The Australian Lure Expo is a celebration of Aussie lures and lure making being held at Fernvale Community Hall from July 28-29.

Old lures, new lures, timber lures, plastic lures, metal lures, spinnerbaits or custom lures it doesn't matter; if it's Aussie made, then this is the place to see them.

The concept of the Australian Lure Expo is to celebrate the brilliance and history of Australian lures while at the same time show casing and promoting the talents of Australia’s current lure makers and the lures they create. The Australian Lure Expo will provide a venue and a forum where people can learn how to make lures, paint lures, use lures, collect lures and learn all there is to know about lures from some of the most knowledgeable lure aficionados around today.

This will be a hub where lure makers can find components for lure making, where visitors can purchase lures and where lure makers can swap ideas and develop their lures to the next level.

Of course lure collecting will be a big focus as Australian made lures are in high demand and fetch good coin at auction due to the skill and talent of the fathers of lure making in Australia. This event will unashamedly encourage people to collect and preserve Australian made lures so that the masterpiece works of talented craftsmen are not lost to a deep snag or a mauling mackerel. With so many collectors at the event there will be ample opportunity to buy, swap, trade or sell their lures with similarly addicted collectors. There should be some very interesting negotiations going on and these negotiations will be worth the visit in their own right.

For those with a dusty old tackle box full of ‘old school lures’ that you thought were worthless, the Australian Lure Expo will have the best lure valuers in the country on hand to tell you exactly what the lures are and what they may fetch on the open market. But be warned, some of the valuers are the keenest of collectors and they may well give you a cash offer on the spot for a special lure they want to preserve in their collection!

There will also be other lures and tackle available for sale with Charlton’s Tackle displaying a host of lures from Aussie lure makers who could not make it to the show, so your favourite Aussie lures will still be available for purchase at the best price going.

And lastly the Australian Lure Expo aims to raise some much needed funds to assist with restocking in the region as many, many thousands of fish were lost to the region in the devastating floods.

So let’s take a pre-show tour of what you might come across at the Australian Lure Expo this year.

The Expo will have numerous highlights including the display of some priceless collections of Australian Lures.

Several of the country’s top collectors have banded together to display their collections from their favourite lure makers and also to provide expert knowledge and advice on the particular maker’s lures.

If you visit the Expo you will be able to check out the stunning range of Peter Newell lures with a collection that is rumoured to be the biggest in Australia and covering almost every single model and concept model the famed and late Peter Newell created. You will also be able to see one of the only full colour sets of the legendary timber StumpJumper Lures in size 1. This collection is extremely rare and immensely valued by the collectors as there were only ever limited numbers of original timber StumpJumpers made. Visitors will also be privileged to be able to view the stunning and comprehensive range of Deception Lures. These lures were incredible popular fishing tools in the 1990s and this collection is unparalleled in Australia with over 150 different models from the very first carving to the very last carving.

Of course there will be many, many other private collections to view including some lures from the famous forefather of lure making in Australia Eric Moller and a virtual who’s who of Australian lure making history. These displays are all being made available to view from private collections and this will be the one chance to see so many lures and so much history in one place at one time with the added bonus of being able to talk to experts about the lures.

Well known and respected lure makers AusSpin will be attending the show with an exciting release and a diverse range of their favourite products to show and sell.

The new release is the tough and durable Reel Keel lures. These lures come in 6 colours and have an enticing action on a steady retrieve that sees the lure sway from side to side. In testing the Reel Keel lures have taken bass, golden perch and a host of estuary species and they make their debut at the Expo.

Of course AusSpin will also be showing their popular lures with models such as the UltraSpin and UltraSpin Twister with a serrated willow blade, the popular TwinSpins and QuadSpins, the aptly named Cod Botherers, their range of buzz baits for cod and bass as well as WiggleSpins, ProSpins, chatterbaits and BladeSpins. It’s a very comprehensive range of lures that will be topped off with all the accessories such as plastics and skirts to allow you to replace or customise your lure to suit your needs.

AC Lures quickly established themselves as favourites amongst lure fishers when they debuted onto the market. Built by Anthony Curtis in the lure hub of Wagga Wagga, AC Lures exhibit all the characteristics anglers look for in their lures: durability, fish catching action and a variety of colour schemes.

At the Expo, AC Lures will be displaying their entire plastic lure range and selling them to interested visitors. This will see lures from 50mm right up to 150mm being on sale at the Expo in a range of stunning colours. But AC Lures is not stopping there with the company bringing the very last of the AC Lures Limited Edition Crayfish to the Expo. These beautiful creations will be a valuable addition to any lure collection and will make a fantastic talking piece when mates drop over.

Drop by the AC Lures’ stand, have a chat to their creator Anthony and grab a handful of these exceptional lures to try next time you hit the water.

The Bassman team will be attending the Expo and are looking forward to chatting with visitors about their particular needs and thoughts on spinnerbaits, their use and their colours.

