Is that a new lure? by Brad Wiegmann

Ever wonder how a lure ends up on a peg board in a tackle store? Seriously, it’s not an easy job coming up with new lure designs that can actually catch fish. Anglers are always looking for that next hot lure, but the road to actually getting it into a store doesn’t happen overnight.


There were numerous companies we could have contacted to visit about the crappie world, however, American Baitworks Baitfuel with their relatively new venture into the crappie world with Baitfuel NANO Crappie seemed perfect. Before going any further American Baitworks is not new to the fishing industry only there new line of NANO Baits as they have several different product lines.


Producing new or series of lures doesn’t happen overnight. In smaller companies or owner operated companies it might be the owner or an employee. Larger companies may hire outside their company to an independent contractor who specializes in producing a new product and getting that product or line of products to the retailers. Many of the larger companies hire a product development manager that develops a product line from the inception to a retailer selling the product.


Product development manager Bailey Boutries started his career in the fishing industry early with a popular brand company with numerous lines of products from rods, reels and more. His one goal was to be employed in the fishing industry and his commitment is commendable, however, it’s his perseverance to exceed that resulted in him learning how to build a product line from the inception to retailing. It was Boutries job to build a new line of lures to be designated for the crappie market.


“We wanted to have products for crappie anglers that they had not seen or fished with before,” Boutries continued, “We knew that was a demand for crappie lures and that they were wanting lures that have our own unique design. Also that angler’s were already using Baitfuel scent on the lures they already had because of the success anglers were having when putting them on the competitor’s lures.”



After the company decided to build that product line, Boutries and others at Baitfuel went to work knowing the time frame for the finished product needed to be done in time for store review and before the spring season. Several things have to be completed like sketching the proposed lure, 3D molding, 3D print, sample mold, CNC machine, pouring the sample, testing, pool studies, production mold and packaging. I probably missed a step, but the most important was feedback from crappie guides, crappie anglers and Boutries ideas for the perfect crappie lures. The process took around 8 months to have the final product of lures known as the Baitfuel NANO Crappie series.


It’s not an easy process to produce a needed line of fishing products. Coming out with new lures that catches crappie and functional is challenging. Every lure company follows some or all of the above process to produce a new lure or line of fishing lures. Of course new lures have to attract the attention of anglers, but for an angler to buy more it must catch fish.


So what are some of the lures that Baitfuel came up with in the Baitfuel NANO Crappie series? “I’m excited and proud of the Baitfuel NANO Crappie lures; in addition to everyone that was a part of bringing this to the retail market including crappie fishing guides and professional crappie anglers,” Boutries continued, “You have to love the NANOSHAD with a completely different look for the crappie market and NANOVIBE with its speed worm tail along with the NANOBUG designed for dock shooting with its solid body and heavier weighted body allowing it to skip over water , way back in places where big crappie live, however, its fall like a dying baitfish incites crappie to bite it when rigged flat. The NANOSwim is phenomenal for crappie fishing as the lifelike tail with its action attracts crappie having a, subtle swimming action rather than a traditional tail.”


Renown for it scented attractant design to be infused or applied on with an injector, hard stick or sprayed on Baitfuel NANO Crappie lures feature the Baitfuel infused aka supercharged into the lures. Baitfuel NANO Crappie lures are available currently in 10 color patterns, but I’m guessing there will be more in the future.