Inside the New Era of Lake Fork Lures

Any discussion of bass fishing in Texas will eventually get around to Lake Fork. Built as a water source for Dallas, the lake quickly became a world-renowned fishing lake. Upon completion in 1980, the lake filled to capacity within five years, and by 1986, it yielded its first Texas state record largemouth. In 1992, the current state record bass—18.18 pounds—was caught at the lake. Currently, Lake Fork holds 36 of the top 50 largest bass recorded in Texas, 20 of which weighed over 15 pounds and 15 that weighed over 16 pounds! 

Just to the west and a little north of Lake Fork in Emory, Texas, is the birthplace of Lake Fork Trophy Lures. Founded in 1997 by Ronnie and Ann Parker, Lake Fork Trophy Lures soft baits have been the go-to for America’s top anglers. When Ronnie passed away in 2022, it left a huge void in the fishing industry.  

With a company as impactful as LFTL, many folks were left wondering what would come next. Would this be the end of the legendary lure company? Thankfully, three forward-thinking outdoor enthusiasts stepped up to take the reins. Scott Flannery, Cade Thompson, and Zach Lancaster now run the company with plans to not only continue the tradition but also improve it. 

Of course, doing so is no easy task. Their plan was to reach more people, especially youth, the future of the sport. LFTL is heavily involved in the community and bringing new people into fishing through volunteering and education. Secondly, the trio undertook a rebranding effort, adding a fresh new look to an already excellent product. The third piece of the strategy is constantly pushing the boundaries in the lure industry. With new technology, it is much less expensive to build prototype molds in a 3-D printer than in the past when the molds were built off-site. Note that testing new soft-bait designs is still done the old-fashioned way. We go fishing! 

If you’ve ever wondered how soft baits are made, Lake Fork Lure Company has a couple of characters in the back of the facility who are more than happy to show you how it’s done. It is blatantly obvious that these guys love their jobs. Mold techs Jeremy and Joey walked me through the entire process from start to finish. On deciding what lures will be made for the day, the molds will be picked and set in both machines.  

The key ingredient in the making of soft baits is plastisol. This material, when run through a heater, will react and start to gel. Soon after the heater is the mold. When injected into the mold, the plastisol begins to cool and, within a minute, will start to set up and cure. The advantage of liquid plastisol is that other ingredients can be mixed in, e.g., colors, glitter, salt, and scent. 

As I was hanging out with the guys making lures, I couldn’t help but notice how happy everyone seemed to be. I mentioned that to Joey, and his reply gave me an understanding of the atmosphere at Lake Fork Lure Company. 

“I have the greatest job in the world,” he said. “I get to make lures all day!” 

As I turned to Jeremy and saw his big smile, he said, “And I’m living the dream. I make baits all day, every day, and I love to fish!”  

And all along, I thought it was because the whole place smelled like an Italian restaurant since the company’s secret ingredients are garlic oil and salt. 

Kelly Jordan and Jeff Sprague are two of the pros for LFLC. Both have made over $1 million in career winnings. The exciting thing about having them on the Lake Fork Lure team is that they help design some of the lures. They are the guys on the water who are not only using the newly designed soft baits but are winning with them. This is helping ensure the company’s future success.  

Lake Fork Lure Company has always had incredible success with two of its staple lures—the Ring Fry and the Magic Shad. Part of the new direction of the company's rebranding will designate the traditional lures as the “legacy baits” and the newly pro-designed baits as the “signature series.” This will allow the company to still manufacture what has always been the backbone of Lake Fork Lures and move forward, continually developing new baits designed by the pros. The new package design with the pros’ photos will indicate the special series. This is where 3-D printing technology is very cost-effective.  

One of the areas that LFLC will be re-entering is the rod market. Long ago, the company made a very high-quality rod, but it was phased out over time. The new owners have said they would love to have a new Lake Fork rod in production by the end of the year. 

Rod Sox is an original product made by Lake Fork Lures that will not change. What makes this product so special is the sock tip and the collar that help protect the handle and the hook. A few other products will also be introduced, with the goal of being a one-stop shop for anglers. The best news is that it’s all made in Texas in the good ol’ USA. 

Being an outdoor writer and photographer, I’ve been blessed with getting to know people from a more honest side of things. In talking with Flannery, a few things really stuck out. He is a traditionalist in a way. He has a heart for people, and he loves his employees. 

Lake Fork’s lures are truly one of the only fishing baits still made in America. Flannery plans to keep it that way. He is also committed to our veterans and has many plans down the road for veterans in need. He is excited about the new opportunities and the future direction of this legendary lure company.  

Lake Fork Lure Company anglers Jeff Sprague and Bryan Thrift showcased masterful teamwork and skill to win the Championship Round of the Folds of Honor Patriot Cup, presented by recteq. Facing fierce competition, Sprague and Thrift dominated early, catching an incredible 28 bass for a total weight of 51 pounds, 7 ounces.  

Sprague and Thrift knew they needed every advantage to outmatch a skilled field. The Pro Craw, designed in collaboration with Sprague, played a key role with its lifelike action and versatile rigging options, allowing the anglers to throw it in a number of different situations with complete confidence. 

Because of the big win, Lake Fork Lure Company made the decision to launch the bait two months ahead of its original launch date, giving anglers everywhere a chance to experience the same success as Sprague and Thrift. 

Speaking of the new Pro Claw, it is Lake Fork Trophy Lures' first new bait in a decade.  

“The Pro Craw is an important first step, but one of six baits we plan on releasing in the next 12 to 14 months,” LFLC’s Flannery said.   

Flannery said that the process of designing a bait is more involved than most people might think. Working with pro Jeff Sprague on the design, getting pencil drawings, and having a CAD designer put it into digital form is only the start. Next, a prototype mold must be made so the bait can be hand-poured and tested to see how it swims. 

“In the case of the Pro Craw, we went through four iterations of the prototypes before we hit on our design,” Flannery said. 

After that, it goes to the production mold, which is made of two very large pieces of aluminum block. This is the most expensive process due to the cost of the raw materials and the expense of time spent on the CNC machine.  

The result is a bait that bass are finding irresistible. The Pro Craw delivers natural, life-like crawfish movement to entice elusive bass even in high-pressure fishing situations. Featuring a wide, oval-body construction with a centered hook pocket on the back, the bait provides perfectly straight rigging for any application to produce a tried-and-true kicking action every time. 

The Pro Craw is available in 21 color variations. MRSP is $7.99. For more craw, head on over to this link.