Luck E Strike – Historic Fishing Tackle Brand – Acquired by Toby Keith
Megan Plete Postol 06.05.23
Toby Keith has recently announced the acquisition of the fishing brand Luck E Strike. The bait and tackle brand, lauded by both professional anglers and recreational fishermen as a standby classic, has undergone a slight rebrand and is relaunching this summer with a new focus on its traditional American made division while maintaining the current assortments sold nationwide, all under the brand’s new slogan: “An American Original Since 1970.” Keith’s Instagram followers heard the news first.
“Big news…Toby has acquired Luck E Strike, an iconic bait and tackle brand,” the post read. “The company will be relaunching this summer with new products and a new look (including some red, white, and blue packaging!), so make sure you follow @luck.e.strike to stay up to date.”
Luck E Strike – which is endorsed by National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Famer Jimmy Houston and operated by sporting goods industry veterans Jeff Williams, as General Manager, and Todd Hempen, as Operations Manager – is looking forward to a new era.
“They needed a new focus and vision and I happened to be standing at the door ready to pick up the pieces,” Keith said. “I’ve got a house on a lake where they hold a lot of fishing tournaments, and I became friends with Jeff, who has built two big tackle brands. He reached out and told me Luck E Strike was for sale, and he was as interested as I am in rebuilding it.”
Jimmy Houston, host of the 46-year running Outdoors television show Jimmy Houston Outdoors, is the company’s biggest brand ambassador.
“Jimmy is one of about three big legends in the fishing world,” Keith said. “He has been a spokesperson for Luck E Strike for decades, and started building his Redman Spinners out of diaper pins and selling them to Walmart.”
Luck E Strike holds a special place in the “Made in America” singer’s heart.
“They [Luck E Strike] got a lot of history,” Keith said. “It’s actually one of the earliest fishing brands that is universally stocked in national retailers.”
In the bass fishing world, Luck E Strike is well known for tackle kits, hand crafted crank baits, and its Redman Spinner Bait. That last one was designed by Houston, who also used it successfully for decades, and led to his two 1st Place Finishes at the Bassmaster Classic. Trading in its prior yellow and black packaging, the Redman Spinner will be the first lure to lead the company’s new red, white, and blue packaged product line in the coming months. Details and timeline are forthcoming. Houston is pleased about the new direction of the Luck E Strike brand.
“In addition to being one of the best singers and songwriters, Toby Keith is an incredible patriot,” Houston said. “Tying those two together in an American lure company known for making outstanding bass and crappie lures at great prices is so exciting. As his friend, I’m happy seeing the fire in his eyes over this company. It’s a big deal for the fishing industry as a whole to have him involved and bringing this brand back to where it ought to be.”
Luck E Strike has a stacked team ready to lead its next phase. General Manager Jeff Williams is an accomplished angler, bait and tackle developer, and businessman whose brands have included Team Catfish and Fle Fly.
“Everyone knows Luck E Strike and its industry-leading lures,” Williams said. “It’s a working folk’s brand and Toby Keith is the right person at the right time to build this thing back up. We’re already hard at work rebuilding wholesale relationships and vetting tackle manufacturer’s domestically and abroad. Luck E Strike will be a global tackle brand, with Toby’s involvement.”
Operations Manager Todd Hempen has more than 30 years of retail and supply chain experience with some of the biggest names in sporting goods, including Bass Pro Shops, Walmart, and Amazon.
“I am honored to be working with Toby and this team to revitalize the Luck E Strike brand,” Hempen said. “This is going to be a big deal for Toby’s fans and the faithful Luck E Strike customers.”
The top-charting crooner is a long-time entrepreneur. He owns his own record label, Showdog Nashville, and owns restaurants across the country. He is also no stranger to hard work. During his career, he has amassed 42 top 10 hits, 32 No. 1s, 40 million albums sold, and more than 10 billion streams. He has also been inducted to the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and much more. As for his newest endeavor, Keith is ready to hit the ground running.
“This team is so good, and the brand and product speak for themselves,” he said. “Through the years Luck E Strike has sold hundreds of SKUs nationally at major retailers. Unfortunately, that business has dwindled some but we’re going to build that back up, add some rod-and-reel combos, apparel, fishing tools, and tackle systems. We will put this brand back at the level it deserves.”
Some new products are available for preorder and others will be announced soon.
“I’m a nostalgic guy and that’s part of it, but this is great stuff,” Keith said. “I know a bunch of pro anglers and they’re all telling me if I can get them the stuff, they’ll fish with it.”
