Ep. 114: Trevor Otwell of Peak Baits on Building Resin Baits in Connecticut

Guest: Trevor Otwell (Peak Baits)

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Episode 114 crossed the country. Trevor Otwell of Peak Baits joined from Connecticut to talk resin bait building, the origin story of the Summit crankbait, and how a broken wrist turned into a full bait-making operation inside a tattoo shop.

In This Episode

• How Trevor got into resin bait building: started painting blanks after a fishing injury, moved to clay modeling, and went from there
• The Summit crankbait: floats, cranks down to about six feet, and can wake on a slow retrieve
• Why a slower retrieve produces more bites on wake baits: “when you think you’re going slow enough, slow it down a little more”
• The clip-to-clip debate: when clips help, when they don’t, and why you should never tie a Texas rig to a clip
• Peak Baits now stocks Bait Slingers product in Connecticut: two designs not available in SoCal shops
• Tackle Cave USA soft opening in Huntington Beach: Daniel drops off baits
• 8″ RX Slug in the water and catching fish: first official reveal on the show
• Spotty Bowl kicking off: sign-up details and what to expect from the competition format

From a Broken Wrist to a Bait-Making Operation

Trevor’s origin story was one of the more unexpected ones the show has heard. He broke his wrist and elbow slipping on a wet rock while fishing at 5 AM, grabbed a tree on the way down, and that was it. Couldn’t tattoo for months. Started painting blanks, moved to carving wood (“too unforgiving”), moved to clay, and then fell down the resin rabbit hole. He now runs a bait operation out of the back of his tattoo shop in New Britain, Connecticut, which is also the newest home for Bait Slingers product — two colorways not available anywhere in SoCal.

That progression, material by material, is really a story about finding the medium that lets the design do what he actually wants it to do. Wood couldn’t take the detail. Clay couldn’t take the durability. Resin could do both, which is how the Summit crankbait ended up as a bait that floats, cranks down to about six feet, and can also wake on a slow retrieve.

What the Clip Debate Was Really About

The clip conversation was peak Time on the Water chaos, but there was real technique buried in it. Daniel’s actual point before things went sideways: he runs clips on bladed jigs because the free-swinging action matters. He won’t use clip-to-clip, he won’t tie a Texas rig to a clip, but for moving baits where that pivot point affects the bait’s swim, the clip earns its place. Trevor, for his part, just wanted to fish.

The underlying principle is the same one that comes up in the bladed jig guide: small hardware changes affect how a bait moves. Whether you run a clip or tie direct, the pivot point is part of the presentation, not just a convenience decision.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because it connects lure building and lure fishing in a practical way. The same details that matter when making a bait, shape, balance, retrieve speed, pivot point, are the same details that determine whether it actually produces on the water.

If you fish moving baits, wake baits, or bladed jigs, the takeaway is simple: small hardware and presentation changes can completely change how a lure behaves. For related context, the bladed jig guide, spotted bay bass guide, and SoCal structure fishing guide all connect naturally to the ideas in this episode.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.