We've learned so much from our meetings with them about the art & craft of lure design. Jerry has a small collection and we also have a Pinterest Board for fishing lures some of which have been made or collected by our customers.
GlassEyesOnLine sells eyes that are used in many different types of mediums including fishing lures. We have met some of our customers that create fish lures over the past few years including Captain Jody Gay, Rusty Jessee, and Musky Dan. We've learned so much from our meetings with them about the art & craft of lure design. Jerry has a small collection and we also have a Pinterest Board for fishing lures some of which have been made or collected by our customers. Paul Smith from Pizz Swimbaits creates fishing lures in his garage in California. Jerry has worked with Paul over the years as he tested various styles of eye in his swimbaits. I recently listened to an interview with Paul on the Cast & Crank Fishing Podcast Episode 127 recorded in July 2020. I talked with him on the phone about Pizz Swimbaits and his purchase of Slaunch Mob. Paul transitioned from painting Murals into creating and painting fish swimbaits in his garage around 2008. His story involves alot of thinking outside the box and stretching yourself creatively. His experiences being a creator and entrepeneur can be useful for artists and crafters working with any medium. I was so impressed with the methods he used to grow and develop his brand thus far. He talked about working with a make up artist in the movie industry and a tatoo artist to incorporate some of their trade skills into his fish lure design, builds, and paint jobs. Paul ventured into the purchase of the Slaunch Mob company and put his fishing and tackle craft spin on the apparel that is popular with punk and heavy metal music lovers. Slaunch Mob enabled him to cross market to a younger fishing enthusiast. I had to laugh at some of Paul's pun on words in the clothing labels that he incorporated into the graphics he designed like " Dream Catcher". So Creative! because my fishing friends are always talking about their latest catches when we get together. Paul is also a fishing enthusiast. He realizes that Fish Lures are an investment and get exposed to some pretty harsh salt and fresh water environments around the world. That is why he tests all the materials he uses as well as his finished swimbaits. His goal is to assure his swimbaits are durable and re-usable. I would add that his magnificent paint jobs make them collectible. For Paul, "It's a learning process. You find out what works and what doesn't as you go along testing different paints and eyes". Paul talked about how much pleasure he gets from seeing a fisher use his swimbaits and catch fish. Some of these videos and photos have been shared @pizzswimbaits on Instagram and Piz Swimbaits Youtube Channel. Paul will be at The Gathering 2021, Saturday, Oct 9 on Chickahominy Lake at Rockahock Campground, 1428 Outpost Rd. Lanexa, VA. There are plans for fishing on the lake, on the water fishing demonstrations, and drawings for fishing gear and swimbaits. If you are into fishing; he'd love for you to stop by his booth and say Hi. Fishing Enthusiasts interested in attending can learn more details about The Gathering 3 at Swimbait Universe If you want to purchase a Pizz Swimbait; you'll need to check the Bait Drop frequently as they sell out as fast as Paul makes and posts them. He posts notices about Bait Drops on @pizzswimbaits on Instagram. Paul's story is my reminder to keep my eyes and mind open for opportunities to stretch myself creatively with all mediums I encounter and be open to opportunities to learn. Nick Lyons, an author, educator and fly fishing enthusiast wrote
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Last week, Jerry and I took a short break from the shop and headed up to North Carolina to deliver eyes to Captain Jodie Gay at Blue Water Candy Lures. We took #cheerfulclyde along with us. More about Clyde later; but first let me tell you about our visit.
Most people know we sell eyes to teddy bear and doll makers. Jerry actually started the business selling eyes to decoy carvers. Now, you'll find our eyes in sculptures, carvings, puppetry, decoys, and fish lures.
Last year we talked with Musky Dan about hand carved wood lures with glass eyes. We also had a conversation with Rusty Jessee about the National Tackle Crafter Collectors Club and included tutorials on How to make your own fish lures in the June 2016 newsletter.
We were thrilled to have an opportunity to visit Captain Jodie and his family at Blue Water Candy Lures located in Hampstead North Carolina.
Captain Jodie was a Commercial fisherman for 20 years. He used Hook and Line Fishing in the Ocean and trolling for Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, and Mackeral. He also bottom fished for Snapper and Grouper. When he left commercial fishing in 2002, he started Blue Water Candy Lures, a family owned and operated business. It started at the Kitchen table and moved into the garage. Jodie and his son in law, Russell, gave us a tour of their current manufacturing and shipping facility and shared their expansion plans with us.
Now, Captain Jody participates in fishing tournaments and fishes with family. In 2015, a Record 68 pound King Mackeral was caught by Captain Jodie's Blue Water Candy Lure Team at the Cape Lookout Shootout Fishing Tournament. At that time, it was the largest caught on the Atlantic Coast in a fishing tournament. Carolina Sportman
We had an opportunity to watch Jodie's wife, Terry, and his daughter Jessie sorting the bling-bling used in several lure styles.
