Are Small Batch Fishing Baits Better?
If you are like many fisherman, when you need to stock up on tackle you visit your local "big box" sporting goods retailer in person or online. Big brand bait companies are popular for a reason. They have the production, marketing, and distrubution to find their way into a lot of tackle boxes. There are plently of proven baits that truley deserve their reputation. However, many of these big brand baits are mass produced, under portioned, and heavily overpriced.
Small batch tackle companies are growing in poularity across the country and many fisherman are starting to notice. Most small time tackle companies aren't making" magic lures" that replace everything in your tackle box, but they are offering some good alternatives:
1. Value - Your typical small bait shop doesn't have the overhead and they can sell their baits for a more reasonable price. They aren't paying touring pros to advertise their product or waging large scale marketing campains to push their products out to the masses. Many also offer more baits per bag or specials if purchased in bulk.
2. Materials - Plastisol used for soft plastic bait manufacturing comes in floating and sinking varieties as well as various durometers depending on how much action or durability the bait needs. Special coatings or finishes applied to hard baits can provide more durability and abrasion resistance as well.
3. Color - Endless combinations of liquid color, powders, flake, paint, jig skirt strands, etc. Large retailers focus primarily in standard colors because extreme variation creates inventory issues for stores that have limited retail space. The ability to provide a wider option of colors and patterns may be the biggest advantage of the small bait maker. Many offer a truley custom option that may allow you to fish something that nobody else will be throwing
4. Profiles - Different shapes can change the way a bait looks, moves through cover, skips, glides, or fits a specific hook. Many have their own designs that you simply can't buy anywhere else
5. Hardware - Hooks, keepers, blades, swivels, weed gaurds, and head shapes can be tailored for specific situations
6. Quality - Since the focus isn't typically on production, the small bait maker can focus more on details. For example, making sure soft plastic baits don't have air pockets or imperfections that could effect the ability of the bait to perform properly, Also, swim testing hard baits and bladed baits to make sure they run correctly right out of the package.
The reality is that big brand tackle and the small maker can live in the same boat. Big brands typically win on availability and easy replacement when you know what you need and you need it fast. Small makers can win on niche profiles, custom colors, specialty materials, and when you are trying to show fish something they have never seen.
The best ideas in fishing rarely come from the board room, they are usually born on the water. Many small bait companies got their start because a local angler tinkered with a mold, color, or design and solved a problem that a major brand had not addressed. These companies drive creativity becuase they answer to the fish and not the shareholder.
At the end of the day, anglers control the fishing market. By mixing big brand staples with custom items from small businesses, it helps keep the American Dream alive and well. That diversity helps to ensure that the sport of fishing isn't just another industry swallowed by corporate interests. Please support your local bait maker.
