What makes Always 80 and Sunny baits different?

Every bait is hand-painted and airbrushed in our shop — no two are identical. We work in custom species patterns (bluegill, rainbow trout, brown trout, gar, perch, shad), splatter and craw colorways, and one-of-a-kind designs across squarebill crankbaits, multi-jointed swimbaits, glide baits, jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, deep crankbaits, stickbaits, and topwater poppers, walkers, and frogs.

Where are the fishing charters located?

Our charters operate out of Columbia, Illinois in Southern Illinois. We offer inshore, offshore, and sunset trips — every charter includes tackle, bait, and a Coast Guard certified captain.

What's included with an Angler Pro membership?

Angler Pro is $19.99/month and includes secret fishing spot access, monthly tackle breakdowns, priority charter booking, and everything in the free Explorer tier.

Do you ship custom baits nationally?

Yes — we ship custom baits, tackle, and apparel anywhere in the United States. Free shipping on orders over $100.

How are the custom baits priced?

Pricing reflects build complexity and size. Squarebill and lipless crankbaits start around $24-30, jerkbaits and topwaters $28-42, mid-size multi-jointed swimbaits $65-95, and large hand-painted glide baits $120-220+ for trophy-class builds.

Winter Pike Behavior Decoded: The 3-Zone Strategy That Separates Blank Days From Monster Catches

One of the biggest misconceptions about winter fishing is that pike shut down completely. That's not true. Pike are still feeding actively in winter-they've just become more efficient hunters and concentrated their movements. Understanding winter pike behavior is the key to consistent cold-water pike fishing.

Structural Zones for Winter Pike: Pike relate to specific features in winter: deep weed edges, creek channels, and areas where shallow water drops off quickly into deeper zones. They'll patrol the transition zone between deep and shallow water, hunting for easy meals. Focus your efforts within 30 feet of structure rather than casting randomly across open water.

Bait Selection: Live baitfish is the top producer in winter. Large shiners and bluegill trigger pike more reliably than artificial lures when water temps are low. Work them slowly and deliberately along weed edges. If you're throwing artificials, large swimbaits (5-7 inches) in natural colors will catch pike, but you'll cover less water and have fewer bites than live bait presentations.

Patience and Timing: Winter pike can be aggressive when they commit to striking, but they won't chase bait the way summer pike do. A pike will follow your lure and inspect it carefully before deciding to eat. The temptation is to set the hook immediately, but often that pike is still deciding. Use circle hooks with live bait to improve hook-up rates. Winter pike fishing is slower-paced than summer fishing, but the cold water concentrates fish in predictable locations, making efficient presentations possible.