crkoester

In clear, natural northern smallmouth lakes, there are only 2 colors you need when fishing tubes... Green pumpkin with copper/orange flake (excellent northern craw mimic) Watermelon w/ small gold flake (good emerald shiner mimic) Keep your smallie fishing simple - everything else is just dead weight. Chris

Good thread, guys. Despite a few folks who were tempted to take this personally, it wasn't intended that way. You'll get no holier-than-thou from me, but you will sometimes get a little devil's advocate. The last few posts made some very good points - I agree that imitation is the price you pay for not doing due diligence and seeking legal protection for your product. This is a big part of what drives our capitalistic society, in which I am a huge believer. I also believe Andre is lucky thus far to only have to get mad at the handpouring mad scientists - I mean, how much longer could it possibly be before YUM or Bass Pro Shops starts packaging their Beaver imitations? I've been told that Culprit already has one in the works. As far as being criticized for making 4 posts, I haven't been able to participate much because I am not an experienced luremaker, and I don't have a lot to add just yet. I do enjoy the site a lot though, and I've learned a lot. I'm pretty impressed by most of you guys - you make some awesome stuff. A lot of the things you do have a pretty steep learning curve, and these forums can definitely smooth that out a lot. Don't take my stirring the pot as negativity or criticism - just seemed like one important perspective was completely absent from this discussion, so I offered it. Thanks to all who participated - especially those who were able to keep their panties unwadded. Chris

I appreciate the discourse on the subject, and I'm not passing judgement on anyone or trying to call anyone out. But the excuses don't fly.... Your replies are all still obvious versions of the "everyone is doing it" or "this has been going on for a long time" arguments that I expressly disqualified in my initial post. Try again. As for the personal insults you had for Andre, I disagree. I happen to be a co-angler who has shared the boat with him, and I thought he was cool. He's definitely a bit brash and outspoken, and definitely a goofball at heart, but I liked his personality - how many more "Well, God really blessed me with these fish today, and it was His Will for me to do well in this tournament" types do the pro bass circuits really need? No he's not a close personal friend of mine, and I have no obligation to defend him personally, but your comments have absolutely no bearing on this subject - just another attempt at a justification for why you feel it might be OK to rip him off. Would it somehow be more wrong to rip him off if he were Jay Yelas or Mark Davis? This thread isn't about him, or even about the Sweet Beaver or anyone else's bait. It's about whether or not it's right to blatantly reproduce somebody else's unique and novel design and take advantage of their hard work to make your own profit. I don't think anyone, Andre included, would have a problem with you pouring some customized Beaver-type baits for you and your friends to use. But commercial, for-profit ventures are another story altogether. Modifying consistency, color, etc does not a new product make. Try writing an operating system copied exactly after Microsoft Windows, but change some of the colors and buttons, and add a few different functions. Then list it for sale on eBay under a new name. Or go out and manufacture a vehicle based on the Corvette blueprints, but offer it in special colors, with all-wheel-drive and special door handle and headlight styling and a turbocharged Toyota engine. Call it the "Schmorvette" and open up a chain of dealerships. See what happens. FYI - $210,000 IS "hundreds of thousands" of dollars. Regardless of semantics, a tremendous stake of cash and hard work undoubtedly went into Reaction Innovations. Sorry you don't like their name, but that is simply marketing, period. If you lose sleep over stuff like that you must NEVER watch TV, read the paper, or peruse the internet (whoops...). Chris

Ever considered.... ... that there might be something morally or ethically questionable about copying the bait design and selling it for a profit? Whether or not Andre puts himself through crap and expense of doing anything about it, doesn't anyone feel a little bit bad about putting him in a position to even think about it? I mean seriously - it's a novel, unique, effective design - he put 100's of thousands of dollars of his own money into development and production of his baits and founding his company, took all the risk, did all the work, and now that it's a hot bait some homegrown basement handpour guys want to profit by selling ripoffs on eBay? I'm not on a soapbox here - this is open for debate - but all I hear is positioning and ideas about how one might get away with this, and no questions about whether it is OK or not. And no, the "well everyone else does it" or "this has been going on a long time" arguments are NOT valid. Nor does the "he makes enough money already" hold any water. I am referring to manufacturing baits that are fundamentally copies, and selling them to the general public - not pouring baits for your own use. Doesn't anyone have just a LITTLE bit of a problem with this? If I was in Andre's shoes I'd damn sure be sending out some sternly worded emails and C&D letters, if not writing a big check to my lawyer to get something done about it. Can you honestly say that if you were in his situation you wouldn't be pretty dang irritated? Would you be wrong to feel that way? Anyone?? Chris Koester

Haven't you guys ever heard of Gambler Flapp'n Shads? Exactly what you described above, minus the soldering iron and all that mess. Cut a slit in the paddle tail to create a sharp-angled hook-tail - voila - you have it. Chris

Thanks! Will do.... Chris

Can someone give me an email address and/or webpage for the aforementioned HiTech molds company?? What do custom jighead molds usually cost, ballpark? Thanks... Chris