Lurenet.com “Made in the USA” series of Lures Carves Niche in Fishing Industry
OutdoorHub 08.09.11
The Lurenet.com “Made in the USA” series of lures is carving a new niche in the fishing industry by manufacturing unique lures right here in the United States and making them available only through the website. The lineup currently consists of five proven fish-catching lures, with a sixth to come by the end of August.
“We’re looking to accomplish several things,” said Lurenet.com brand manager Kimberly Blaylock. “People were paying a lot of money for these lures at Internet auction sites, so we’ve simply provided what they want at a reasonable price. These are not antique lures – folks were buying them to fish with, not to put on a shelf.”
Strong motivation also came from the company’s ability to manufacture them right here in the States. According to Blaylock, Lurenet.com was looking for a way to support American workers and the Made in the USA lineup is one way to put folks back to work. It’s no secret that it costs more to manufacture here at home, and Lurenet.com gets around that roadblock by selling them only through the website.
“The only way we could make a go of it was to cut out the middle man,” Blaylock said. “Most of these lures are manufactured right here at the facility in Fort Smith, Ark.”
The line began with three classics – the Rebel P70 Pop-R, the Bomber 9A and the Cotton Cordell CF23 Super Spot. The line has since expanded to include the Bomber Speed Shad and an updated version of the Cordell Big O.
The classics are not strictly reproductions. Improvements include a new topcoat that provides the thickness of three applications of clear-coat, and engineers maximized the effectiveness of the painting process. In several cases, stronger, more durable hooks were added.
“That’s a solid start, but we’ve only just scratched the surface of the program,” Blaylock said. “The sky’s the limit. We’re looking at different paint schemes, new manufacturing techniques and we’re listening to customers to come up with line additions.”
Evidence of Blaylock’s commitment to the line is the new Bomber Fat Free Shad in Hot Rod color patterns. The Hot Rod color pattern was dreamed up by Bomber lure designer Danny Stoner.
“Somebody asked me why I created this pattern,” Stoner said. “Simple – flames are cool! Seriously, I always wanted to do something like this and the Made in the USA line gave me the outlet to do something really cool.”
The Rebel Pop-R P70 is the largest of the Pop-R family. Copy cats and new designs dented the 3 ¼-inch topwater until it was knocked out of the line, but it remains as one of the most-effective topwaters for big bass and inshore species like redfish and trout. Its unique ability to walk-the-dog as it spits and chugs makes it a truly versatile lure.
“We limited the number of color patterns to only the most effective,” Blaylock said. “We want these lures to catch fish, and we listened to anglers to determine the top producers.”
Tournament anglers of all levels called the Bomber 9A back into production. The 9A is the deepest-running Model A and has long been a “secret bait” of the pros. It dives quickly and gives bass a look they just don’t see much anymore. The four color patterns include today’s most effective, Foxy Shad, Oxbow, Emerald Sparkle and the classic Fire Tiger. The 9A dives to 17 feet.
Rounding out the foundation of the line is the Cordell CF23 1-ounce Super Spot. Lurenet recreated this lure using the original design that featured only a single rattle – the world’s first One Knocker! This big lipless crankbait is unique beyond the single rattle; it floats, diving to around 3 feet on the retrieve. This is the lure that helped bring lipless crankbaits to the forefront when fishing weedy Texas and Louisiana lakes in early springtime.
The CF23 is also a tremendous redfish and trout lure for inshore anglers. Because it floats, it can be worked more effectively in shallow water. The lure has the original crisscross scale pattern and like the others in this line, color patterns have been trimmed to only the most effective.
New additions to the Made in the USA line include the Bomber Speed Shad and Cordell Big O. The Speed Shad was chugging along fine until being dropped by a national buyer’s group. After repeated phone and email inquiries, it was obvious that this lure – once called in the media “The Perfect Crankbait” – still had a huge following.
“The Speed Shad has some characteristics going against it,” Blaylock said. “It’s lightweight, and the design is such that it catches the wind easily, so must be thrown on a spinning rod. But in the right situation it’s the best lure you can have tied on.”
Those situations are schooling fish or shallow water. It dives to about 3 feet and produces a tight wiggle, often kicking out to the side on a tangent whenever it feels like it.
“But that’s part of why it’s so effective,” said Bobby Murray, who won two Bassmaster Classics. “That random kick-out triggers fish.”
The Big O was improved with the addition of a clear plastic lip and modern paint schemes. An additional bigger size is also available. The new paint schemes are Black/Chartreuse, Foxy Shad, Rayburn Gold, a new Crawdad design, Fire Tiger and Oxbow.
More than 1 million Big O’s were sold the first year of production and it’s still a huge fish-catcher. This new version retains that magic action and improves the look.
Coming soon to the line is the Hot Rod BD7F. Whether purchased for fishing or for display, these unique catch fish and look good doing it.
“I think that some folks will fish with them and others will buy a set and put them on display or simply put them away for the future,” said Bomber lure designer Jason Needham. “Lure collecting is huge, and we’re making a very limited number of these. They’re complete with packaging and will no doubt be of interest to collectors now and in the future.”
The Hot Rod BD7F is available in six color versions. The BD7F dives to 17 feet.
