By: Tim Kubetz

Started bait making as a hobby 6 years ago

Founded Wildlands Precision Bait Co. with a three fold purpose

1. To become more skilled in the craft while teaching others 2. To gain insight and experience in running a business

3. To raise money to fund future projects at Wildlands

How WPB Co. Was Started

Tim Kubetz: Co-founder, Production Overseer and Painting and Finishing Technician

Dan Wiersgalla: Co-founder, Hardware installation and lure assembly

Alex Gajewsky: Lathe operator and Carving Technician

Project Participants

Necessary to see if business will be profitable

Contains three main sections

Creating a Business Plan

This section contains your purpose statement

1. The Cover Page

To raise money for our school by manufacturing and selling top quality, hand crafted fishing lures.

WPB Co. Purpose Statement

Outlines all the main facts about the business and how it will operate

Contains four parts: 1. Description of business 2. Marketing 3. Operating Procedure 4. Personnel

2. Business Overview

Tells you whether your business will profit or not

Includes: Capital spending list Breakeven analysis Profit projections

3. Financial Data

Starting Production

Organizing equipment and supplies

Started first baits on Oct. 12

Lures are produced in “assembly line” fashion

Initial batch was 34 lures. Finished on Jan 10.

WPB Co. Production facts

How we make ‘em

Shaping the blank

Drilling holes for hook hangers

Installing the hardware

Sealing the blank

Motorized Drying Wheel

Painting and finishing

Darth Vadar

The Finished Products

The POP-arrazi!!!

Available in four color patterns

Copy Cat:

Baby Bass:

Citrus Shad:

Feelin’ Froggy:

The Disco Dog

Available in three color patterns

Baby Bass:

Copy Cat:

Tablerock Shad:

The Tweeder

Available in three color patterns

Fire tiger:

Baby Bass:

Copy Cat:

Marketing and selling the product

In order to insure profit• Projected price of materials was $1.40 per bait• Labor is donated and thus no expense

Based on competitor prices• Cost of equivalent factory lures $5-18• Cost of hand crafted lures $10-50

All WPB Co. models cost $9 each

Determining a price point

1. To friends and acquaintances (face to face sales)

2. Tackle Stores

3. Swap meet at the WBFN Representatives meeting

Bringing the Baits to Market

Swap Meet Sales Results Sold 9 lures

Raised $87 to donate to the schools project fund

Streamline production work for more efficiency

Get our baits into tackle shops to sell

Continue with some of the current models but also experiment with other styles.

What’s next for WPB Co.

Imagine this: Your walking down the aisles at Bass Pro Shops, just drooling at all the lures and wishing you could by all of them. All of a sudden a familiar sight catches the eye. It’s a Wildlands Bait Co. logo.

WPB Co. has made the big time!

10 years later…