Shepherd Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 I believe there is two locations one here in Decatur Alabama or around that area and another in Arkansas. As most of us know, Buddy, stopped bumble bee Bait Company and pursued his Marine Boat Part aspects which is now TH Marine. Th stands for trim handle which he designed as well as many other essential and groundbreaking attributes to the boat as we know it such as the hot foot the first Jack Plate I could go on and on. My question is I've got a couple of old bumblebee short-arm spinnerbaits. If he were to have decided to continue Bumblebee Bait Company how popular do you think it would have been? I for one love the hardware on it very unique. Y'all thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted May 27, 2020 Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 (edited) It probably catches fish. However if you are trying to resurrect it, that will be a tough sell. There are sooooo many baits and jigs out there that catch fish. Most of the groupies (followers) will buy a bait as soon as a Pro wins a tournament with it. Guys are always looking for that magic bait. I've seen this time and time again with the advent of the chatter bait, Ned rig, Tokyo rig and so on. The truth is many of these guys that buy all of these supposed fish catchers will never throw it, or if they do maybe give it a couple of hours at most and if they don't catch anything it will sit in the tackle box. But like all baits, they come and go. They all have(had) their day in the sun unless you can market it heavily and have a Pro sponsor it. Edited May 27, 2020 by cadman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted June 23, 2020 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 cadman is sooooo correct. There are some baits that stand the test of time, but in reality most baits only get used once or twice and normally not in the correct place, conditions, etc., etc. They don't catch fish that day and consume the space in the tackle box for life. Ever notice the 100+ colors we make lures with, but ever wonder if the fish really demand that number of colors? I contend that most colors are for the fishermen, not the fish. Still, once in a while a special color comes out that "stands the test of time". Bringing back an old old lure is not a bad idea, if it had one of those reputations that "stood the test of time". But, if it was discontinued it probably did not have that reputation. Lacking that reputation, it takes marketing, and winning a tournament or two, especially one that is televised, will do the trick. As cadman put it, "they have (had) their day in the sun". Look at the Jitterbug or the Hula Popper. Finding a Jitterbug in a store is tough now, and they once were as common as house flies. Finding a Hula Popper is even more difficult. I still have both, still catch fish with them, but as far as sales are concerned, their day in the sun has faded. Do some research and determine if there is enough of a reason to believe that the sun will rise on them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepherd Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Bumble bee bait co was a successful company. The guy who started it went on to focus on his Marine company. T H Marine. And rightfully so since he invented everything from the trim handle to the hot foot to the Jack Plate and so on. The hardware with the bulged bumblebee eyes, it's quite unique. Introducing the old line with the short arm spinner and then revamping a new line doing swim jigs modern spinner designs all with the same Hardware, might make a unique lineup. Especially on The Jig side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepherd Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 (edited) But I do agree with you and Cadman. It must be well marketed and a pro must get behind it. But I will take y'all's advice, and do much more research into it. I appreciate y'all's response Edited June 23, 2020 by Shepherd Better word choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepherd Posted June 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) I'll say one more thing then I'll put this thread to bed. With all these Newfound Bates with all these bells and whistles is like going to a fancy restaurant and leaving it still hungry. This company in particular had his day in the Sun, but was cut short by a thunderstorm being the fact that it wasn't that there failed to be a market for it, it wasn't the fact that it failed to have a demand oh, and it definitely wasn't for the fact that it didn't catch fish. This is a solid company what's solid patents and it's all meat and potatoes. As many of y'all know, fishing tends to go in Cycles just like everything else. Old Baites reintroduce and revamped are now new Baits to a whole generation of people, and a whole population of fish that is long forgotten that certain wobble or wiggle or vortex or slow fall or Dart or jiggle. I mean I love to try to innovate new designs would love to design the new earth shattering lure that everyone just has to have. But let's all face it, no new bait would ever be made without the Fingerprints of an old one. So for everyone who likes to go to that fancy dinner and leave hungry, I'll leave this final statement, sometimes meat and potatoes are good enough for dinner. And if they put jitterbugs back on the Shelf, I guarantee you they couldn't keep them on there Edited June 24, 2020 by Shepherd Autocorrect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted June 24, 2020 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 I think Cadman and Anglin archer pretty much summed it up well. If a bait is marketed properly, even if it's a bad one, it will make money at least in the short term. Without some marketing it will likely fail no matter how well it works. Lots of lure companies have come and gone over the years. Some good some bad. Some had one great lure and the rest failed. Others squandered all the money on other things or trying to find the next great one and the business failed due to poor money management. We really can't predict whether a discontinued lure would have succeeded or not. Especially given the competition. Also there's baits that work well in one area but not another. I make lures for my saltwater fishing that are made specifically for where I fish I don't sell them anymore but.... They would likely sell very poorly in another state or country. They are made to be fishable in extreme tidal zones that are not found but one other place on earth. So they work well here but I wouldn't want to try marketing them in other states. Somelures have that. They work well in one area but not necessarily in others. That's would make it tough to make a living selling a bait that doesn't have a broader appeal. A side business might be ok but theres often not enough sales for a full time bait making company to succeed at making them. Sometimes we find a bait or lure that flat out works for us in particular in our favorite fishing spots. We have confidence in it. Maybe it caught our personal best fish. