Andrew P
Well-Known Member
What is it?
What I have come up with is an imitation of a Pacific Sand Lance. After many shapes over the last few years I came across one that really started to out fish the rest. I refined the shape some more and now have them cut out with a water jet (CNC), rather than tin snips. They are then pressed and bent, currently by hand, but am getting a press dye made up. After pressing the bend they are polished and basically ready to fish. I’ve done three metal types for now; stainless steel, brass and copper. The brass and stainless have out fished the copper so far. You will note in the pics that there is quite a bit of side to side curve giving a more lifelike look and also adding a lot of strength that allows it to be tweaked and hold a custom bend really well. The metal gauge is thick enough to handle some sizable fish and have not had any blow out yet. The lure measures 4” (coho killer is 3" for reference), plus split rings and hook. It has a pointed, asymmetrical/kinked tail which is what really differentiates it from anything else out there. I know that I'm not reinventing the wheel here; just throwing my spoon into the mix. If you can get the speed up, running big 6/0 siwash hooks work great or lighter hooks at slower speeds.
What I am a bit torn on is the art on them. I want to have glow on one side but don’t want to have paint chipping like a lot of spoons do. I have tried all sorts of dye cut vinyl stickers and they work great, and are very durable, but just don’t have that fresh painted candy look. I may have Tomic paint them up. I'm open to any art suggestions.
Who am I?
I grew up around the rivers and lakes of Whistler/Pemberton and was dragged around the bush with my dad even before I could walk for fishing adventures. The rest of my family including both sets of grandparents, parents, etc are lifelong salmons anglers and spent a lot of time on the coast while growing up. The ocean fishing addition increased when I moved to the island when I was 19 and for the last 15 years I have learned have learned a lot and am stoked to learn new things everyday.
My family is also full of designers/engineers/achitect/makers so building things is a given and fly tying came young with my grandpa showing me all I knew. By the time I was 10 I was selling flies to the local oldtimers around Whistler and Pemberton and AP Tackle Works was born. I have an entrepreneurial personality and can’t help but create new things and have created business’ from the time I was really young.
The first ‘real’ business that I started when I was 22 and is the one that I still co-own and run today, 12 years later. It is called Sitka and we are based out of Victoria, BC. We are in the business of wilderness activism, but surfboards, clothing and other products are what pay the bills. We have three company owned stores and wholesale our products to about 150 retailed across North America. Sitka.ca. This will be the first avenue that the lures will be available through.
Why am I selling them?
Why take what is a hobby and sell it?
Well, that comes back to the serial entrepreneur in me I suppose. I see an opportunity to further a few of the causes that I hold dear to my heart; salmon/habitat/ecosystem rehabilitation, a sustainable local food supply for the people and by the people, and also growing the local recreational fisheries economy.
Money from every lure sold will go into salmon enhancement projects, which in turn should put more food on the table of recreational fisherman and their families. We are still figuring out the percentage based on the cost and retail selling price that will go to projects, but I hope it can be a significant amount. They will all be locally made.
Aside from doing these spoons that I have designed myself, we are also doing some reels with Peetz, plugs with Tomic, Fishing floater vest with Mustang and some more goodies in the near future with great local fishing companies.
How will they be available?
I really don’t have time to do all of the selling and such myself (2 kids, day job, surfing, fishing....), so for now I am going to leave that in the hands of the great people at my company as we already have retail, online and wholesale capabilities.
When will they be ready?
Well, some of you already have a couple in your tackle box and of course you guys on here will have first dibs as they roll out…that goes without saying.
Like all the other great folks on here developing gear know, you can’t rush a good thing but I will do up another batch in the next month.
Keeping in mind that these are locally made products and a % goes to enhancement efforts, what retail price do you think they should fetch? Quality hooks, solid guage and string rings.
Here is a bunch of pictures to give an idea if what they look like.
I look forward to the constructive criticism....
