CA Delta Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I was wondering if any one has taken there lure making hobby & turned it into a succsesful business. If so how do you get your business licsense, webpage, advertising, company name ect... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 There are a lot of reasons folks get into tackle making; most are for something other than the millions of dollars we are making in the tackle game. There is something priceless about the joy you get when you take a few ounces of brass, a few inches of stainless steel wire, a couple of shiny #8 nickel blades, some fur or silicon strands, and a really sharp 5/0 treble hook or two and in the course of a couple bends of the wire and about 10 minutes, you have a brand new musky in-line spinner that could have cost $21.99 in one of the internet musky shops. Are there guys making enough from their tackle making and tackle sales to give up their day job and live off what they earn; a few. I think most guys start doing it because they like doing it... it's cool being the guy in your club who always catches fish on what he makes and nobody can have one unless you make them one. The guys like what your giving them, but making them is cutting into your fishing time. The next thing you know, you've created a demand for a product that really doesn't exist unless you provide it and friends want those baits and will pay to cover the costs, but you want to go fishing, but they'll pay you to produce a product for them. Heck, they like you so much, they will only use your baits, they just really hate when you skunk them and want to keep you off the water. You are likely to meet more guys that use this as a means of a second income, yes and they make a nice chunk of change. But they are putting a lot of time into what they're doing, time away from the family and friends. Most dream of making enough money to make this a full time job in the future. If I could follow my dream, I'd open a tackle shop in northern Wisconsin right on the waters edge. I'd have a staff of guides to cater to the folks that want to go after the fish of a life time. I'd also have a custom tackle shop and on the weekends, have have craftsmen working on creating your lure, or one just like it, while you watch. You could talk to the staff about the best ways to fish your new lure and they'd ask you enough questions about how you like to fish, the water depth and color, that you walked away with a lure that was a perfect fit to your needs...... You need to find information on the Federal excise tax (AKA: 10% tax), a member named lookslikesinbad can tell you most of what you'll need to consider about a web page, I'd spend part of my advertising budget here at TU, company name - check the one you'd like on Google and have an attorney set up a LLC for you and ZAP, your a business. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA Delta Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Hey thanks Bruce. Man if you ever get that tackle shop on the waters edge, shoot me an E-mail & I'm on my way. This all started out as a challenge, now I'm obsessed w/ making a durable, realistic, swimbait. I'm so HOOKED. P.S. I've always rooted for GREENBAY!!! But I'm a big baseball fan @ heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTfishingrods Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Hell I dont even care if i make a living. I just want it to support my own fishing expenses. Oh yeah CA Delta, I hope you have better luck in yer tackle buisiness than you have in picking football teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I think a lot of the guys use this as a stress management tool... Deal on the tackle shop, there's a small place that I've got my eye on in Tomahawk, WI owned by a retired USMC Top. He retired active duty about 18 years ahead of me and should retire for good within the next 5 years. Keep your fingers crossed. It's going to seem strange starting the 2009 season without old Number 4, Bret Farve. I hope we've got someone to cheer for this fall. Locally, the Cardinals are the baseball home team, but when they play the Brewers, I can't loose. Hope your team has a good season. MT - Only two kinds of football fans in this world, Packer fans and those that wish they were. Here, have a four dollar beer on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA Delta Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Football, lets talk football. I live in CA, Bay Area, I can't watch the Raiders on TV because they don't sell enough tickets. Speaking of buying tickets thats a $200 day for me & the kid. So we sit in the LEFT FEILD BLEACHERS for $12, GO OAKLAND A'S... Just like a good game, football or BASEBALL. Your right though, Take a kid fising every chance you get. My 13 year old daughter float tubes w/ me throwing her Curado 201 in her Cadis Nevada Gold from April to Sept, slingin 5lbs. all day.Black bass that is. Fish on!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA Delta Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Bruce you know what I like about Greenbay the most, besides exciting football games, is that you guys have the most dedicated fans in the world. I highly admire that. It says alot about the people there. Good luck w/ that tackle shop. Don't ever give up on your dreams it will happen soon. CA Delta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Most of us aren't just fans... We're Owners!!! I think the Rams might be for sale soon, do you think LA would pay real cash money for them??