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work the same for everyone else. I think if a bait works for you keep using it. If it goes away make your own version if you can. That's the beauty of making our own tackle. We can make what we want how we want it! If the jitterbug still had mass marketing appeal don't you think it would still be easy to find in the tackle shops? Sure they might sell out for a month or two but imho quite likely it would end up just like it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 24, 2020 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Ok first off when it comes to lures things can be extremely regional on what is popular and available. The jitter bug is still well stocked on shelves in some areas. What is viewed as go to lures in one region will collect dust when it comes to selling lures every are is different and it’s not just getting some pro to use it. As for re launching an old design it is 100% do able and in many ways just like launching a new lure. Marketing is key like others mentioned. I personally know one lure that came out years ago and failed to take off do to poor marketing. The company was bought out and relaunched with way better marketing by the new owner. That lure has expanded into a brand that is no longer regional but expanded across Canada. I know both the original and present owner of this lure/brand So you bet you can successfully bring back an old design but it will be your ability to market it that will make or break your adventure. Lures don’t sell themselves even if they are awesome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted June 24, 2020 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 "And if they put jitterbugs back on the Shelf, I guarantee you they couldn't keep them on there". Actually, against my recommendations, my buyers took them off my wall a year ago because they did not sell here. I still catch fish with them a lot. " Lures don’t sell themselves even if they are awesome " Ain't that the truth. And I truly do agree that lures that have gone away can be new again. For our local trout, Flatfish have lost their popularity, but when I can get fishermen to use them, they come in and buy all that I have on the racks. Sometimes it just does not make since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 24, 2020 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 3 hours ago, Anglinarcher said: "And if they put jitterbugs back on the Shelf, I guarantee you they couldn't keep them on there". Actually, against my recommendations, my buyers took them off my wall a year ago because they did not sell here. I still catch fish with them a lot. " Lures don’t sell themselves even if they are awesome " Ain't that the truth. And I truly do agree that lures that have gone away can be new again. For our local trout, Flatfish have lost their popularity, but when I can get fishermen to use them, they come in and buy all that I have on the racks. Sometimes it just does not make since. There is a reason when I sold lures to stores I would take at least one employee fishing using my lures If I could get that employee to have a great day catching fish on my lures I knew I would sell more lures through that location. There is a big difference between your lure hanging on the rack vs the employee showing pics from an awesome day fishing with the guy who makes the lure If you are having your tackle sold in a shop the employees recommendation makes a huge difference. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepherd Posted June 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Bam! Thats what i was waitin for. Gimme some that Voodoo! Ha! But honestly that's one of the best lil jewel of advice I've gotten here. So simple in its complexity. Thats a win win win for everyone. Manufacturer, retailer, and the consumer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglinarcher Posted June 27, 2020 Report Share Posted June 27, 2020 You have that right. My ranking in the company sales has gone up substantially, and not because I am a good salesman, but because I am a decent teacher. I tell those that ask how, and as best I can when and where, and they come back in with their pictures. I had one potential customer getting cranky with me a couple of days ago (probably COVID-19 stress). An existing customer came to my rescue and showed his pictures. Success of any product in the long term is always a result of not only marketing but exposure of a good product. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shepherd Posted October 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2021 Well since this post, Bumblebee signature short arm spinnerbait has now been reinvented oh, well not reinvented but I did was recycled by Mike Iaconelli I just recently came out with a short-arm spinnerbait. Being that said Mike Iaconelli is marketing at its best so he probably will do a lot better then if I had pursued this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted October 7, 2021 Report Share Posted October 7, 2021 Short arm spinnerbaits never left.... some anglers just have blinders on and only focus on whatever is new and shiny. Stan Sloan Short Arm Aggravators have been a staple in my spinnerbait arsenal for as long as I can remember and still readily available. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
