5 days ago

Ep 348| Local Tackle Makers

Three local tackle makers. Three different stories. One thing they all had in common — they got tired of buying gear that didn’t quite do what they wanted it to do, so they started building their own. In this episode, we sit down with Tim Holden of T3 Tackle Outdoors, Justin Melton of Skinny Water Innovations, and Len Shinenberry of Shinenberry Tackle to talk about how each of them turned a love for fishing into something bigger.

🎣 Tim talks about starting T3 Tackle Outdoors with his kids in mind and building jig heads that actually hold up for the way we fish around here, including sheephead jigs and soft plastic jig heads designed for local redfish and inshore fishing.
🧪 Justin breaks down how Skinny Water Innovations came out of being tired of burning through expensive soft plastics, then going down the rabbit hole of molds, plastisol blends, and testing different baits until he found something that worked for Gulf Coast conditions.
🪵 Landon Chenevert of Chenevert Tackle shares how his tackle-making story actually started when he was a kid carving topwater plugs out of driftwood from Bellefontaine Beach before later getting back into it through custom popping corks.
🏪 The conversation also gets into local stores like Foul Play, Islander Outfitters, and Nelson’s supporting local makers and what it feels like to see something you built with your own hands end up on the shelves.
🤝 We also talk about how all three of these guys came together, the role social media played in helping them connect, and why building a stronger local tackle scene matters more than competing over scraps.

This was a solid conversation about fishing, family, trial and error, local business, and the kind of grassroots creativity that keeps the Gulf Coast outdoors culture moving forward.

Watch the Full Episode Here ⬇️

https://youtube.com/live/8NooJTA7vj0?feature=share

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, and Taylor and Cox Law Firm, for the support!