Ep. 89: Nick Trujillo of VikingHeads on Swim Jig Design & the CastNCrank Pivot

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

Nick Trujillo made the swim jig heads that Daniel runs — including the weed-guarded version he designed specifically for calico fishing. Episode 89, recorded live on June 17, 2025, is Nick’s second appearance on the show, covering the origin of VikingHeads, the weed guard that no one else had put on a swim jig head for calico, and why he stepped away from the CastNCrank podcast entirely to focus on bait making.

In This Episode

• The weed-guarded swim jig head for calico — Nick’s origin story: nobody had made a swim jig head with a weed guard designed for calico fishing. He made it himself. The weed guard allows fishing the head in the kelp and structure that calico actually live in — where standard swim jig heads would immediately foul
• VikingHeads origin — started making a fluke-style bait with a friend and got into jig heads from there. The bait making process starting from wanting something specific that didn’t exist and building it. Full pivot from podcasting to full-time bait development
• CastNCrank departure — Nick left the CastNCrank podcast network after the platform took 50% of ad revenue. The economics of podcast monetization through networks vs. independent operation. His observation: he lost the curiosity and enthusiasm for podcasting when the financial model stopped making sense
• Bait design philosophy — Nick’s approach: if someone says “this is the only bait you’ll ever need,” he’s immediately skeptical. The best bait maker is the angler who keeps testing, adjusting, and staying curious. Rigid attachment to one bait is a ceiling
• Sugar Shaker calico connection — Nick caught his first big calico on a Sugar Shaker. The memory of that fish connecting the bait to a specific moment. The way a successful presentation in a formative fishing experience shapes how you think about bait design going forward
• Bait condition and knowledge — Nick knows when his bait is rigged right versus wrong just from feel. The developed sensitivity of an experienced bait maker fishing his own product — when something’s off in the action, he knows before the first cast is over

Beyond the Rod & Reel with Nick Trujillo

The weed-guarded swim jig head is the central product contribution from this episode and it’s directly relevant to how [FISH]rx baits get fished. Daniel uses VikingHeads swim jig heads. The reason the weed guard matters is that calico live in structure — kelp, rocks, hard bottom. A swim jig head without a weed guard in that environment is a gear-loss machine. Nick solved a problem for the whole community by making something nobody else had bothered to make.

Nick’s podcast departure story is a useful data point for anyone thinking about content creation and monetization. The 50% network cut on ad revenue isn’t unusual in the podcast industry — but the consequence was that Nick lost his curiosity for the format. When the economics change the reason you’re doing something, the thing itself suffers. He made the cleaner call and went back to making baits.

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