by John Merwin

The guy in the photo is ABT Lures founder Allen Borden, shown at the recent ICAST fishing-industry trade show. The lure he’s holding is a four-sectioned hard-body swimbait called “Banshee.” It’s a good lure, but for veteran lure-designer Borden, it’s an even bigger bet.

I got the story behind the story through a quick interview. Borden was a California roofing contractor for 21 years. Also a fisherman, he had ideas for new lures as so many fishermen do. About 10 years ago, he started fooling around with carving and then molding hard-plastic baits. Eventually he made some jointed hard-bodied swimmers that he showed at ICAST in 2003.

Strike King, one of the major lure brands, picked up both the lure and Borden shortly thereafter. For the next 7 years, Borden was a Strike King lure designer creating such well-known jointed hardbaits as the King Shad.

Now he’s back on his own, which, as he explained, can be a little scary. Making simple molds and casting two-part resins in a basement workshop can be relatively inexpensive. Production lure-making, though, requires production molds that cost many thousands of dollars and a deep understanding of plastic injection-molding in the first place. Add distribution and marketing costs, and you’ve pretty much bet the farm on your lure idea.

Borden’s Banshee is a beautifully-made bait. The natural-looking colors are excellent. The segment hinges are nice and close; there’s no wasted air space at the joints. I’ve played with these briefly on the water, and the swimming action is superb.

But will they be a commercial success in a world of me-too swimbaits? Borden said he’s competing partly on price. A 4.5-inch Banshee sells for $11 to $12, which is a few bucks less than comparable baits from other brands. That will undoubtedly help.

You’ll be able to see this lure, among others, in live action underwater here very soon. Joe Cermele is hard at work right now shooting underwater video tests of a variety of lures, including this one. So keep an eye out.

Meanwhile, about your own great lure idea...want to bet your life-savings on it?

Comments (4)

from buckhunter wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

Have never had an idea I would bet my life saving on. Particularly in an industry that sells more hype than technology.

Clicked in the Banshee website. Have fished Millerton Lake. Brought back very fond memories. Great deer hunting in the area also.

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from Kenc7971 wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

If he can't get the price down on something thats made to throw in the lake anyway, then the new "idea" for a lure will most likely only attract the 10% of the population that could afford it, not the fish.

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from Ethan3 wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

I heard those are pretty good swimbaits. Ya, those are cheap too! I love there perch/bluegill pattern. Im gonna get one soon. Help out the small businesses!

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from Koldkut wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

Ken, his prices are in the right ballpark for my budget, but you also have to commit to the swimbait fad, they do catch fish, most of the time bigger fish.

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from buckhunter wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

Have never had an idea I would bet my life saving on. Particularly in an industry that sells more hype than technology.

Clicked in the Banshee website. Have fished Millerton Lake. Brought back very fond memories. Great deer hunting in the area also.

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from Kenc7971 wrote 43 weeks 3 days ago

If he can't get the price down on something thats made to throw in the lake anyway, then the new "idea" for a lure will most likely only attract the 10% of the population that could afford it, not the fish.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ethan3 wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

I heard those are pretty good swimbaits. Ya, those are cheap too! I love there perch/bluegill pattern. Im gonna get one soon. Help out the small businesses!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Koldkut wrote 43 weeks 2 days ago

Ken, his prices are in the right ballpark for my budget, but you also have to commit to the swimbait fad, they do catch fish, most of the time bigger fish.

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