Terry and I shared stories about the challenges and joys of being married and building a small business. She also shared her recipes for cooking some of Captain Jody's favorite fish. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to see more photos, get Terry's recipes, and learn more about our visit in our September 2017 Newsletter.
I also had an opportunity to record Chase as he showed #cheerfulclyde how he hand crafts a Blue Water Candy Lure.
Clyde told me he had no idea how much patience and skill was involved in making a lure. He had so many questions about Fish Lures and talked about learning how to fish as we traveled home.
Learn more about the various types of fishing lures and how they work Here. Do you like Fishing? Do you know anyone that enjoys Fishing or wants to learn how to fish?
For 10 years, Fisherman's Post, a newsletter covering saltwater fishing along the coast of the Carolinas has hosted Fishing Schools for anyone interested in getting some hands on fishing skills taught by experts like Captain Jodie Gay and Captain Russell Weaver.
There are four schools scheduled in February and March 2018. These schools are reasonably priced and would be a great gift for a loved one that enjoys fishing and wants to learn more about it!
I mentioned Clyde in the beginning of this post. He came to visit us from TheCheerfulChameleon for his summer vacation. Learn more about #cheerfulclyde pick up a Free Crochet Pattern and learn how you can win these free prizes.
My children are calling to see what I think they should get their Dad for Father's Day.
I think collectibles make cool gifts so I suggested they get a fish lure to add to Jerry's Fish Lure collection. The next question was which lure should we get? I realized I did not know much about Fishing Lures or which lures are collectible. I decided that I would reach out to some Fish Lure Makers to find out more about how they got started making lures. I was also curious about what kind of material and tools they use and what makes a lure collectible. I had the good fortune recently to talk on the phone with Musky Dan. Jerry happens to have the Musky Dan Lure with the box in his collection.
I could tell that Musky Dan is a shy and private kinda guy. Gradually he warmed up during our conversation and shared a little about his love for carving fish lures, photos of his workshop and lure collection, and a place he likes to fish in Ohio where he lives.
I was wondering how did you get started making fishing lures?
I asked someone to make me a Giant Pikie Lure. I am a wood worker and when I received it I said to myself "I could do better". I started making them and people were buying them. That is when I realized I could do this for a business. I built a woodworking shop with all the tools I need.
What is your favorite type of lure to make?
I really like to make a variety of types of lures. It needs to be a challenge for me. I do replicas of old school lures, supersize lures, and novelty lures. For example, I've made Pikie in size 2 inch to 40 inches long. Once I make one; I don't usually want to make another one because it's no longer the same challenge. I replicated the Moonlight Bait Company lures and called it the "Full Moon Collection". Now I am working on supersizing Chippewa Baits. It's a difficulty level of 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. I like the challenge. I also have a small collection of vintage lures.
Do you sell your lures on a website or at shows?
I only sell my fish lures on eBay Auctions for 99 cents with no reserve. Collectors determine the price they are willing to pay for my lures. I don't do shows or sell on a website. My eBay User Name is custom.musky.lures
Sample of some Musky Dan Lures on Auction during the third week of April 2016
Do you have any books, magazines, or newsletters that you use for reference that you can recommend to our readers that are thinking about making or collecting fish lures?
I use WorthPoint to look up past and current values on vintage lures and reproductions. You can use it to find out the value of just about anything you collect including decoys. I also do a lot of research on the internet and use books about rare lures and fish lure collections. I am especially interested in the colors that were used in vintage lures and the design.
Are you also a Fisherman and do you have any particular fish you like to cook?
One of my personal favorite places for fishing is Leesville Lake. I've been so busy carving lures recently that I have not had much time to fish. Lake Erie is nearby also. You can catch Walleye fish in Ohio and that is pretty good eating!
After my conversation with Musky Dan, I did a little research about Leesville Lake. I learned that this lake made it in the Game and Fish Magazine list of Ohio's top 5 lakes for Spring Muskie fishing. A fishing trip might also make a cool gift for Dad's that like to fish.
I also found a Pinterest Board withWalleye Fish Recipes for those who like to cook fresh caught fish. I realize there is a lot to learn about Fish Lures and Fishing as a sport. It turns out there are many different types of lures to attract different types of fish. I am going to be talking with some other Lure Makers over the next couple of weeks and we'll be focusing on Fish Lure Makers and Fish Lure Eyes in our June 2016 Newsletter. Check out the Customer Creations Fishing Lure Page for a few more Hand Crafted Lures that would make a unique Father's Day Gift. |
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