At the Expo Bassman will be displaying a full range of products with a heavy emphasis on the range of products suited to Australian bass and golden perch. However this does not mean that cod anglers will be disappointed as Bassman will be bringing the mighty Big Gus spinnerbait, a 2oz behemoth aimed at big green fish, and they will be releasing the all new Little John, a 2 1/2oz monster spinnerbait that is built on a single frame and features one of the most massive Indiana blades you will ever see!

Along with these lures, Bassman will be showing their Mumbler range for both bass and Murray cod and the team will be able to explain the best places to fish and the techniques to use these exciting lures.

Lastly, Bassman will be acknowledging the development and history of Bassman Spinnerbaits with a display of some of the first lures, Ron Sattler’s (developer of Bassman Lures) last lure he built and some photography of where and how Bassman started almost 20 years ago.

With an editor who is a keen collector of Aussie lures, Fishing Monthly Group are excited to come to the Australian Lure Expo and have delved into their bag of tricks to come up with a fantastic subscription offer.

At the Australian Lure Expo, Fishing Monthly will be offering those who renew or take up a new subscription the chance to own a Limited Edition Gidgee Sardinops that is individually numbered and signed by gun lure maker Tom Barratt of Gidgee Lures. There are only 80 of these lures available in a one-off Fishing Monthly Group colour scheme and these will be the centre of the subscription offer.

So come along to the Expo, grab a 12 month subscription to your favourite Fishing Monthly Group title (QFM, NSWFM or V&TFM) and get your hands on a Limited Edition Gidgee Lures Sardinops in the special and spectacular Fishing Monthly Group colour scheme. Please note this offer is only available to those visiting the show as the Limited Edition lure numbers are restricted.

Gidgee Lures is gaining a wonderful reputation as both a useable and effective lure, as well as a collectable lure. And when you see the finished product you will understand why these lures are being regarded as amongst the modern day best lure.

Models currently available include the Ripple, Ripple Paddler, Ripple Cray (new), Wilbarra Fatty, Wilbarra Paddler, Cod Cruncha, Fry, Sprat, Sardinops, Herring, Woody and Knix and the lures are aimed at everything from redfin, trout and cod through to bass and barra and then offshore into the mackerel fishery and beyond. They’re all hand crafted, built to last and finished to impress. Gidgee will not be retailing these lures as they can now be bought through selected tackle stores, however a full colour range of the available models will be on display to allow visitors to know what they want before they walk into the tackle store.

In addition Tom Barratt will be conducting carving classes at the Expo to help budding lure makers get a start the right way. These informal and formal classes will be something to check out as tips from a master lure carver are priceless, regardless of your skill level.

All Gidgee Lures are handcrafted and exceptionally finished and the team will be displaying on site so make sure you check them out at the Expo.

Impact Tackle is the very definition of cottage industry with all the lures they build being made literally in the backyard and the quality of the end product is amongst the best you will see.

Impact Tackle and PML co-owner Dan Stead said at the Expo they will have their range of Tackle Ratz tools and a full range of Impact Tackle lures on display at their stand and available for purchase from the Charlton’s Tackle stand including their popular Bladez, their Jigheadz and their popular S-baitz. These lures are all crafted with the utmost of care and attention to detail and are great examples of the quality that you will see from a smaller operation.

The other side of the business is PML, or Pimp My Lure. PML takes your old and worn out lures and recreates them in a colour scheme of your choosing. This enables you to have a favourite lure of one brand painted in a colour not available, or to have obsolete colours recreated or to even have lure colours you don’t like changed to your favourite colours. The options are endless, the finished product is amazing and the results will speak for themselves.

So drop by the Impact Tackle and PML stand, check out the lures and the services offered and you’ll walk away with something special.

As we know the lure bib is a vital part of the lure; they need to be durable, effective and neatly finished. For 12 years Laserworx has been cutting quality, polycarbonate bibs for a wide range of major lure manufacturers to suit their particular designs.

Now the Sunshine Coast company is introducing a range of standardised polycarbonate bibs for the increasing number of keen anglers who love making their own lures. This new range will be the main feature at the 2012 Lure Expo Laserworx stand.

The bibs are made from the highest quality polycarbonate and come in thicknesses of 1-2mm. Laser cutting technology ensures the bibs are consistent and have a clean finish. These bibs are professionally cut by keen weekend anglers who know the importance of a quality lure bib.

If you’ve been trying to find high quality, consistently cut lure bibs, then look no further than the Laserworx stand at this year’s Lure expo.

Lively Lures are an Aussie icon lure that has stood the test of time and keep coming back for more.

At the Expo Lively Lures will be displaying the full range of their lures to show off just how diverse their products are. Best of all though, with Lively Lures recently opening a direct on line store (www.livelylures.com.au) visitors to the Expo can go home, log into the site and purchase whichever lures too their fancy, safe in the knowledge that they have handled the lures and know what they are getting.

