Time for me to enlighten you to a few facts. The Gibbs line is the oldest maker of striped bass fishing lures still in existence today. Many have come and gone like Masterlure, Capn' Bills etc, most of those companies not because they wanted to but because the harsh reality is that there is no money in it. The captive audience is small compared to companies that make lures for inland black bass and trout and salmon etc.
Stan and his wife never made money at it, niether did his son John or Jimmy Griecci and niether are the current owners Dennis and Dan. I know for a fact that Dennis and Dan to this day have not taken a penny from it. If you knew the real story behind running a wooden striped bass lure company you would be shocked. Dennis was the driving force in buying the company and persuaded Dan to buy it simply for one reason and a noble reason in my estimation. Dennis did not want to see Gibbs lures go out of business, period. If they did not buy it there were no other takers, it was them or the plug line was gone.
Dennis and Dan had the perfect set up to keep it going. The had a profitable business that makes wooden display cases for showrooms and stores. They had space in the lower floor of thier factory with some of the essential equipment to affect the making of plugs like spraybooths etc.
Thier main business supports the Gibbs line. Except for a phone line into the building where a secretary says Hello, this is Gibbs Lures, everything is supported by the main company and the secretary is actually the main business's secretary.
They know and acknowledge that they would love to have someone come on board and run the show for them. Someone who might be in the business now as a builder of plugs but who is looking to get out and go to work for someone who they can work for and still build plugs. Maybe even merge that persons line into the Gibbs line and produce both out of the Cumberland location. I know of one particular builder in RI that would fit that bill perfectly and it would be the best thing that happened to both his line of plugs and Gibbs in a long time.
Ask any commercial plug builder and they will readily admit that they are working 15 hours a day 7 days a week and can't keep up and money coming in with the seasonal aspect of most tackle shops is always a bloodpressue rising experience.
The markup on plugs is still what kills me most when I hear or read on-line about guys bitching about what a Gibbs plug or any other of the commercially made plugs cost. Do you realize that in the tackle shop business that on rods, reels etc., that the profit margin for the tackle shop owner is set by the manufacturer? It is this way with just about everything except the wooden lures, sinkers and terminal tackle such as swivels, snaps and that sort of thing. You wnat to pay less for your Beachmasters, Gibbs, Habs? Talk to your tackle shop owners. The mark-up on a wooden Striper lure is sometimes 100% or in cases more because the tackle shop owners can and do just that because they need to make a buck and they do it with the Gibbs and such.
I may have just pissed off a bunch of shop owners but I really don't give a #^&#^&#^&#^& cause the truth has to be known, Plug makes like Gibbs and Habs have been getting the bad press and they don't deserve it.
When it come to quality control they readily admit to problems and are endeavouring to fix them, If you have a problem with any plug no matter who makes it return it to them and they all will replace it no questions asked.
Now you know the truth, I don't get paid by anybody to say what I say and I say this because you all need to know what goes in the plug business before you bitch and complain anymore.
