What’s the real cost of lures?

I’ve never been in the fishing industry but I have experience in other industries and would say it’s about 10 percent of what we pay, with 30 percent being manufacturers profit, about 30 percent retailers profit, and 30’ percent advertising With the exception of certain manufacturers who think 15 bucks ain’t too much for a jerk bait and 35 bucks and too much for a pop r that’s yellow! I know this post breaks the first commandment of the sporting world, “don’t criticize the manufacturers or the pro’s” but I’m for the working man and oppose predatory industry practices!
No reply is necessary, just my opinion not trolling so don’t go there!

I’m not opposed to a profit as long as it’s reasonable Not a 10000 percent mark up, plastic mold injection in an average crank bait costs very little

The value of any material product is the price someone is willing to pay.

Sometimes, the final lure is the result of years of trial and error with thousands spent on R&D (I know this is rare in the lure industry with many companies just replicating already established designs and ideas)

Custom work will always be the more expensive route. Although the end result will be the best that the builder can build. I do a lot of custom work for people that cannot find a discontinued product or just simply want the best of everything on a bait. Add 50 years of experience in testing and I feel you will receive the best that it can be. Ordering parts from 3 or more companies to build increases the shipping cost for the builder.

Breaking down a Spinner Bait for an example. One hour of time put into each bait built.
$2 - The best heads and wire sizes ordered from CAST Industries. You must order 100 of each size or if there are any changes in colors. The best hooks that CAST has to offer in extended shank. All Wires have the twisted line tie for added life of the bait.
$1 - Large 3 D Eyes installed.
$3 - Blades are electro plated for the best gold, copper and silver durability. Or they are Hildebrandt; being the best shaped blade.
$3 - Sampo® ball bearing swivels.
$2 - Skirts are also hand made from rolls of Living Rubber. All skirts are hand tied with Copper Wire.
$1 - Each bait is given a complementary Stanly Pro Trailer for natural swimming action.
$3 - For the one hour of build time.

As you can see this is NO money maker and more of a service for those wanting the best.

Depends.
Handmade swimbaits take time and skill to make. You’re paying for someone’s skills, time, and artistry. Hard to put a cut and paste price on that.

That money is being spent on more than the physical bait. It takes an operation to design, engineer, test, and tweak before they ever sell their first bait.

Fishing tackle is a want not a need. How bad do you want it?

What do you think about pro’s who lie in advertising?

Their just paid salespeople, up to you to make an educated buying decision.

I am sure some do; but most have a large part in designing baits of their choice. Now, many of those baits are not marked by the company and only the Porotypes are sold, which is a hit off of what he is really using in Tournaments. Still it is owned and controlled by that company.

Almost every sport have pros endorsed to do commercials and support their product. Support is the key work here and they must follow support rules. That might be wearing the basketball shoes in the first quarter of play; to only wearing them around town. This covers what they say in the advertisements about the product.

We will never really know the truth about their marketing strategies. Those are top secret. Ha..

Wholesale cost is usually around 50% of retail.

When I was sponsored by Rockford Fosgate, Optima, and Alpine...our “cost” for products was around %90 off of retail.
At that price, the companies broke even.

Having owner two tackle stores in years past, I can safely say that the "retailer markup" isn't nearly what some may think. And some items are sold at cost because if various reasons. Some things can be very profitable like in-house manufactured baits (spinnerbaits, jigs, etc) but the vast majority of items rely on quantity in order to return any appreciable income.

If I hadn't made and sold rods, spinnerbaits, and jigs I would have been working for nothing a lot of the time.

I've never bought a product of any type based on what a "pro" says - Unless, I know said pro personally and trust them. They are paid to say what they say and, If they lie, they have to live with themselves.

As a whole - if I can afford it - I buy it.
If I like it - I buy it and tell friends.
If I can't afford it and want it - I save to buy it.
That's my take - feel free to borrow.

I also know that what Donald says about spinnerbaits it 100% on point if you are using quality components.

Good description here.
You shouldn't view them as lying. They are promoting their sponsors product. Most people understand this and take it for what it is worth to them and then make their own decision about it.

I saw one introducing a jitterbug look alike and he said, “I’ve never seen anything like it” really never seen or fished a real Fred Arbogast jitterbug??? Whatever!