To add to this for the collectors, Lively Lures will be displaying and selling a range of historic Lively Lures at the Expo. There are some lures that will be available for purchase that are over 25 years old. This will prove a very popular stand as literally pieces of Australian lure history will be sold off at the Expo.

With all models on show, the ability to add to your collection with some seriously old and valuable lures, the Lively Lures stand will be a must visit at the Expo.

This popular soft lipless crankbait will be on display at the show with an exciting new range of colours and a lure to suit your needs.

Originally designed to take advantage of the fantastic threadfin fishing in the Brisbane River, the Thready Buster lures have grown in popularity so that now there is hardly a sport fish that is not being targeted with them.

Tough, durable and Australian made, the Thready Buster lures provide a silent and lifelike option whether you’re fishing for bass, redfin, trout, flathead, threadfin salmon or mulloway right across our country.

Many anglers would know that tentative, nervous feeling you get when you cast an expensive plastic or spinnerbait into structure knowing you may never see your favourite lure again. Snagged or busted off lures can add up pretty quickly, so why not learn to make your own plastics and spinnerbaits for considerably less money?

U-Make-Em Soft Plastics stock everything you need to start making your own soft plastics or spinnerbaits, from pre-tested plastic moulds to spinner blades, lure skirts and glitters. Peter and the team are bringing a whole swag of stock to the 2012 Lure Expo, where they’ll be running how-to demonstrations on making spinnerbaits and plastics from start to finish.

U-Make-Em will also be offering some stock with great patron-only discounts, so if you’re looking to save a few bucks and cast lures confidently into heavy structure, pay their stand a visit.

Long standing and well respected tackle store, Charlton’s Tackle will be attending the Australian Lure Expo and they will have an exciting range of products for show visitors to check out and buy.

Below is a preview of some of the products Charlton’s will be taking to the show, but by no means is this list exhaustive. The stand will be a real commercial hub for visitors with many stand alone exhibitors selling their wares through the Charlton’s stand – a neat and easy way to allow visitors to purchase just about everything they will see at the show.

But it won’t be just lures, Charlton’s will be bringing a range of fishing accessories to help make your lure fishing all that much easier. From a selected range of rods and reels through to pliers, tackle retrievers, lines and leaders, Charlton’s will have it all.

So read on and discover some of the special offers and opportunities available at the Australian Lure Expo through the Charlton’s Tackle stand.

Reidy’s Lures has been around since cocky was an egg and making a big impact on Aussie lure fisher’s results since then.

More recently the Reidy’s team has developed a range of new lures for specific purposes. Examples of such lures include the immensely popular Big Ass B52 which was designed to target XOS barramundi, queenfish and other large predatory speedsters. Built super tough, this lure can handle the worst that Aussie fish can throw at it.

Other developments include the Reidy’s Weedies, a soft plastic lure that has been designed to be weed and snag free straight from the packet. It has an adjustable weight system that allows anglers to fish virtually anywhere for virtually any fish that eats plastic lures.

You can check out a range of Reidy’s Lures at the Expo on the Charlton’s Tackle stand or by logging onto www.reidyslures.com.

Tackle Tactics, manufacturer of TT Lures spinnerbaits, is a 100% Australian owned company that has been assembling spinnerbaits in Australia for over 12 years. There are currently three spinnerbait models in the TT Lures range that are specifically designed to meet the needs of Australian anglers.

Vortex spinnerbaits feature a compact frame that makes them ideal for targeting bass and golden perch. They are built on a Mustad Ultra Point chemically sharpened hook and are constructed from quality components. Vortex spinnerbaits are available in 5 weights and 20 colours.

Striker spinnerbaits are a mid-sized spinnerbait that are ideal for bass, golden perch, sooty grunter and solid enough to handle cod. They are built on an Eagle Claw Laser Sharp hook and feature the same quality components as the Vortex range. Strikers are available in 5 weights and 27 colours.

Tornado spinnerbaits are a ‘big fish’ spinnerbait, specifically designed for Murray cod. They feature a heavy-duty frame and double skirt for increased profile and water movement.

If you want to learn more about these lures, visit the team at Charlton’s Tackle at the Australian Lure Expo.

This will be an event not to miss for anyone keen on Australian lures; their use, the collection and their building. The event will be a melting pot of some of Australia’s best lure building and fishing talent and visitors will have the opportunity to learn about and purchase the best lures in the world.

Log onto www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/LureExpo for more information.

Fact Box

Venue

The Australian Lure Expo will be held at the Fernvale Community Hall. 32 Banks Creek Road, Fernvale Queensland. There are over 100 free public parking spots available right at the front door.

Admission

Dates

Saturday July 28

Sunday July 29

Fact Box

Exhibitors

FFSAQ Live Fish Display

Glenlyon Dam Store

Lure Making Demos - Power's Lures