Youngster launches jig company

David’s Custom Tackle launched in the spring of 2014 after David Sanders had an epiphany while pouring jigs with his father.

“He told me, ‘I can sell these, Dad,’” Dana Sanders said.

The elder Sanders figured it would be a good lesson for his son, so he supported David’s plan.

“We posted them on (a Mississippi online forum), and sold them all in the first week,” Dana said.

Moving that first batch of 200 jigs so quickly was all the young David Sanders needed.

“I did that three times, and afterwards I realized I could make a legit business out of it, so I went got my LLC and I started selling to stores locally,” he said. “The people started to realize that I made good jigs.”

Today, the 17-year-old makes and distributes premium jigs through online at davidscustomtackle.com and in 10 stores along the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts.

The key to his success is that David Sanders isn’t in it just to sell a ton of jigs: Each David’s Custom Tackle jig is hand poured using top-shelf hooks that are made for those willing to spend a bit more to get quality jigs.

And that led David to reach out to some of the redfish tournament anglers, who gave the new jigs a try and have since won more than $128,000 snatching on redfish with the youngster’s leadheads.

“We have the ability to identify a niche or demand, act on it and get it on the market in short order,” David Sanders said. “This is one of the advantages we have over big tackle companies that might take a couple of years to accomplish the same thing.

“We don’t focus on quantity, but feel like we make the best jigs on the market for inshore market — by hand, one jig at a time.”

The youngster also is working with Parker Poles to design a rod tailor made for use with his jigs.

But Dana Sanders said the project isn’t really about his son making a lot of money.

“It’s about a lifestyle,” the father said during a recent fishing trip. “We get to spend a lot of time together, and we get to fish a lot. That’s really what it’s all about.”

And that philosophy has soaked into his son.

“After all is said and done, it’s not about the 65-cent jig,” David Sanders said. “You sell just the connections you make and the people you get to know.”

“I’m going to be a senior in high school next year so, I’ll have time to devote to my business and do more marketing. The future of my business mostly depends on God’s direction as we seek his guidance for the direction we should go.”

Here’s a quick rundown of David Custom Tackle’s offerings:

The Barrier Island Jig

Hook: Mustad wide gap (1/0 or 2/0)

Weight: 1/8 to 3/8 ounce

Price: $3.95 (pack of five)

“That hook allows for a better hookup on a soft-mouthed trout,” David Sanders said. “It hooks them in the hard tissue of the mouth, and it doesn’t come loose.”

The Lead Belly

Hook: Mustad wide gap (1/0 or 2/0)

Weight: 1/6 to 1/4 ounce

Price: $3.95 (pack of three)

This is a weighted hook designed with a screw lock, and is perfect for weedless applications.

“During a fishing trip with a friend, we found ourselves losing a large number of jigheads while fishing rocks,” Sanders said. “ This prompted the idea of a weedless jighead that would prevent this loss of tackle while fishing rocks, shells and in grass.

“ This rig has proved to be a real winner for fishing redfish in heavy grass with plastics like Matrix Shads. “

Trout Tamer jig

Hook: Gamakastu 4/0

Weight: 1/6 to 3/8 ounce

Price: $2.95 (pack of three)

“This hook is extremely sharp and utilizes a coil spring keeper rather than a lead collar to hold onto the plastic and prolong its life,” the young entrepreneur explained. “A very simplistic design, the Trout Tamer might be the best jig for using plastics on the market.”

The Salt Shaker

Hook: Mustad wide gap

Weight: 1/8 and 1/4 ounce

Price: $2.50 per jig

Pricey? Maybe. But this is jig is pretty special, with a head that moves independently of the hook — and that allows for amazing action as a plastic is bumped along the bottom.

“While reading a bass-fishing article about the swivel football head and plastics for bass fishing, it made sense that it would be a great setup utilizing our wide-gap hook and coil spring keeper for use on redfish and flounder,” David Sander said.

The Salt Shaker live bait hook

Hook: 2/0 Gamakatsu Octopus

Weight: 1/8 and 1/4 ounce

Price: $2.95 (pack of three)

This is a pretty innovative live-bait setup. Made with the same design as the Salt Shakers, hooking a minnow up to this jig allows the bait to really move around. And it has a wide range of applications, Sanders said.

“This is a great live-bait jig for inshore, mangrove fishing offshore or wacky worm fishing for bass,” he said.

A spin-off of this jig is the Salt Stinger, which is essentially the same rig with a 1/0 kahle live-bait hook intended for freshwater applications.

Game Day Jigs

Hook: Eagle Claw Trokar (3/0 to 5/0)

Weight: 1/4 to 3/8 ounce

Price: $3.95 (pack of three)

This premium jig comes in painted and unpainted versions. The painted jigs include 3-D eyes.

“The hook will not bend under heavy braid and big reds,” Sanders said.