I dont really know how to go about making this post, but will do it to the best I know how.

I wanna thank all of my customers and pro staff, the TFF, for their support the past 2 years in making my hobby a successful small business. I never imagined that making lures could get me so busy. I have had thoughts over the past few weeks, and have had things that have happened to help me see that I need to refocus my life. I have been one busy fella the past couple years, at a time in my life that I need to really focus on my family. My daughter is active in many things, right now it is basketball, gymnastics and dance. Quite a feat for a 6 1/2 year old. I want to enjoy her all I can before she grows up. I have done a pretty good juggling job the past 2 years, and I am finally getting pretty wore down. To many late nights making lures.
I was given good advice from a few lure makers along the way. Which has helped me in many ways. But all of them told me I would get to busy for my own good, and my fishing would be cut way down. They were right about that too. Once you get into making lures, it is an awesome hobby. I still love it very much. There is something about making your own lure that catches fish. Along with that comes a feeling of pride when you get so many emails from customers and friends that had good days with your lures. The pictures of kids smiling is contagious to say the least. I can see where the rewards come for guides with there customers. The happy customers make it all worthwhile.

I have already told a portion of my pro staff that I may just give it up for a good while. I am still undecided if I am going to sell from the website anymore. I think what I may do is have the website for information and picture posting of lures. I am also thinking of selling my lures by email. What I mean by this when I have say x# of lures for sale I will email the list of customers and see if anyone is interested in what I have for sale. It will be first come first serve type of deal, when they are gone they are gone. I think this will allow me to make baits at my pace while still spending family time. The website orders is tough on me cause I really wanna get them out fast, but I am suffering right now as I cant keep up the way I want to. That is not fair to my customers at all, or my family. The email system might work as I might only offer lures for sale say a few times a year. I dont know if this will work at all. But I know that I have built up a good customer base, so many there might be a few that might wanna take advantage of still getting TNT baits. I have quite a few lures in progress such as the 180's so maybe it would be too awful long till(sometime after the holidays) I do an email run at it. So if you want to be on the list let me know.

I have a few orders still working to get them out. I will be restructuring the website soon to not take the orders any longer. In the mean time if you get in a bait jam, there are plenty other good bait makers on this forum to look too. I wont even start naming names of them as I dont wanna forget one.

Thanks again all, I have enjoyed getting to know some of you through the phone calls and emails. I will still be a regular poster on here from time to time. Take care and have a good holiday season.

Bryon, sorry to hear that your baits may be harder to come by. I have really enjoyed them. I do have a tremendous amount of respect for you for putting your family first. More people should follow your lead.

It does sound like it may be time to find a local high schooler looking for a part time job and put him/her to work! Maybe instead of cutting back you might consider expanding in another direction! Just a thought...

Best of luck.

Exactly. Hire sombody to make lures for you using your techniques and under your supervision. Then add employees as needed. Sounds like the main difficulty is that business is too good!

Thats a shame cause yours are the only lures I can catch fish on. But having 3 kids and one on the way I completely understand your reason.

If you end up doing the email list please include me, my email is rich@avernet.com

Thats a good choice byron, family is the most important aspect in life and it will pay off in the end.
Even good choices have bad sides to them, but you and your family come first.

You already know my answer !

How do you get on the email list? My email is bobwhitepointer@yahoo.com. I need to order more now. Is this still possible?

Tough choices family comes first always they will thnak you in the end. Let me know when you will be taking final orders I would like to get a few dozen baits before you shut down.

Bryon,

You are right on! Support and enjoy your family first. Ratchet down the lure building down to a hobby level. And you gotta have time to fish, too!

I've enjoyed and still enjoy using your slabs. When we TFF'ers run short of TNTs, we can always buy another slab by gosh - and patiently wait for your email sales.

Say it ain't so!

Still, good job on getting your priorities in order.

and thanks for all the fish!

Bryon
Hope you can keep me in mind on your email specials; regardless I wish you and yours the best with your decisions. I used to play music part time, I miss it but I made the same decision- my family comes first.
Good thing I have an order on the way!
Good luck and best Holiday wishes.

Good choice. Wish I did it.

Bryon I commend you on your decision to spend more time with your family. I'm glad I got in a dozen slabs earlier this year and would like to get on that email list. I'll PM you my email address. Good luck and have a Very Merry Christmas!

Bryon, Well what can I say, No one but a tackle builder knows
that it is for the satisfaction of building and marketing a
successful lure that keeps one going, there is a lot more money
to be made as a part time clerk at the local quick shop but
the pride in what you have done will stay with you forever. It
is a great thing to help others catch fish by furnishing a good
product to do it with, but the profit is not great enough to
do it for a living. If you hire them built by someone else, you
lose a lot of that, and become a salesman. I hate to see anyone
doing good to slow down, but You know that I understand as well
as anyone the problems that you can run into. It just takes too
much time out of your life. I did it so I would have something
to do when I retired, but it still got away from me, I wish
you the best.

To the rest. I have computer chated with Bryon for a few years
about slabs and slabbing although I have never met him. But it
is still in my schedule. He makes a great bunch of lures, and
I always knew that he could sell more than he could build. But
fear not, it is in his blood now and he will get the urge to
build more when he gets requests for them and you will be able
to purchase them, I am sure. Building and Selling Slabs about
got me down and I make one size in two colors so I really can
understand the delima with all the patterns he turns out. I
hope you all have a good supply to keep you going for a while
till he gets the urge to build some more. Bryon take care.
catch you later.

You are a good father and husband to your family.