Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. operates the Fishbites brand, a family-owned manufacturer of proprietary scented fishing baits, soft lures, tackle, and apparel. Founded in 1999 in St. Augustine, Florida, it sells direct-to-consumer via Fishbites.com to recreational saltwater and freshwater anglers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSt. Augustine, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites does
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. is a family-owned fishing products manufacturer that operates the Fishbites brand, founded in 1999 and headquartered at a single facility at 164 Nix Boat Yard Road, St. Augustine, Florida. The company designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary scented fishing baits, soft plastic lures, terminal tackle, rods, and apparel to recreational anglers, with a primary focus on saltwater fishing (surf, pier, jetty, inshore, offshore) and a secondary freshwater segment anchored by stink-free catfish baits. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-powered Fishbites.com storefront, with orders fulfilled factory-direct from St. Augustine and free domestic shipping on purchases of $55 or more.\n\nFishbites' core technology is a proprietary flavor-and-scent system developed through 30+ years of marine biology research by founder Dr. William Carr, who discovered that odors perceptible in air do not necessarily dissolve in water and therefore fail as fish attractants. The company replicates non-gaseous chemical feeding stimulants in lab conditions, combining scent (for water-column detection) with flavor (to trigger a sustained bite response). Products are manufactured in two principal formulations: a Fast Acting fiber-infused gel with no mesh center optimized for cold water (tear strength rating of 4), and a Longer Lasting formula with an embedded cloth mesh rated for higher tear strength (rating of 11) in warmer water and against toothy bait-stealer species. The catalog has expanded from four initial SKUs to 160+ products, including the Fight Club Lures sub-brand of scented soft plastics.\n\nThe revenue model is one-time direct e-commerce sales of fishing consumables and equipment, with unit prices ranging from $4.29 for surf rigs to $299.99 for premium rod-and-lure bundles. Free-shipping thresholds, bundle deals for surf and inshore setups, gift cards ($25–$100), and an email-driven promotional cadence (10% off first-order signup) form the merchandising toolkit. Marketing relies on a 40+ member Pro Staff ambassador program spanning U.S. states plus Australia and New Zealand, alongside a downloadable product catalog, content marketing via blog/news posts, and a proprietary tournament series (Shoreline Showdown) launched in April 2024. The company has remained family-owned with no institutional funding and no public listing.
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites
- Legal name
- Carr Specialty Baits, Inc.
- Website
- https://fishbites.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. operates the Fishbites brand, a family-owned manufacturer of proprietary scented fishing baits, soft lures, tackle, and apparel. Founded in 1999 in St. Augustine, Florida, it sells direct-to-consumer via Fishbites.com to recreational saltwater and freshwater anglers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fishing Baits and Lures
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail (CRAMALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Saltwater & Offshore Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAC), Fishing & Tackle Retail (CRAMABAL), Lures, Flies & Terminal Tackle Specialty Retail (CRAMALAJ)
Keywords
Where Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. Augustine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of fishing baits, lures, tackle, and apparel through Fishbites.com. Products include scented baits (EZ Baits, Fish'n Strips, EZ Pro, Bag O' Worms), Fight Club Lures, freshwater products, tackle accessories, and branded apparel. One-time purchase model with no subscription required.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EZ Baits (Saltwater) - $6.49 to $8.29 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fight Club Lures - $7.49 to $219.99 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Saltwater Bait Strips - $7.99 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | EZ Pro Offshore - $12.49 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Freshwater Products - $7.29 to $8.79 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tackle - $4.29 to $299.99 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - $12.00 to $39.99 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sun Protection - $9.99 to $19.99 USD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards - $25 to $100 USD |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carr Specialty Baits manufactures and sells scented artificial fishing baits, soft plastic lures, complementary tackle (rods, rigs, jig heads, hooks), and fishing apparel under the Fishbites brand. Its core products are proprietary flavor/scent gel baits (EZ Baits, Fish'n Strips, EZ Pro, Bag O' Worms) and Fight Club soft lures for saltwater and freshwater anglers, with supporting tackle bundles and apparel sold through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store.
Product overview
Fishbites is a family-owned fishing products company offering a comprehensive portfolio of scented baits, soft lures, fishing tackle, and apparel for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. The core product lines include: EZ Baits (scented fishing baits in multiple varieties and formulas), Fight Club Lures (durable scented soft plastic lures), Fish'n Strips (tough bait strips for harsh conditions), E-Z Pro (offshore bait formulations), Bag O' Worms (worm-style artificial baits), and Freshwater Baits (catfish-specific formulations). Supporting product lines include Tackle (rods, hooks, rigs, jigheads) and Apparel (shirts, hats, face protection). The company differentiates through proprietary flavor/scent technology developed by marine biologist Dr. William Carr, offering both Fast Acting and Longer Lasting gel formulas with embedded mesh options for durability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fight Club Lures: Soft saltwater lures with scent, action, and durability featuring various profiles including jerkbaits, grubs, paddle tails, curly tails, and shrimp patterns. Designed for use with jigheads and weedless hooks around grass, docks, mangroves, beaches, and inshore structure.