What I have come up with is an imitation of a Pacific Sand Lance. After many shapes over the last few years I came across one that really started to out fish the rest. I refined the shape some more and now have them cut out with a water jet (CNC), rather than tin snips. They are then pressed and bent, currently by hand, but am getting a press dye made up. After pressing the bend they are polished and basically ready to fish. I’ve done three metal types for now; stainless steel, brass and copper. The brass and stainless have out fished the copper so far. You will note in the pics that there is quite a bit of side to side curve giving a more lifelike look and also adding a lot of strength that allows it to be tweaked and hold a custom bend really well. The metal gauge is thick enough to handle some sizable fish and have not had any blow out yet. The lure measures 4” (coho killer is 3" for reference), plus split rings and hook. It has a pointed, asymmetrical/kinked tail which is what really differentiates it from anything else out there. I know that I'm not reinventing the wheel here; just throwing my spoon into the mix. If you can get the speed up, running big 6/0 siwash hooks work great or lighter hooks at slower speeds.
What I am a bit torn on is the art on them. I want to have glow on one side but don’t want to have paint chipping like a lot of spoons do. I have tried all sorts of dye cut vinyl stickers and they work great, and are very durable, but just don’t have that fresh painted candy look. I may have Tomic paint them up. I'm open to any art suggestions.
Who am I?
I grew up around the rivers and lakes of Whistler/Pemberton and was dragged around the bush with my dad even before I could walk for fishing adventures. The rest of my family including both sets of grandparents, parents, etc are lifelong salmons anglers and spent a lot of time on the coast while growing up. The ocean fishing addition increased when I moved to the island when I was 19 and for the last 15 years I have learned have learned a lot and am stoked to learn new things everyday.
My family is also full of designers/engineers/achitect/makers so building things is a given and fly tying came young with my grandpa showing me all I knew. By the time I was 10 I was selling flies to the local oldtimers around Whistler and Pemberton and AP Tackle Works was born. I have an entrepreneurial personality and can’t help but create new things and have created business’ from the time I was really young.
The first ‘real’ business that I started when I was 22 and is the one that I still co-own and run today, 12 years later. It is called Sitka and we are based out of Victoria, BC. We are in the business of wilderness activism, but surfboards, clothing and other products are what pay the bills. We have three company owned stores and wholesale our products to about 150 retailed across North America. Sitka.ca. This will be the first avenue that the lures will be available through.
Why am I selling them?
Why take what is a hobby and sell it?
Well, that comes back to the serial entrepreneur in me I suppose. I see an opportunity to further a few of the causes that I hold dear to my heart; salmon/habitat/ecosystem rehabilitation, a sustainable local food supply for the people and by the people, and also growing the local recreational fisheries economy.
Money from every lure sold will go into salmon enhancement projects, which in turn should put more food on the table of recreational fisherman and their families. We are still figuring out the percentage based on the cost and retail selling price that will go to projects, but I hope it can be a significant amount. They will all be locally made.
Aside from doing these spoons that I have designed myself, we are also doing some reels with Peetz, plugs with Tomic, Fishing floater vest with Mustang and some more goodies in the near future with great local fishing companies.
How will they be available?
I really don’t have time to do all of the selling and such myself (2 kids, day job, surfing, fishing....), so for now I am going to leave that in the hands of the great people at my company as we already have retail, online and wholesale capabilities.
When will they be ready?
Well, some of you already have a couple in your tackle box and of course you guys on here will have first dibs as they roll out…that goes without saying.
Like all the other great folks on here developing gear know, you can’t rush a good thing but I will do up another batch in the next month.
Keeping in mind that these are locally made products and a % goes to enhancement efforts, what retail price do you think they should fetch? Quality hooks, solid guage and string rings.
Here is a bunch of pictures to give an idea if what they look like.
I look forward to the constructive criticism....
I wish you all the best in all of your endevours. I would certainly appreciate a sample pack of your finest at whatever price you decide is appropriate. You could PM me for further info etc. Thanks
