TIOGA - Anglers from around the state - and
(keep your fingers crossed) eventually from around the
nation - will have south Grant Parish resident Randy Hulin
to thank as they are introduced to his handy new fishing
invention.
This story began about a year ago after Hulin's wife
of 26 years, Anna Hulin, became annoyed by the crappie
nibbles, a scented bait attractant, that he and a relative
were using that were falling into the bottom of the
boat and creating a mess.
Hulin, a manufacturing engineer at Dresser Industries,
began using a makeshift pump, not unlike a fat and stubby
syringe, to force a mashed nibble into the tube jig,
thereby attracting fish to the bait.
The new creation was proving to be incredibly helpful
to Hulin as he tossed out his line in area lakes and
continued to reel in fish.
Hulin knew he had a hit on his hands. After seeing
a friend in Jena make a duck call from acrylic, he wrote
a program and designed the bait pump - made out of the
sturdy acrylic. It is this threaded design that allows
the pump to inject a high-viscosity paste.
Soon, Hulin was making them out of his home and giving
them to fishing friends and neighbors to try.
"My friends were like, 'Oh wow!" Hulin said.
Finally, Hulin took the next step, which was to patent
the invention so "it wouldn't be something I would
see two years from now on a shelf at Wal-Mart."
"I paid a patent attorney to do a search on this
item," Hulin said.
After getting the patent, Hulin worked on getting a
company to manufacture the product.
Hulin and his wife have spent the winter and spring
promoting the Bait Pump, including visits to television
shows in Alexandria and Lafayette.
"After we were interviewed on TV, we were getting
calls about the Bait Pump for two weeks straight,"
said Anna Hulin.
The couple has also placed it in local small shops
including Herbie's Tackle Box, Pineville Marine, Holloway
General Store, and Red Pearson's Landing at Saline-Larto.
Anna Hulin is focusing on promoting and marketing the
Bait Pump, a job that will take her around the state
this year and possibly to other states as well.
The Hulin's sold approximately 200 Bait Pumps, with
many more sales anticipated.
There will be two pump sizes offered, he said.
The smaller one will be for crappie bait, which can
be injected in smaller plastic bait and a larger pump
for bass and larger fish that injects bait shrimp and
crawfish or any recipe the angler thinks might work
into soft plastic baits.
In the meantime, the Hulins are very excited about
where this new invention will take them.
"I see a day where many anglers will keep a Bait
Pump in their tackle box," Hulin said. "Everybody
who has one says the same thing because they know how
well it works."
For more information, E-mail Info
Andrew Griffin: 487-6390
agriffin@thetowntalk.com
