Striper Sniper

The lemon-lime “snake worm” was Sniper Striper Tackle’s first big seller; it’s used as a bucktail trailer by fishermen who troll for stripers.

In 2003, Troy Roberson, a former Jordan Lake State Park ranger, founded the fishing-guide service Striper Sniper Adventures.

In 2010, after a massive fish kill severely affected Jordan’s population of striped bass and hybrid bass, Roberson decided to take his expertise off the water and to the tackle industry. He founded Striper Sniper Tackle, which has become established among striper fishermen, partly because of the reputation of his guide service. One item that helped to propel Roberson and his venture was plastic worm primarily designed for bass fishing.

The Lemon Lime Snake Worm, as it’s now known, has a history dating back at least 25 years. It was first made by Morgan Bait Company in Winston Salem and sold under the name “Hawg Caller.” It was originally designed for use as a spinnerbait trailer, but striper fisherman quickly realized its potential as a bucktail trailer.

However, the Hawg Caller worm had one disadvantage when it came to striper fishing. Many die-hard striper anglers wanted a wider tail to provide better swimming action when trolled at slow speeds. Around 1990, a group of these anglers convinced Bass Brothers Tackle in Wilson, to make a similar worm with a wider tail. The improved version became one of Bass Brother’s best- selling products until the business closed down in 2010.

Roberson decided to have a new mold built to the same specification as Bass Brothers’ mold, band the worm launched the beginning of Striper Sniper Tackle (www.stripersniper.com).

About Phillip Gentry 817 Articles
Phillip Gentry of Waterloo, S.C., is an avid outdoorsman and said if it swims, flies, hops or crawls, he's usually not too far behind.

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