Products and services
- Fishbites EZ Baits
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 species of Fresh and Saltwater fish caught using Fishbites products
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- UnruledcoreFishbites expanded partnership with Unruled amid accelerated growth. Unruled appears to be a promotional/marketing partner supporting the brand's growth initiatives.
- ShopifycoreShopify powers the Fishbites e-commerce store and services. Shopify collects and processes personal information about access and use of the services. Terms state Shopify is not responsible for sales between Fishbites and customers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Strike King: Manufacturer of hard and soft lures, terminal tackle, and scented bait products. Comparable to Fishbites across multiple product categories (soft baits, lures, terminal tackle) with strong bass-fishing distribution that overlaps with Fishbites' freshwater segment.
- BioSpawn: Manufacturer of 'living rubber' soft plastic baits with proprietary scent-infusion technology—directly comparable to Fishbites' flavor/scent differentiation. Competes in the same scented-plastic-bait category with similar technology-forward marketing.
- Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits: Specialty manufacturer of soft plastic baits (senko, grub, worm) widely used in bass and saltwater fishing. Directly comparable to Fishbites in soft-plastic bait format and target angler profile, particularly in the freshwater and inshore saltwater segments.
- Mann's Bait Company: Manufacturer of soft plastic lures and bait products including classic lines like Mann's Jelly Worm. Comparable to Fishbites in product category (artificial soft baits) and channel (specialty fishing retail), with similar family-owned heritage.
- Z-Man Fishing: Manufacturer of ElaZtech and scented soft plastic lures for saltwater and freshwater; comparable to Fishbites' Fight Club Lures line in product form factor and target angler. Privately held and a credible direct competitor in the scented soft-plastic niche.
- Zoom Bait: Major manufacturer of soft plastic baits and artificial worms including the famous Zoom Trick Worm and Worm-style products that compete directly with Fishbites' Bag O' Worms line in both saltwater and freshwater segments.
- Bass Assassin: Manufacturer of soft plastic lures including the popular 5" Shad and Sea Shad lines. Directly comparable to Fishbites' Fight Club Lures in saltwater and inshore soft-plastic segments, with overlapping target species and angler demographics.
- Cul-Mert/Innovative Lures (Yakima Bait): Manufacturer of premium soft plastic lures including scent-infused offerings. Yakima Bait (parent of brands like Worden's and Original Rooster Tail) is a comparable small-to-mid sized US soft-plastic lure maker competing with Fishbites in the artificial bait category.
Broad incumbents
- Pure Fishing (Berkley/Gulp!/PowerBait): Pure Fishing owns the Berkley brand, including Gulp! scented soft baits and PowerBait—directly comparable scented/artificial bait products sold through mass-market retail. As the dominant tackle conglomerate globally, it represents both the most direct competitive threat and the most likely strategic acquirer.
- Rapala: Global fishing tackle leader offering lures, baits, tools, and accessories across all major fishing segments. Comparable to Fishbites in lure and bait categories but at vastly greater scale with worldwide retail distribution including big-box partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites social profiles
Digital presenceCarr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites
What does Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites do?
Carr Specialty Baits manufactures and sells scented artificial fishing baits, soft plastic lures, complementary tackle (rods, rigs, jig heads, hooks), and fishing apparel under the Fishbites brand. Its core products are proprietary flavor/scent gel baits (EZ Baits, Fish'n Strips, EZ Pro, Bag O' Worms) and Fight Club soft lures for saltwater and freshwater anglers, with supporting tackle bundles and apparel sold through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store.
Is Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites a public or private company?
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites founded?
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites based?
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites is headquartered in St. Augustine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites make money?
One revenue line is on record: E-commerce Product Sales.
Who are Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Strike King, BioSpawn, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Mann's Bait Company, Z-Man Fishing, Zoom Bait, Bass Assassin and Cul-Mert/Innovative Lures (Yakima Bait). Broad incumbents are Pure Fishing (Berkley/Gulp!/PowerBait) and Rapala.
Does Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites.
What industry is Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites in?
Carr Specialty Baits, Inc. makers of Fishbites's product category is Fishing Baits and Lures. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMALAA, General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMALAC, Saltwater & Offshore Fishing Specialty Retail.