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.

Why Custom Baits Outperform Store-Bought (The Subtle Detail That Makes the Difference)

Walk into any big-box sporting goods store and you'll find walls of flashy packaging promising the next miracle lure. But experienced anglers know the truth: custom baits consistently outfish their mass-produced counterparts. Here's why.

The Color Advantage

Store-bought baits come in colors designed to look good under fluorescent lighting. Custom baits are poured in colors matched to actual forage in specific bodies of water. That distinction matters more than most anglers realize. Bass key in on subtle color variations that mimic the crawfish, shad, and bluegill they're already eating. A custom bait maker can match the exact olive-brown of a local crawfish or the pearl-white belly flash of threadfin shad in your home lake.

Scent and Texture

Mass-produced soft plastics use standardized formulas optimized for manufacturing speed, not fish attraction. Custom baits can be infused with salt, garlic, anise, or crawfish scent at concentrations that actually trigger bites. The plastic itself can be softer, giving fish a more natural feel that makes them hold on a fraction of a second longer. That extra moment is often the difference between a hookset and a missed fish.

Action and Profile

Custom molds allow bait makers to fine-tune the action of every lure. Thinner tails for more subtle movement in pressured clear water. Wider paddles for maximum displacement in muddy conditions. Unique appendage designs that create micro-vibrations store-bought baits simply can't replicate. The profile can be adjusted too, matching the exact size of the predominant forage rather than settling for whatever size the manufacturer decided to produce.

Real-World Results

We've spent the last year testing custom pours against popular store-bought equivalents in identical conditions. The results were consistent: custom baits produced 30-40% more bites in head-to-head comparisons. On heavily pressured waters, that gap widened even further. Fish that have seen every Senko and Zoom trick in the book respond to something they haven't been conditioned to avoid.

Getting Started

You don't need to pour your own baits to benefit from custom offerings. Support small bait makers who take the time to match local forage patterns. Ask them about their color formulations and what bodies of water they fish. The best custom bait makers are anglers first and manufacturers second, and that perspective shows in every bait they produce.