Reflection on the Birth of Treasure Coast Tackle

When we started Treasure Coast Tackle about nine months ago (October 2012), we knew it wasn't going to be "easy" to get our name out there with zero dollars allocated for advertising and we fully expected it to start out slowly. We started by getting the required licenses and gathering a small amount of inventory. We then designed our own website (a lot of trial and error) and started relying heavily on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @treasurecoasttackle, Blog and YouTube) and word of mouth to promote our business.

What we didn't plan on was being met with resistance and obstacles at several corners we turned. It has often seemed like we are taking one step forward and two steps back or running in place. For example, there was a particular local tackle shop that had a problem with us selling the same brands they did.

Treasure Coast Tackle is an online tackle store that is completely run by family only. If you are interested in reading more about Treasure Coast Tackle and what it has done for us, you can read about it here: The Birth of Treasure Coast Tackle. I will touch on one of the biggest things having Treasure Coast Tackle has done for us; it has allowed me (Erica) to stay at home with our 3-year-old son who was born with several rare conditions which in turn relieves some of the financial burden of having a single primary income for a family of five and offsets a little bit of the medical costs associated with our son's constant care. You can read more about our story, our son and his diagnoses here: All About Dylan.

It is our hope that this post clears up any confusion as to what Treasure Coast Tackle is all about. We sell a number of different brands, most of which are sold at local tackle shops. While we do not fix rods or spool line on reels, we put in as many hours as any brick and mortar store, using all the lures we sell and promoting our business so that when someone asks a question about how a particular lure works or how it performs we can give them an educated answer, not an opinion based on how it looks in the box.

We also strive to have the best top-notch customer service possible. We try to respond to emails and questions in a timely manner, we offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $30.00, we ship 2-3 day priority delivery to any address in the United States for ONLY $2.99 (on orders under $30.00) and all orders received by 4:00 p.m. EST ship out the same day (most days). An added bonus is if we are shipping to an address within 100 miles of Jensen Beach, FL, you will usually have your order the next day!

Despite the resistance and obstacles we have encountered along the way, we are doing extremely well and couldn't be happier with how far we have come in less than a year.

As always, we greatly appreciate your continued support and your business! Treasure Coast Tackle wouldn't be possible without you!

If you ever have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us. We would love to hear from you!

Tight Lines friends,

David & Erica
Treasure Coast Tackle

Comparison: Unfair Lures Rip-N-Slash Vs. Unfair Lures Mullet

One of the most common questions we receive here at Treasure Coast Tackle is "what's the difference between the Rip-N-Slash and the Mullet?" This is a valid question because they are both the same length and are viewed as "twitch baits".

Let's start with the Rip-N-Slash; our favorite way to work this lure is with aggressive twitches combined with a pause. The Rip-N-Slash is designed to dart from side to side very erratically to mimic a fleeing or disoriented small bait fish. This is the perfect lure for getting a reaction strike out of fish that may not be actively feeding. The combination of flash and wild action are just too much for the fish to resist!  You can check out our YouTube video "How to Work the Unfair Lures Rip-N-Slash" here.

Now let's move on to the Mullet; this lure was designed by taking a laser scan of a real finger mullet to make the mold. By doing this, the sonic signature is exactly what fish know as being a mullet. Having said that, this lure has nowhere near the darting action of the Rip-N-Slash. We work the Mullet with small twitches of the rod, also with a pause mixed in. The lure will wobble and roll slightly, exactly like an injured mullet and since the water displacement, or sonic signature is exactly the same as a real finger mullet, fish usually inhale this lure...when they hit it, it's to eat! Most of the fish we catch have this lure all the way in their mouth. It's for this reason that we use at least 40lb Trik Fish leader if we are targeting snook...they hammer this thing!

The Rip-N-Slash is currently only available in the 70mm 1/3oz size, but the mullet is available in a 70mm 3/8oz suspending model or a 1/2oz fast suspending model. We recommend using the suspending model if the fish are in less than 3 feet of water or if you are trying to stay just under the surface. The fast suspending model is ideal for working in the 2-4 feet range.

If you have any questions regarding anything we sell at www.treasurecoasttackle.com, feel free to contact us by clicking this link or emailing us at david@treasurecoasttackle.com.  Below are a few personal best fish caught on either the Unfair Lures Rip-N-Slash or the Unfair Lures Mullet.

David - Treasure Coast Tackle
"We use what we sell so we KNOW it works!"

June Jensen Beach / Stuart Fishing Report

June was great to us and you can expect July to only be better! The month started with a great topwater bite. Big jacks and snook were cruising the flats early morning and we picked up some big jacks and a stud 38" snook. The later the month got, the windier it got. We switched up to the Unfair Lures Rip-N-Slash and the big trout have been crushing it, with plenty of 24-26" fish being caught. The highlight of the month had to be the slam we got, 30 inch trout, 24 inch redfish and a small snook. While the reds are few and far in between this time of year in Stuart, they can be caught. Usually they are under the docks or tucked back in the mangroves. Early morning should yield lots of nice trout in July and the night time snook bite should be heating up. The fish are there, get out and catch 'em! If you're interested in wade fishing for some great fish, give Ryan with Joupdog Wading Adventures (offered through Treasure Coast Tackle) a call! Good luck and tight lines!

David and Erica
Treasure Coast Tackle

TCT Photo Contest

It's Contest Time!!

Here is how the TCT Photo Contest is going to work:

Email us ONE of your favorite fishing photos to david@treasurecoasttackle.com and please include the following with your photo/email:

- name
- city and state the photo was taken in
- a caption for your photo

If you do not include all of the above information, you submission will NOT count.  Pictures posted on our Facebook page, inbox messages or shares will NOT count.

We must receive your entry by Sunday, July 7th at 11:59 EST.  All entries received will be placed in an album titled "TCT PHOTO CONTEST" and posted Monday morning, July 8th, 2013.  You will then have until 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 14th to get "likes" on your photo.  The picture will the most "likes" by 8:00 p.m. wins TCT swag!  (In the case of a tie, the deadline will be extended one hour, until 9:00 p.m. EST).

That's all there is to it, make sure you follow the rules to ensure your picture counts!  All of the important information is in red above.

It is not a requirement for this contest, but feel free to share this contest and our Facebook page to help us get to 1,000 "likes" sooner.  Once we reach 1,000 "likes", we are giving away a 1/2 day Joupdog Wading Adventure which is offered through Treasure Coast Tackle, a TCT flexfit hat and a TCT long sleeve t-shirt (only available in size Large or X-Large).  More details will be posted about this contest as we get closer to the 1,000 mark.

   

Good luck everyone!

David & Erica
Treasure Coast Tackle