With a flip of the wrist, the bait sails through the air. If cast at just the right time, water and place, the lure hits the water sending far-reaching ripples across the surface.
Like those ripples, custom lure designer and manufacturer Chip Carlisle’s name is spreading across the lips of anglers in fishing circles around the country.
Carlisle, of Independence Township, makes custom fishing lures in his home and sells them on-line to over 1,000 people. His clientele includes everyday fisherman, but reaches beyond the average weekend warriors to some big names in the fishing community.
In the past few years, many high profile members in the fishing industry found success on fishing trips and at tournaments using Carlisle’s lures; netting him a Pro Staff of four professional Bassmaster Classic fisherman and an ESPN2 outdoor TV host who love his products.
Carlisle’s lures are used often by Charlie Moore, who hosts ‘Beat Charlie Moore,? on ESPN2. The show welcomes a contestant who tries to outfish Moore.
Carlisle also provided lures to Canadian professional fisherman Dave Mercer, whose own fishing show, ‘Facts of Fishing,? runs on the Canadian OLN.
Some of the pros who fish with and test his lures include Ish Monroe, Clarkston’s Scott Dobson and Art Ferguson III.
Another professional fisherman, Joel St. Germain, earned a trip to the Bassmaster Classic this year using one of Carlisle’s lures to land a 5 pound 9 once largemouth. The tournament is equivalent to the Super Bowl of fishing, said Carlisle.
While warming up for the tournament in November where he earned the birth into the classic, St. Germain caught a 10 pound 6 ounce largemouth, the largest caught on Carlisle’s lures.
Carolina Chip’s Lure Company earned that name as friends ribbed the North Carolina transplant about his southern drawl, as he often fiddled making lures and baits for them.
The business went on-line in 2001 and recently started placing baits in some retail locations. Despite the company running from its current location for about three years, Carlisle has made lures for over 30 years with his first sale coming in 1996.
Carlisle took an interest in fishing and nature as a young boy with his grandfather who built boats, ship, fishing lures and houses.
‘He was a naturalist that spent a lot of time with me on the water and in the woods talking about conservation. He passed on the neat little things you could do to catch fish, conserve and enjoy nature and the outdoors,? said Carlisle.
Even after his grandfather passed away while Carlisle was in first grade, his interest continued.
‘We had three lakes within walking distance as a child. I dug worms, used bread and hot dogs. I would take pieces of aluminum foil and chicken feathers from our hen house and fashion crude lures with a split shot and hook,? said Carlisle in a previous article with www.co-angler.com.
‘I was notorious for ripping things apart to see how they were made. When it got to the point where I wondered what was in them, I’d cut them up.?
That curiosity did not fade. As Carlisle still goes on what he calls ‘research and development? projects buying lures and cutting them up so see how they are constructed.
As part of his craft, Carlisle focuses on playing with the sounds, vibrations and other attributes of a lure. He produces wood design lures, plastic production bodies, rubber worms and spinner baits. The secrets Carlisle discovered tinkered with the lures have helped his reputation and name spread.
‘A custom built lure looks different than what others are throwing. The custom bait gives the pro angler an advantage over other fisherman because the fish are seeing something different,? said Carlisle.
‘Never innovate to compete; innovate to change the rules of the game. Why do what everybody else is doing? If you do, you won’t capture the market.?
Lure ideas and shapes often come to Carlisle as he sits down to scribble on a notepad. Other times, the ideas come accidently.
On one such occasion during a remodeling project, Carlisle was taping a metal duct with duct tape and noticed how difficult it was to remove the tape. Suddenly, he wondered how that might be incorporated into a lure, and shortly afterwards had another prototype.
He also sometimes works the customer’s suggestions into the lure, to make the perfect bait the angler desires.
‘Sometimes you receive some crazy ideas, but you’re honest with them and tell them it’s a nice drawing, but you don’t think it’ll work,? said Carlisle.
Although making and painting the lures is Carlisle’s business, he leaves naming the lures and baits to people who visit his Web site, www.carolinachip.com. After fashioning a top 10 list from suggestions received over the internet, Carlisle puts the name to a vote.
‘Carolina Humpback,? ‘Camel Back Shad? and ‘Unlucky Larry? are three of the lure names found on the Web site. All Carlisle’s lures bare his name scribed in small letters on them.
Carlisle receives about 100 e-mails a week asking about lure designs, models and other fishing items. Through his Web site, fishermen can chat with others and learn new techniques or fishing hot spots.
On one occasion, he noticed an address in Washington D.C. and was curious about who there would be looking at his lures.
‘I’ve shipped to Japan. Last year, I got an address from a street in Washington, D.C. The address was the Japanese ambassador to the U.S. Since then, I’ve received requests from Japan,? said Carlisle. ‘Japanese baits are revered, so it’s an honor when the Japanese e-mail you for baits.?
Even though making lures is not a full-time venture yet, Carlisle thinks his business may expand one day but plans to maintain his custom profile.
‘Even if it goes to making 50,000 lures, I’ll still make custom baits for myself and a small group of friends or anyone who wants them,? said Carlisle. ‘Once you’re a lure maker, you’re always a lure maker unless you quit fishing altogether.?
When not making lures, or working at his full-time job as a safety and environmental engineer, Carlisle enjoys doing a little fishing of his own. Now with his lures earning recognition, and his fishing partners often professional fisherman, Carlisle stands humbled about his own fishing prowess.
‘My method has always been to develop friendships so if they don’t want to use my baits I still have a friend,? said Carlisle. ‘I didn’t realize how bad of a fisherman I was until I fished with them,? he laughed.
Although he may feel overshadowed among the pros, Carlisle did catch the 2004 Catch and Release record in Michigan on Deer Lake when he landed a 26 ? inch largemouth bass.
Carlisle says the Detroit area is gaining recognition for good fishing with all its lakes. He agrees with the growing reputation, yet acknowledges his own preconceived notions before moving to the Great Lakes State.
‘I came up here apprehensive when my wife transferred up here with Kmart,? said Carlisle. ‘But moving to Michigan was a good thing for me because there are so many clean, beautiful, navigable lakes in Oakland County. There’s all these lakes good for bass fishing.?
Carlisle and his wife Nancy moved to Michigan in 1993 and to Clarkston in 2002. They have two children: Cameron, 10 and Patrick, 7.