Another fishing tackle company destroyed by the Bean Counters

[mike petro]

I cannot remember when I last bought anything SK. They have made garbage for at least 10 years now.

This

[bob o]

cliff notes anyone?

[bilgerat]

Most of their stuff (with exceptions) has always struck me as good ideas that were poorly executed … kind of like “Man, that Big Mac looks fantastic” on the menu board but is underwhelming once in hand. The KVD squarebills are one of the exceptions.

[USMC2112]

Seems reading comprehension is still a lost art for some.

[TimH]

I've had SK crankbait bills break long before they were acquired by a private equity firm. I'm not saying quality hasn't potentially dropped since then, but lets not pretend they were the best built lures in the market.
Here's the deal. All companies have to make money in order to stay in business. That is a fact. However, PE firms use revenue from their current portfolio to fund acquisitions of others. In many cases, those companies wouldn't of been around much longer if it not for the PE firms taking over. Something caused the original owner to sell. Money problems, wanting to retire, or just looking to cash in on the business they spent a lifetime running...all are legitimate reasons.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of PE firms, but they do serve a purpose; especially in today's business climate.

[jdwo2212]

Still like a sexy dawg....

[cwilt]

I am subscribed, just to see how this plays out.

[limitlong]

I have had good luck with the menace grub and structure bug. The square bills are pretty good and I have caught fish on the series 6 crank baits. Lots of choices now for us and that is a good thing.

[like2fish2]

Jeff, I admire you for having the courage of your convection and going public with this information.

I have no doubt that you are an honest individual and are being truthful in all aspects of your post.

Best of luck to you going forward and without a doubt you will continue to be involved in doing great things within the fishing industry.

[Phrog Phil]

I thought the author or the piece was Sam Lashlee?

[bassfisher444]

I have moved away from them as well, all I really like from them now is the red eye shad, and their square bills but I have had problems with the bills breaking on them as well so I have mostly gone to other brands for them as well.

[vafishing]

Their quality problems, at least in their finished, go back way before the buyout. Red Eye Shad for example came out in 2008 and while I love the baits fish catching ability the finishes especially the chromed ones sucks. I have chromed Rat L Traps that are over 30 yrs old, caught a ton of fish, and still look good. Red Eye Shad catch 10 or so fish and the chrome is all scraped off.

[like2fish2]

My mistake, Jeff wasn't the author....since Jeff made the OP I'm confident it's true.

[BrianKF]

So when did this sale take place? I need to know if my SK baits are pre-sale or post-sale I don't keep up with these things much.

[Ckfishin]

So when did this sale take place? I need to know if my SK baits are pre-sale or post-sale I don't keep up with these things much.

https://bassanglermag.com/strike-king-has-a-new-owner/

[BrianKF]

https://bassanglermag.com/strike-king-has-a-new-owner/

Thanks. Now I remember it being discussed here but didn't pay much attention back then.

[Reelfoot]

Lashlee has always tooted his own horn.

[Rangerdeepv]

They made great products for a long time. Too bad the bean counters wreck everything just to make a couple per cent more margin.

[99R93S]

Sounds like pretty much ever single company, make crap and charge more. Nobody makes things to last, there is no money in that.

[06 SB]

Blah blah blah. Sam has a big ego. “Look at me! I am quitting!” He posted it on more than one group page on FB. Move on clown…. Does anyone know who he is?