There’s a bill d. Clip where he actually says “to take the guess work out of color selection, I use the color selector” I don’t think so

Sorry if your offended by criticism of the chosen ones and the anointed ones, just my opinions no reply required

If you want cheap baits, there’s plenty made, nobody is forced to pay high prices. That’s my opinion and I don’t care if you want to hear it or not. Don’t start a thread if you don’t want responses.

Should have kept your opinion to yourself if you can't take the heat.

Gurber; I know where you are coming from and you want a honest review of baits with a success rate. Not many companies can give you that assurance. This is why I go with custom builds. I don't sell very many and it takes a few days to produce; as I have nothing in stock. I build them as the orders come in and truly believe they are the best I can produce to catch fish. To me it is more about success rate than making money; as you get what you pay for with an OLD School touch.

+1

He posts the goofiest stuff on the forum.

GRUBER’D

I would be surprised if the lures even cost 10% to make, depending on the size of the manufacturer and type of lure. On the positive side for you, there are plenty of places that you can order blanks and create your own really cheap if you have the time.

Sorry Steez retail is around 36% on fishing lures, 40% on terminal tackle and 28% on reels and rods.
Been in the biz as a retail buyer, factory sales manager, and manufacturer rep. Those are all good profit margins in today’s times.
Electronics run about 25% margin. This may higher on smaller specialty items like Optima but all major brands are about this scale.

Typically the manufacturers make the most profit by far.

I'm sure glad I never throw away a bait....😉 With the price of lures today I've sure saved a lot of money!

Funny thing is, I've got many, many lures I bought or were given to me as a kid, a bunch over 40 years ago, and they still work like a charm today. "Near Nothing's"...."Bombers"....original "Balsa B's" in several sizes....all kinds of Norman and Cordell crank baits....."Red Fins, "Chuggers," "Spooks," and Torpedo's of every size and color imaginable...etc etc etc. A bunch I retired many years ago eventually worked themselves right back into the rotation with a bunch never leaving it.

One other thing, adjusted for inflation/time I'm sure prices today, for the most part, are pretty much the same as they were several decades ago.

Such a friendly forum, and they say Texans are so friendly!

Not impressed with anything out of Japan, can’t see 3 to 10 times the price for it either!

Man’s entitled to his opinion!

Yep. Guys like me fought for guys like you to be able to express your “opinion”.

Thank you grateful for that!

Yep, because of competition, is hard work making a profit in any business.

Why does all those plastic mold injected products at the Japanese dollar store that have 100 times more plastic only cost a dollar??? Hooks and a paint cant cost that much! Those poor broke manufacturers like GY are wealthy beyond reasonable levels and on the backs of the working man! I know I am a working man! Neiman Marcus doesn’t have a markup like the sports industry and you don’t shop there! Somebody gotta think of the working man who has a right to a little R & R

What's the point of this thread???... If it's so cheap to produce and the profits are so high, why don't you start your own tackle company???... Then you can rip off the working man... Geez... Just go to Big Lots or Ollie's if you want tackle at a cheap price... Dan

I'm guessing you voted for Biden

A great deal of manufacturers spend months, if not years on a bait. As fishermen we are not only paying for the bait, but the service of them taking the time to build and design it as well. It's just business.

If there was the percentage of mark up mentioned in this thread that would be incredible.

I sell race, truck, car parts etc. 5000 plus vendors and the usual percentage between wholesale and retail is usually 10-15% with many many of the under 100 dollar items at 5%.

Sucker is born everyday, we used to an additive for the big motor at the marine dealer or marinas and it was 12.95 then we found it at an auto store same manufacturer for 1.95 also why do they charge more for gas at a marina? No wrong trump baby

Because there's certain percentage of people who dock their boats on the water and it's the only way they can fill up... There's a certain percentage of people who like the convenience of pulling up to the gas dock and filling up... Plus a lot of the gas sold at marinas is 100% gasoline which is more expensive even off the water... And also, just because that's what some people are willing to pay... Dan

Yep. It's called "supply & demand".

They charge more because they can. People will either buy it or won't. Nobody is being cheated by paying the Marina prices because it's a choice.

