zach

Hey- whats up Ray and Old Man? Ray- thinking about something black and red for you if you get down to Butler. Old Man- you are on my list of people I need to send a few too since you were so cool hooking up the kid and I last year and I still have a piece of cardboard with your address on it. As far as the shallow running jointed mahogany baits? Just something different for the PA fundraiser auction starting in Feb b/c I am sure everyone was expecting a normal bait from me and I wanted to do something different. Myself, Wiley, Newmann, Leo and Legend Lures are donating a "special" bait every month to raise $ for PA's newly formed baitfish fund. I only made 3 of these and one is for auction and the other two already have homes in PA. I will post a link on here when it officially gets going if you guys are interested. It is a neat fund b/c they will actually breed the fathead minnows over the course of the summer getting around 6x more minnows then they will start off with just by letting those little boogers spawn a few times over the summer. They have special ponds with gravel that will be used just for minnow breeding and then those raised minnows will feed the muskies come later in the summer. Its a good thing to be involved with and I will support stuff like this every time I can. Just remember that 2 years when we (NY) lost most of our fingerlings we had to get PA's muskies and people complained about the muskies being smaller in size than what we usually stock. Well this coming year- they won't have that problem. Now if we could just get some damn muskies in a lake close to Rochester!

I am down to support this.

The Ohio Show sounds like a good time but like Larry said- take a look at Butler. Lots of musky candy at that show!

I just saw you named them, lol. I think the late Vince B would approve, I really hope these work out well for you b/c I am only making 10 total for now. I want these to last for you as long as they can and really do hope they are successful for you. Who knows? If they start tearing up the fish, it may be something I do more of come summer time. Until then its getting baits ready for the Butler Show, filling a nice order from Kyle at Bigwoods Musky Shop (I am getting picked up by http://www.bigwoodmuskylures.com/ after the PA show and he is worried about me not being able to make enough) then its making baits for the Michigan Musky Shop, 2 smaller shops in WV, a small shop in PA and last for the Hooker who placed an order for 150 baits. I am also working on getting them stocked at Cave Run in Kentucky but that is just in the works for now. I should be busy cranking out plugs until at least June with at least 750 of the 5" baits to make and that's not counting the new 8" deep divers that were successfully tested this fall or any lure donations/fundraisers or private orders. It looks like it should honestly be around 1,000 baits by mid-June of 2012. Thats a lot of baitmaking to me! I have also been working on my Baker Baits webpage and will get that up and running sometime soon but I suck at computers so........ Who would have thunk it? Not me when I started this bait making adventure. Very grateful for all the support I have be given b/c I have almost hung up the airbrush for good a few times over the past couple of years. Glad I didn't now.

I just happened to see this even though I have been avoiding internet forums lately. Easiest way to get in touch with me is to just give me a call @ 585-414-0138. I am building for the Butler Musky Show now and have some baits in stock in around 12 colors and 2 sizes as of now. Give me a buzz and we can talk all you want. Thanks very much for the interest.

Ronix- I have been thinking about making a "pickle" colored lure for 3 years now but never have. This winter I will try to make up some for us LOU guys and only my LOU guys. We can call it the exclusive "LOU Pickle" and nobody else will know what we are talking about! Mikey Boy- if you, Nalod and Blueeye want one- just ask. It will take me a while since I want to make them foiled- just let me know if you want them jointed or straight and I will get to work over the winter. This summer I did my best to "lay low" and stay off these internet forums as I have had some issues because of them. I used to try to promote my baits all the time and found out it is a great way to make yourself a target for some people that may not have your best interests in mind. This whole bait making thing has its good side and its really bad side. Every bait maker is trying to sell baits to the same people and some guys do some "cut-throat" stuff trying to sell that one extra bait. People will drag your name through the mud and back just to make themselves look better than you. It got really old this summer and I told myself to just back off and found out that I was 100x happier just sitting back making my baits and not posting every time a fish fell for a Baker Bait. Bty it was a good summer! I got a couple hundred baits on LSC and they did awesome (thanks again Cpt Larry)! A guy from Ohio had a 30 fish day on LSC on one $9 bass color lure, they got 6 50" muskies just from Chautauqua alone that I am aware of, they did awesome on Green Bay trolled behind planer boards on their first fall up there, started selling them in 3 new baits shops down south (now in 6 shops total) and did my first couple orders for international baits. Some guys in Norway got some for pike and I am currently finishing a foil order for some guys in Australia who are targeting Murray Cod with them which I think is awesome. Murray Cod look like 100lb largemouth and are a really neat fish from what I have found out. Soon my baits will also be carried by Bigwoods Musky Tackle Online so you can just order them from there but that won't be for little bit as I just can't seem to make enough baits. So even while I have backed off and almost disappeared from what would considered "public view", I am still here, just as busy as ever making the best baits I ever have. I have learned a lot over the past couple of years and have changed my baits a few times tweeking them to make them better as I learn new stuff but one thing is- without great people around me, I would have fallen on my face along time ago! P.S. Chad- the kid loves breaking the light bulbs on top of this page, I let him do it over and over while he sits on my lap and he never seems to tire of it, lol.

Chad- nice fish on my new bait! Glad you were happy with it as I spent a good amount of time coming up with that design.

Awesome! Great job and to have that fish hit at boatside, really cool! Keep it up, your hot!

I wish I caught it I can tell you that! No, just did some work for Cpt Larry that's all. I would have to stop bowhunting to go fishing and that's not happening right now with how crazy things are in the woods right now, lol.

As some of you may have heard- I did some custom work for Cpt Larry this spring and here are the final results. Thought it was neat!

Is that pic from ice fishing last year or are you fishing at the ice rink?

I might have some baits left at the Happy Hooker Bait Shop in Ashville. The Happy Hooker got about 150 baits this year but just about all are sold to the best of my knowledge. If you are close to Rochester, I live in Henrietta and have a few baits here at the house that I make. Take a look at Baker Baits on Facebook and if you like any baits- why not support your local NY musky lure maker? If you like casting jerkbaits, those LL are tough to beat! Here's a pic of a newer bait I am making.

Awesome bud! Amazing fishing and some cool stories to tell!

Awesome job guys, makes me miss it that much more!

Yeah Billy what ever you need. I have around 125 all painted and ready to go. Attempting to get ready for this years show season a head of time. I have changed clear coats and a few other things trying to make them better. Wanna try out a bigger bait?

Awesome Billy! Great job once again! Nice to see you got a big one. Any pics of the smaller fish on my baits?

Hope you did good Bob. Drove to Chautauqua- signed up at the Happy Hooker Friday night, put boat in the water Saturday in the morning and it wouldn't stay running. Took it by Smith Boys and they told me that the fuel pump crapped the bed so I drove home to find out that there was a death in the family. Sorta bummed out but I hope the event was a good one for those that attended! This is the first tourney I have missed but I am looking forward to next years! Hope someone from LOU won it but most of all hope everyone had a blast!

Nice to see you got out and did a few!

Just thinking- do they mostly do this during high water temps? Could it be an oxygen thing?

I say go down to the Genny at the Seth Green access and bring some worms. Everything from bass to walleye to some big ole nasty catfish. All from shore. Like Stinky said- leave before the sun sets.

Yeah and then it will be 28".

I personally do not. I have seen others take them home but have no idea how they turn out.

Nice! Chad- better watch those VMC's! Sharpest darn hooks out there! Nice job getting those pike!