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I make a good living out of it now!!. I go to this place and look after 1000 volunteers for the week for nothing, and when I come home, they pay me $40 an hour to make lures - that's how I see it anyway. Rams are worth a fortune here too - everyone is trying to re stock after the drought. Couldn't help that .pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 hi guys making lures is fun. you can craft your own destiny. being a detroit lions fan leaves me great amounts of time,,,,seeing they never make playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 hi guys making lures is fun. you can craft your own destiny. being a detroit lions fan leaves me great amounts of time,,,,seeing they never make playoffs. But Woodie, I remember many a Thanksgiving Day with classic Packers vs Lions games... the good old days in the Black & Blue Division. Dang, now I'm hungry for a turkey leg. Pete, Wrong kind of Rams... they claim to be a team in the National Football League (NFL). They moved to St. Louis, MO from Los Angles, CA a few years ago because of lost fan base. That is happening again only in reverse. The drought in the mid-west appears to be over, now the flooding is getting to be a problem. Several river side towns and villages are running close to 20 ft above flood stage; the worse since 1993. If I see anyone starting to build a large boat and collecting pairs of animals, I may have to get a few additional fuel cans and I'll just pilot my V-17 to Clinton. Think dry blue skies!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Floods in the Midwest, droughts in the West and Southwest. Hmmmm..... If they can pump oil and natl. gas all over the country, why not water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spare tire Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 I get to Tomahawk once a year for the harley fall ride. I'm also a huge Packer fan, as is most of the U.P. Hope you get your bait store. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 My son and daughter-in-law have rode their Harley's to that event since he finished his hitch in the Marines. His in-laws are very big into Harley's, last count was five. They got a new touring ride last year for a trip from Wausau, Wi, through the U.P., into Canada; I don't know if they continued through Canada to Detroit or if came back the way they went up. Form Merrill to Iron Mountain is some of the nicest country-side in the country based on the 38 states I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTfishingrods Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) :whistle:I dont think anything more needs to be said. Edited April 7, 2008 by MTfishingrods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassn1 Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 I was born and raised in Green Bay, bleed green and gold on Sunday's and now living in Minnesota. When ever my Viking friend's get on me about the Packers, I just hold up my bare hand and show them my Viking Superbowl ring!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sportyguy66 Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 CA Delta I'm from your area I live in Sacramento and alot of guys have been using my lures to fish the American & the Delta for Stripers and Black bass with good success. I just started making lures a year and a half ago. Thought maybe I could start out slow and maybe have a business I like doing by the time I'm ready to retire in 20 years. So much for waiting 20 years. If I had the capacity I probaly could do it for a living but I just can't produce the amount of lures needed on my own. But I'm working on it. Now that theres a demand I need to figure out how to produce. I get Guys from the East Coast Calling and wanting to Supply their tackle shop and where talking 1000 a year. That's alot of custom lures and that's just one Store. Knowing my capabilties right now I have to turn rhem down Naturally. One think I can say is It sure Helps to have Really hard core Fishing Friends that fish all over the World and Know how to Catch fish. If You go for it Good luck maybe we'll meet someday Joe Rivera Chief Lure Builder Bodega Bay Lures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 A major part of your problem is that you are working with wood and carving takes time. If you went over to foam, with say five molds, you could easily make 50 bodies a day and still have time to perform other construction steps inbetween pours. I think it would be possible to finish 20 - 30 per day. But there is something reverent about a hand carved lure. The time and effort put into it kind'a give it a special glow. The problem is that it could get boring making those kind of numbers and that 'trapped in a job' feeling could return. If the lure truly starts to take off, then you will consider a high volume solution and subcontract the manufacture to a company that can handle the mass production. The problem is then getting the plastic lure to match what you had with the carved lure. I am just starting to understand this problem after taking a hookless, paintless prototype to final finish. It's action was totally destroyed. But understanding the problem is the key to finding the solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Great post Vodkaman! Lure making has been very good to me and I've been fortunate enough to become fairly well known for my style. Now I'm getting to the point where I really would like to step production of some of my designs up a notch and make some lower priced solid plastic versions. The dilemma is that while I could then make and sell a ton more lures per year, the perceived "value" of the lures will be lessened as they are no longer hand crafted. Also, airbrushing that many more lures every day is going to become robotic and less and less creative. I'm thinking that having photo finished type solid plastics would be the best way to go if they are to be mass produced so I can leave my airbrushing passion intact. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spare tire Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 I think you are right snax, time you put into your lures is shown by your work. stepping up production I think would make the baits more common, and quality would probably drop, even if you try to tell yourself that it wouldn't. Your baits are out of sight, I can't see messing with near perfection. The more you get to be known, couldn't you charge more for your baits, increasing your profit margin ? With all the work you put in your baits, you deserve that in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 I do understand your point of view, that if the body is poured in a mold, it is no longer hand made. I changed my mind on that opinion when I tried pouring myself. Pouring requires knowledge and skill, both require a LOT of practice to get it right, just like any other aspect of lure making. In addition, YOU carved the master and YOU cast the mold. Sounds pretty well hand made to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.JPG)