It affects him .... you see, he bought that color selector and he bought that Jitterbug lookalike, he also was fooled into using expensive gas additives because this was obviously the first time he had ever tried an additive or else he would have known it was cheaper at any auto parts store. People like this have no chance in life because they are fooled and taken advantage of so easily.

That was back in the 80’s now I prefer to fish a small boat no big motor, no wasted time on the run n gun, just fishing where the fish are.

You need livescope

I only need a rapala filet knife!

Plus the extra insurance costs at an on the water fuel station is extremely high.

You apparently don't know anything about Gary and how/where he makes his money.
But, it's ok Goober, most don't.

Touch not the anointed ones! And especially the big cheese!

I do give em credit for creating jobs, don’t how well they pay

You get paid according to your skill level... Everyone over the age of 15 can drop a burger on the grill, slap a slice of cheese, mustard, ketchup and put it on a bun and in a box... Competition drive down the wages... Now, a rocket scientist that performs brain surgery is where the money is... Dan

Luck has nothing to do with it? Many things came from accidents, heddon story for one, tossed a piece of wood he was carving in the lake and the rest is history! Laziness is usually the mother of invention!

Maybe... But, Mr. Heddon wasn't too lazy to throw that piece of wood he carved in the water was he???... Dan

The laziness has to do with ordinary investors not fishing, the tv remote control for example

Well I make my spinnerbaits for about $1.50 each and they catch plenty of fish, my grip is you pay all this money for a crank bait or topwater and then have to change the hooks out, just sell the damn thing without hooks and cut the price!!!

This is what Mr. Clunn has to say about LUCK.

Another item that has to be added to the cost of lures; especially from the heavy hitters like Strike King, etc. is advertising and sponsorship dollars. I don't know what the percentage of their budget for the expenses would be but I know in some of the major retail products like sports, energy, sodas drinks and adult beverages, it can be the biggest expense in a company's budget.

Whopper stopper dirty bird, that’s the inspiration of the chatterbait

John fox the American angler has a video on YouTube where he claimed to be the founder of mister twister when in reality it was In 1973 Glynn Carver started Mister Twister revolutionizing the fishing lure business.

ACTUALLY ....... The flat, curved tail worm was originally shown in America by R.J. Benson of Generic Systems at the 1973 Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Show in Chicago. It was made by a French company and called the Sosy Eel.

Carver didn't introduce his variation of the worm until 1974

I was only saying who started mister twister not the worm! Bass history is fascinating anyway! Why did they finally decide on a v hull arrowhead shaped boat to be the standard? I liked the original bass boats they used in the first classics much better? Probably just my personal preference

You don't know why a V-Hull is the preferred platform over older Tri-Hulls?

No so tell me? Just preference and the herd mentality of outdoor sports I’m sure, or You can only catch fish from a v hull? My family has a Glastron tri hull ski boat we caught more fish than you can shake a stick at, brought home over a hundred and fifty white bass we caught schooling on old lake dallas, why is it painted like a race car? Why do some anglers dress like a race car driver?

man you love hearing yourself talk

V-Hull boats ride and handle rough water MUCH better than the old tri-hull configuration. That = SAFETY.

But you already knew that, huh?

I fish a small boat and launch in the back creeks where I fish, I never run n gun racing all over, rarely use the big 20 horse motor,

I think race car drivers dress like Pro Anglers

Why do some anglers make so much effort to put down how other anglers go about their business?
Why do some people cut others down , then try to explain that they aren’t cutting them down, just stating facts?
Why do some people feel the need to always be right about subjective things?

Always a smart [censored] in every crowd!
Preference np it’s all good free country
Go for it , I’ll never understand it!

geez grubers getting almost as much grief as that guy from Florida!

Yamamoto gets about $75/100 retail on his senko and a generic stick worm is about $25/100 and people buy what they want or can afford. I wouldn't wanna lose a $20 lure so I haven't bought many at that price, but some folks got the dough to blow but that doesn't necessarily make them a better fisherman.

Even the prima donnas cuttin you don't know everything gruber and are showin how small they are takin the cheap shots.

Thank bro

Pretty soon the tackle stores gonna need more security than a jewelry store?

