Marlin Magic lures have been around the offshore fishing scene for decades and are proven tournament winners. It's strange to think that these lures might not exist if it wasn't for a fateful meeting between Gary Eoff and Captain Marlin Parker. Gary is an artist, jeweler and shell worker from Southern California, perfecting his craft since 1970. In 1980, Gary and his wife Karen moved to Kona, bringing 1,000 pounds of Abalone Shells and his tools with him. Many fishermen in Kona told him only to use the shell for lures, as it best imitates the shine and appearance of live bait fish and was highly valued for use in fishing lures.
In 1981, his neighbor and surfing friend, renowned lure fisherman Captain Marlin Parker, worked with Gary to create a line of lures with shell inserts in what would become the signature look of Marlin Magic Lures. Marlin’s father, George Parker, was one of the first boat captains in Kona to develop artificial fishing lures. Now in its 40th year, Marlin Magic Lures are tournament winning and highly productive lures with a large following world-wide.
After 40 years, Gary is still crafting Marlin Magic lures one at a time. The Marlin Magic Jewelry Bait series is a throw back to lure making before the arrival of Shell Veneers. They are all hand fitted, hand cut with lapidary equipment from real shell slabs that feature individually fitted and matched sides, bottom and noses to form functional works of art. This take time and handwork to accomplish. They are all built from antique abalone harvested in California over 40 years ago. These are not made in mass quantities. Gary Eoff is 72 years old now and makes these lures one at a time. There are no plans to mass produce them because you can't. Every one is unique and collectable. Gary is really enjoying making them 1 at a time when he sees fit. We are proud to offer these and hope that you enjoy adding one to your collection.
These are some of the shell Gary brought with him from California when he moved to Kona in 1980. These antique shells are over 40 years old!
Using specialized lapidary equipment, Gary Eoff carefully selects and hand cut each shell. The shells are hard, but brittle, so Gary has to be careful during the cutting process to prevent cracks and damage to the shell.
Here we have a rare look at Gary's abalone shell inserts before they are polished and cast inside of the resin for the lures. Gary carefully selects each face, ensuring a unique and consistent design.
After polishing the shell inserts to a high shine, and casting them inside the now famous Marlin Magic lure shapes, the Jewelry Baits are done! These masterfully crafted lures are true works of art and will make a fine addition to any lure collection. You can find Marlin Magic Jewelry Baits below. These lures are individually made by Gary Eoff, so supply is limited.
