Danger-ZAP Lu= res &nb= sp;

Ever try finding just the right lu= re for yourself? A lure that matches your own personal style of fishing? No store bought lure ever seems to= work just the way you want it to. = The only real option is to make it yourself.&n= bsp; Think about it, just how difficult can it be to make it yourself? Warning! Danger ahead! You have ju= st crossed into the Garage Underground Zone.&= nbsp; While it seems easy, only a limited number of skilled anglers ever m= ake their own lures that catch fish and fewer yet become successful entrepreneu= rs making it in the competitive fishing lure industry.

From 1965 to 1993, Dennis Bryant w= as fishing bass and walleye tournaments every chance he could get. During this time, Bryant began des= igning and building his own lures to fish his way in the tournaments. This is when the demand for his lu= res began; first it was his friends who wanted them built to their specificatio= ns, then their friends, until Bryant was working four hours everyday just to keep up with the demand. Soon the demand was so great it too= k all of his free time.

As fate would have it, Bryant's em= ployer offered him a buy out in 1993; Bryant took it a= nd started his own lure company. Bryant worked out of his two car garage, basement, two outside stora= ge lockers, and backroom in his house as the office.

So the company was off to an impre= ssive start but how did Bryant's lure company get its name? While working as an overhead linem= an, Bryant glanced at a transformer warning label that declared Danger-ZAP! and decided that ZAP would be the name for his lure company. Bryant was in the zo= ne and everything seem to be going good, then he starte= d the ZAP Custom Lure website. Need= less to say, sales of ZAP Lures went ballistic; in fact, it exceeded Bryant's ex= pectations. On the website, anglers can choose= from a wide selection of lures such as buzzbaits, bl= ade baits, jigs, spinnerbaits, walleye lures and a = line of soft baits made with Trigger Scent, a patented fish-attractant scent. Bryant also noted that even with a= ll the options shown online he still receives numerous requests for and builds cus= tom lures.

Although sales of ZAP Lures contin= ued to increase every year, Bryant continues to make every single lure from scratch with only American made products or materials. "My sole intention was to produce lures that would contin= ue to meet these individuals' tournament needs and would continue to catch fish-after-fish-after- fish; even under the most extreme possible tournament conditions." Bryant continued, "Every ZAP Lure is hand-made and pre-tuned, ready to tie on and fish-right out of the package, even our pain= ted jigs."

Why ZAP Lures work so well, has everything to do with the amount of detail work that goes into each and eve= ry lure, while it's being made. = For example take a look at a ZAP Lures' Buzzbait. Bryant explained that first the wi= re must be cut to size and a primary hook-bend made in it. A hook is then attached so it can = be molded. After molding, it is cleaned, and made ready for painting. Only after that process does he begin= the extensive painting process. T= he lure body and shaft are primed to accept his structured color application process and allowed to dry overnight. Next, it receives three to five layers of color application with at = least a four hours cure after each layer. After that a clear-gloss or glitter-coat is applied then more drying time before the three color eyes are applied and allowed to dry. Finally, the high-gloss topcoat is applied, and again allowed to dry overnight. Blades are then installed an= d the lure is balanced, tuned, and trued before the break-in process begins.=

Anglers should note that all ZAP Buzzbaits are broken-i= n a wind tunnel for at least eight hours before being re-tuned, skirt attached, each lure individually packaged, and boxed for shipment.<= /p>

ZAP Lures is now offering an exclusive buzzbait ava= ilable only on line at www.garageunderground or www.za= plures.com. The ¼-ounce ZAP Twin-Arm Buzzbait comes = in Zap Lures newest color Red Granite with red and whit= e 120 strand living rubber skirt.

Today, Bryant has moved his lure m= aking from the garage to a more spacious building; however, Bryant will never for= get that two car garage where he began his business and how the "Danger-ZAP!" label would change his life forever.

Written by Brad <= span class=3DSpellE>Wiegmann. Brad is a professional fishing gui= de on Beaver Lake and a freelance outdoor writer. Contact him at (479) 756-5279, www.bradwiegmann.com<= /span>, or by e-mail at bwiegmann@bradwiegmann.com.