Whats A Tacklehead?
A Tacklehead is someone who loves to fish and enjoys collecting, tinkering and experimenting with tackle.
This is how I became a Tacklehead
I grew up in Ventura CA, and started fishing from the pier with my Grandma Kay when I was 5 years old. In 1984 she took me to Lake Casitas for the Summer Olympic games paddling and rowing events. We found out they stocked trout there from some guy that worked at the bait shop with an unlit cigar in the side of his mouth and a funny hat on. A few weeks later we went back to Lake Casitas to try and catch some trout for dinner. I had a beautiful trout on my line right alongside of the dock and Grandma was coaching me with net in hand when it happened. A fish came out from under the dock and swallowed my trout whole, turned swam casually back under the dock and snapped my line. That moment changed me, I became obsessed with catching the “fish under the dock”. My lifelong obsession with giant Largemouth Bass began in that exact moment. I grew up 15 mins from the lake and eventually moved to a place 2 mins from the lake, I worked in Ojai for 20 years. I was lucky enough to fish Lake Casitas an average of 3/4 days per week most of my life. I had the incredible privilege of chasing the world record bass on that lake from 1984 through 2016.
In the Late 90’s and early 2000’s I worked as a guide on arguably the two best trophy Largemouth bass lakes in the world, Lake Casitas and Lake Castaic. 5 out of the top 10 biggest largemouth bass ever caught were produced from these two lakes. 3rd(22.06 lbs.), 4th(21.75 lbs.), 6th (21.20 lbs.), 7th (20.93 lbs.)and 9th (20.86 lbs.). No lakes anywhere in the world have produced more 15 lb. plus bass then these two lakes! That caused these lakes to receive an unprecedented amount of fishing pressure in the 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s. As a guide, I was under pressure to produce daily. Clients simply don't care how many fish you caught on your trip yesterday. I quickly learned that the store bought lures had already been presented to these fish thousands of times, causing the fish to become conditioned to them. If you wanted to catch true trophy largemouth bass and produce fish on a consistent basis you had to use a technique or present a lure to the fish that they hadn't seen before. I learned to pour soft plastic baits and made patterns and colors that weren't sold in stores. I also began making large wooden topwater trout replica baits in my garage. I was designing and producing baits that were innovative, unique and sometimes a little weird, but I was able to continually change my presentations and stay one step ahead of the “off the shelf” big brands. I helped my clients make some incredible memories and catch their dream fish on a bait I made. That’s how my lifelong passion for bait making began. I’ve been making baits now for 32 years and Tacklehead Fishing is my passion project. I make every bait personally by hand in my little shop in St. Louis Missouri.
My goal with Tacklehead Fishing is to design and produce unique and innovative baits in limited production runs that change and evolve so the that anglers of all ages and experience levels will catch fish with them in even the most highly pressured waters.
In the Late 90’s and early 2000’s I worked as a guide on arguably the two best trophy Largemouth bass lakes in the world, Lake Casitas and Lake Castaic. 5 out of the top 10 biggest largemouth bass ever caught were produced from these two lakes. 3rd(22.06 lbs.), 4th(21.75 lbs.), 6th (21.20 lbs.), 7th (20.93 lbs.)and 9th (20.86 lbs.). No lakes anywhere in the world have produced more 15 lb. plus bass then these two lakes! That caused these lakes to receive an unprecedented amount of fishing pressure in the 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s. As a guide, I was under pressure to produce daily. Clients simply don't care how many fish you caught on your trip yesterday. I quickly learned that the store bought lures had already been presented to these fish thousands of times, causing the fish to become conditioned to them. If you wanted to catch true trophy largemouth bass and produce fish on a consistent basis you had to use a technique or present a lure to the fish that they hadn't seen before. I learned to pour soft plastic baits and made patterns and colors that weren't sold in stores. I also began making large wooden topwater trout replica baits in my garage. I was designing and producing baits that were innovative, unique and sometimes a little weird, but I was able to continually change my presentations and stay one step ahead of the “off the shelf” big brands. I helped my clients make some incredible memories and catch their dream fish on a bait I made. That’s how my lifelong passion for bait making began. I’ve been making baits now for 32 years and Tacklehead Fishing is my passion project. I make every bait personally by hand in my little shop in St. Louis Missouri.
My goal with Tacklehead Fishing is to design and produce unique and innovative baits in limited production runs that change and evolve so the that anglers of all ages and experience levels will catch fish with them in even the most highly pressured waters.
Thanks for choosing Tacklehead Fishing
Dave