Hello Morgan, could you introduce yourself and tell us about your company?
Morgan Binet - I'm 27 years old and I've been fishing since I was a child with my grandfather and father. I've been boating for about ten years. I studied mechanical and materials engineering. At the end of my studies, during a period of transition, I said to myself that it was now or never to take the plunge. I'd been fishing with my own models for 2 or 3 years, and I thought, why not? That's when Autoboats Fishing was born.
What prompted you to start developing and marketing your own lures?
Morgan Binet - I'd been fishing with my own lures for a while, then one day I was looking for a type of slug with striations on the side that I couldn't find. So I started drawing a first model of lure with my specifications, i.e. a fairly flexible lure with a fine tail that moves at the slightest touch. I wanted a slug that would undulate during linear animation, hence the addition of the striations. And so the first prototype of the Bumble Slug 175 was born.
Can you tell us about your equipment and the steps involved in creating a lure, from development to marketing?
Morgan Binet - As with any design, I start with specifications to define the framework of the project. I also rely on the team members, who are seasoned fishermen with a critical mind that helps me a lot. Once this has been established, I sketch out the design and then use digital design tools. CAD (Computer Aided Design) and 3D printing of the prototype to get a feel for the actual size of the lure and see what design changes need to be made if any.
The next step is to create a mold, again using 3D printing, so that prototypes can be cast and the testing phase can begin.
During this phase, in collaboration with the team, we test different colors, hardnesses and densities of plastics. I make the necessary modifications until the result is conclusive. This phase can last several months before the final version is ready. Once the model has been finalized, I move on to another phase, which is the design of the final aluminum mold that will be used to cast the soft lures in my workshop. This is the only part where subcontracting is necessary.
Then there's the phase of producing the lures for marketing, creating the packaging, photos, video and communication, and finally getting them to market.
What range of lures do you offer and for what type of audience?
We currently offer two types of soft lures:
- The Bumble Slug which, as its name suggests, is a slug available in 3 sizes (140mm (new for 2021), 175mm and 220mm).
- The Optimus Shad, in 90mm and 120mm sizes and a wide range of colors.
Our initial target audience was sea anglers. However, we have an increasing number of freshwater customers, as well as partnerships with freshwater fishermen.
The detailed presentation of these 2 lures will be the subject of a new article.
Where do you sell them?
Morgan Binet - From design to production, everything is done in my workshop in Normandy. 100% made in France, as we like to say. We have 3 physical stores. The first, in Le Havre at "Aux Pêcheurs Normands", where Philippe has placed his trust in me since Autoboats Fishing was launched. Then there's "Action pêche" in Nantes and "Comptoir de la Mer" in Lannion. Our goal for 2021 is to expand into other physical stores along the coast. We also have an online shop: www.autoboats-fishing.com
What can we expect in the coming months?
Morgan Binet - For 2021 we have developed a range of lead heads for the Bumble Slug 175 and 220 with weights ranging from 15g to 75g to enable anglers to adapt to all conditions. Until now, we have not sold heads dedicated to our products. Mocha and Lavender colors are also added to the Bumble slug 175 range. The Bumble Slug range expands with the arrival of size 140. We've taken the opportunity to rework the front part of the lure so that it can be fitted with all types of sinker head, even light-weight ones. Other projects, totally divergent from the previous ones, are planned for 2022.
