Gills ’N Thrills Lures

June 10, 2016

AND SOME OF THEIR VICTIMS.

Kayla Moore sits quietly in the stern of the fishing boat and gazes out over the darkening waters of Otsego Lake, south of Gaylord.

The 1,972-acre lake is about six miles long and relatively shallow — averaging less than 10-feet deep with a maximum of 23 feet at its deepest point. In spots, its bottom is littered with the remnants left from the long-gone lumber mills that once lined the shores. Otsego Lake is known by experienced anglers as a sturgeon fishery, having been initially stocked in 1982. It is also home to walleye, bass, muskie, crappies, bluegills and perch.

But today Moore is after northern pike and has been on the water for about an hour when she rummages through her wellstocked tackle box. After careful consideration, she pulls out a pink and blue fluorescent-colored Cotton Candy lure and snaps it onto her line. Moments later, a flick of her wrist launches the lure in an arcing cast.

It’s not long before she feels a steady tug on the line and, after a few exciting seconds, pulls up a roughly 30-inch pike, another victim of a custom-painted Gills ’n Thrills lure.

Moore, 19, not only relies on Gills ’n Thrills custom lures to score her catch but also is the founder and owner of the company producing the brightly colored bait.

“I’ve been fishing my entire life, ever since I was able to walk,” said the 2014 graduate of Mancelona High School. “I just love it.”

Based in Moore’s home in rural Antrim County, Gills ’n Thrills provides custompainted fishing lures to professional and amateur anglers across the nation. She launched the company last October and already has sent shipments to anglers in 10 different states.

“Right now I’m selling through my website — gillsnthrills.com — but I have five different retailers who are interested in carrying my lures,” said the young entrepreneur.

Moore offers 10 different lure body types, including poppers, divers, spoons and blades. Once the body type is selected, Moore removes the hooks and split ring, then air brushes each lure in a white base paint. Then, starting at the belly, she carefully air brushes paint up from the bottom of the lure, working on the pattern and any other special effects.

“Whether you’re looking for a specific color combination to be replicated or if you want to choose from our pre-painted color combinations, we have every lure to suit your needs,” said Moore. “We can do 30 different patterns, including honeycombs, stripes, glitter, fluorescent colors, glow-inthe-dark and more.”

After air brushing is complete, Moore adds a layer of epoxy and lets the lure dry for about four hours. Finally, she replaced the hooks and split ring, and the lure is ready to go. She has handcrafted 500 lures in the first six months in business. They range in price from $6 for a panfish lure to $14 for muskie and walleye.

“My biggest order so far was for 40 Rapala Husky Jerks that a guy needed for a tournament,” said Moore. “He emailed me on Monday with the order and had to have them on Thursday. I stayed up til 3am doing them. But he got them on time. I was exhausted, but he needed them for customers.

It paid off, because he’s a repeat customer and has already ordered more lures.”

When she’s not filling orders for customers, or fishing the lakes of Antrim County or Saginaw Bay with her father, Tim, Moore works as a cashier at Shanty Creek Resort. And she’s taking business administration classes at Northwood University in Midland. “I’ve always wanted to go into business for myself,” she said.

So does the young entrepreneur have advice for others who may want to launch their own business?

“Don’t let people hold you back,” she said. “If you’re passionate about something, run with it. Don’t be scared to take a risk.”

WHAT GILLS ’N THRILLS CUSTOMERS SAY:

“Great work! Quick shipping!! I love my lures!! Can’t wait to fish them! She painted them exactly how I wanted them. Her work is unique, and her color patterns are phenomenal!” —Bryan S

“As an avid walleye fisherman, it’s a must to have custom baits in your box. As a walleye tournament fisherman, I like to be one step ahead. These customs are top notch and extremely durable. Extremely satisfied angler.” —Ryan V

“Just received my first order from Gills ’n Thrills and am very pleased. I ordered five No. 12 husky jerks and couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. Quick replies to questions, and received my lures within a week of placing my order. Definitely will be ordering more in the future!” —Scott B

“Placed my order and let Kayla do the color selections for Saginaw Bay, couldn’t be happier with quality of work, color selections and turn around time.” —Bob G