
The largest size was intended for saltwater fishing or larger game fish such as muskie or northern. This size was produced for 5 years and by 1977, was no longer made. The 7050 size was last 1 year longer.
The initial cataloged colors for the 7015, 7025 and 7050 included GYR, SSD, BWB, GWR, BWX and BSX. The 7075 colors included NP, NPB, GDS, YWS, B, and SU. In 1978, only the 7015 and 7025 were being made and the colors changed to BRS, L, SD, and SUN.
In 1979, the new color line called "Natural" was added by Heddon and a Prowler of the same size as the #7015 but in this color line was given the number 7028. It came in the 'natural' colors LC and SDN and was cataloged only for that year.
The Prowler was last cataloged in 1982 and was discontinued after that time. The Prowler has a collector value of between $15-$25 and can often be found in the box for that price. The larger size commands typically commands a higher value.
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