Always one DA as well.

Big O is that you?

stirke king is made in costa rica, having been there many times I can assure you they don't pay 15.00 an hr. to make kvd spinnerbaits or xd lures.

https://www.commercialappeal.com/st...e-maker-bought-texas-investor/844794001/



like everyone else on here, I have bought lures that I thought were too expensive but bought them any way cuz I thought they would work, most do.

like bass boats, outboards, all the electronics etc. our sport is a seasonal thing, limited optimum window for sales overall. places like Tx. ga. and all the states where we can fish all yr. pretty much don't generate enough income to keep mfrs. afloat till the season is back.
ever been snow skiing? look at the cost of those items, same scenario. while they may do more r&r for ski equip. I can promise you it is a high mark up on the equipment due to a limited opportunity for maximizing sales.

co. has to balance out the books over a yrly basis when in seasonal sales or they won't be around long.


jmo

What would we do without the insight and colored commentary from folks like gruber & jeff from iowa. They keep it interesting for sure.

It’s what they think the consumer will pay compared to similar products!

I don’t see anything predatory about it. Predators give the victim no choice. Company puts out a bait and it’s a choice whether you buy it.There are $15 jerkbaits but there are also $5 jerkbaits. If you want an example of predatory practices look no farther than the health care system.

I took this up with Jeff @ Fringe Tackle Co. he broke it down for me based on the bait. Includes raw material, flakes, colorant and incoming shipping costs.
Craws .08 ea
Worms up to 10" ea average .08
Sticks 5" .10 ea
4 & 5" Swimbaits average .12 ea
7" Swimbaits (2 oz) .15 ea
Not included: Labor/time to produce via hand pour process, energy cost, packaging, the time to package, the quantity of material ordered, mold costs, mold count/cavities, complexity/single color vs multi colors, sq foot cost, 10% excise tax, state tax and marketing.

Retail price:
Craws .22 each sold in a package of 12 $2.64
Worms .23 each sold in a package of 10 $2.30
Sticks .35 each sold in a package of 10 $3.50
Swimbaits 4 & 5" $2.00 ea sold as pair $4.00
Swimbaits 7" $3.00 ea sold 2 per package $6.00

Retail average mark up 43% if shipped, delivered to the retailer 35%
Not factored: Individual retailer custom baits, individual quantities, expedited orders, retail sponsored events and joint cost share ventures.

Gary Yamamoto made his money in the cattle industry. you really are clueless, bless yer heart.

So I'm safe in assuming Wagyu is familiar...an 8 oz steak cost $115.00 in 2005 at a Houston restaurant. An epic tale of living the American dream.

+1

Gruber you keep complaining about how expensive it is to fish so why don't you just quit and save your money and if you quit fishing you can get off of this forum also. That would be better for everyone.

Texans are so friendly

Who pays for all that stuff you see at bps and cabelas bass Disney plastic (make believe) land?

The working man who shops there.

its really not that hard you dont have to have a 80 k boat to fish you dont have to have 300.00 rods an 250.00 dollar reels you dont have to pay 15.bucks for a lure nobody puts a gun to your head to do it is a matter of choice there is a lot of marketing that goes into the way manufacturers figure out the way to extract the most funds from the buying public so they can stay in business.

That’s true or teens would never be able to get into fishing, we were lucky I guess when we kids, having friends who’s parents and grandparents had ranches and farms and lake houses, private lakes farm ponds and owned boats! If the working man can’t afford it how are the kids supposed too, know any Greedy manufacturers who donate to organizations that help kids get started? Or pro’s I don’t it

Well, if they're greedy I pretty sure they wouldn't donate to anything... Dan

I know golf has the first group that’s helps the kiddos get started

Called the first tee I believe

Texans are friendly, good point.

Who pays for stuff at Cabelas and Bass Pro? I guess everyone that doesn't shoplift or walks out without a product.

What is make believe about BPS?

If you could produce a lure for $1 and it was the fish catching lure of all time, I mean MAGIC SHEET, and people said Gruber, you could sell that lure for $8 a piece. What would Gruber do?

He wouldn't sell many because he would say that it wouldn't work in less than 30' of water ................

The subtle approach...

I like it!