After a year and a half of work (saving) and adversity,  we have finally made it to our Florida destination- Gulf Breeze! I am in the process of trying to find a suitable location to set up my new studio. Once the studio is up and running, expect to not only see Freshwater lures, but, Saltwater Poppers & Cranks AND Fly's. Again, I would like to thank all my customers for their patience and (if everything goes right) I'll be posting new product in a month or 2. 

I've had many emails (and phone calls) wondering whats going on with SZ? Sorry I've been unavailable, but, with the upcoming relaunch of hand-carved wooden lures, my  Son graduating HS and starting college, family health issues, and our imminent relocation to sunny Florida I've had little time to fuss with Swamp Zombie.      YEP!     That's right!

We are on the fast track to the Sunshine State! BUT, LOTS of work, sweat, and another part-time job will be the ticket price.

Due to this, I will no longer be taking custom work at this time. (I will be breaking down most of my studio and storing it until my MN house sells.) I hope everyone understands my position?!

Be assured, Swamp Zombie will rise again once I'm in the "Land of Cotton". I wish all my customers tight lines and hope to see all of you on the other side- other side of the Mason/Dixon that is.

Please continue to follow Al & Johnston as they strive for the NABC title! A quick prayer goes a long way- esp when an OZ can make or break you!

Thanks again!

Minnesotans Johnston Westmoreland and Al Ansell targeted unpressured largemouths lurking beneath backwater slop to win the Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit’s Mississippi River qualifier out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. “It’s a great feeling,” said Westmoreland, of Moose Lake. “When we finished third at the NABC tournament on Pokegama Lake in June, we lost by three ounces. We won this by an ounce!”


Indeed, competition was fierce among the 74 teams vying for a share of more than $30,000.00 in cash and prizes up for grabs on Pools 7 and 8 of the Mississippi. Westmoreland and Ansell’s five backwater bucketmouths tipped the Cabela’s NABC scale at 17 pounds, 14 ounces. Their closest rivals were one ounce behind, while third place was just three ounces back with 17 pounds, 11 ounces.

“We were one of the first teams to weigh in, and our nerves were really going as we watched everyone else come to the stage,” added Ansell, also of Moose Lake. “I was shocked that we hung on to win.”

The winners purse was $12,500 which included $11,500 in cash and $1,000.00 in Cabela’s Gift Cards for taking first. Their strategy centered on locating weedy backwaters with pockets at least four feet deep, and water temperatures from 80 to 82 degrees. Ultimately, though, finding unfished bass was key. “When people throw topwater frogs on the slop, it leaves tracks,” said Westmoreland. “We looked for areas with no tracks.”

Ansell explained that both standard and popper-style frogs produced fish. He noted that stout tackle was key in extricating the bass from their sloppy surroundings. “We used heavy rods and 65-pound braid,” he said. “When you got a fish, you pulled until you couldn’t pull anymore.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO AL & JOHNSTON! Thanks again for your help promoting Swamp Zombie Lures.

To my valued customers- I apologize for not being able to update new lures to the website. I've had a variety of things going on- all at once!

Good news????- I am currently working on a line of original Swamp Zombie lures, (not repaints of an existing commercial lure or a repaint of a purchased blank). They are hand-shaped wood and, so far, seem to be working out nicely.  We are currently narrowing down the hydro-dynamics of the lure and I expect we will have a few for sale soon.



I hope everyone is having a good Summer?! Tight lines!

Another cold, blustery, day greeted Team SZ in the NABC Bass tournament at Pokegama Lake, MN. With 50 degree air temps (windchill of 42), and intermittent rain,  all the teams should be congratulated for bringing in so many good sacks! 20 plus LB's won the day today. First through 4th place were within OZ's of each other and most teams managed an average of 14-15 LB's- overall, a very successful tournament for everybody. 

Swamp Zombie Lures would like to congratulate Al & Johnston for persevering in such poor conditions and bringing a weight of 19.13 LBs to weigh-in. Their aggregate bag of 19.13LB's won them 3rd place!  Swamp Zombie Lures would also like to congratulate all the teams- job well done! Please view the pictures & video- (if you click on a pic it will get larger).

Swamp Zombie Lures recently co-sponsored a children's fishing tournament for the Boy Scouts of America. We'd like to thank Capt Bill Broughton and the South Florida Thunderbird District  for allowing us to donate to this worthy cause. I'd also like to give a BIG shout out to my official South Florida Pro Staff member Mr. Santa Anna ("CD") for representing Swamp Zombie at this function. "CD" is a valuable staff member here at Swamp Zombie and went above and beyond to help us in this endeavor. Please take a moment to peruse the pics of the tourney. And look closely at these winners- you might be witnessing a future Capt Jose' Wejebe, KVD, or Capt Mark Sosin!! I will be posting more pics and info on this tourney as I receive it- please check back later to see more updates!

As most of you know, coloration plays a major role in deciding a Crankbait. Body style/Blank and sound is very important too. But, (IMHO), one of the most important aspects of choosing the right Crank is what the belly of the lure looks like. 

For shallow to mid-depth Cranks, the belly of (most) lures gets the most "face time" from fish than any other part. Only the deepest diving lures, (Norman DD-22, Etc) get more side and top looks. (Because the lure is dredging the bottom and the fish are typically looking DOWN at it!) 

Therefore, when choosing a Crank, make sure to inspect the belly FIRST, then the sides; understanding, for shallow to mid-depth Cranking, the top of the lure makes little difference to the fish- they rarely see it! And, if they DO see the top, it is usually only a blur......

This is why a simple "Bone" colored lure can work so well over more colorful patterns!   

Had a great day yesterday testing new lure designs with Al Ansell. We went through approx 20 different lures- making sure they ran correctly and looked good in the water. Apparently, they looked good enough! Al managed to catch a few while testing! (He is amazing!) 

We also had a nice chat with 2 of our local DNR officer's. We had the honor of being the first fishermen checked for the 2013 season! MN has some of the most courteous and professional DNR officers in the country. A big shout out to all those MN DNR officers who keep our boaters & fisheries safe! 

(PS- Water temps were in the mid 40's! Kinda chilly, yes?) 

I'm adding a new "Ultimate" clear coat to the Swamp Zombie family. In conjunction with my typical 2 - 2 1/2 layer "Fat" epoxy resin coating, 2 layers of automotive Clear will be added. This new coating will be extremely durable without adding too much weight. It will rival (if not surpass) anything in the industry. 

You asked for the "best"- this is it!