In this episode we're joined by Ben Patrick — owner of Halco Tackle.
Halco is the most iconic fishing lure brand to ever come out of Western Australia. If you've ever tied on a Laser Pro, a Twisty, or a Rooster Popper, you've got Ben, his family & Hal cooper to thank for it.
Ben is the second generation owner of Halco Tackle, a brand founded in 1950 by Hal Cooper in his garage in Mosman Park. Today, Halco sells to over 80 countries, designs everything in-house out of their Fremantl HQ and manufactures out of their own factory in Batam, Indonesia. Halco lures are distrubted & fished hard all over the world.
In this episode with Ben Patrick we discuss…
The origin story of Halco — from Hal Cooper's garage in Mosman Park to a globally recognised lure brand
How Ben's dad Neil purchased the company in 1980 and the lures that defined that era
Ben buying the business with his family in 2002 and taking it global
The challenges of cracking the US market and what makes American anglers different
Ben's earliest fishing memories — the Abrolhos Islands, 30lb mackerel in Grade 5, and a 48-year-old boat called Safari Two
The real story behind the Rooster Popper — how it came to be, why it took a year to get right, and why it's now the best-selling mass-produced popper in the world
Lure design philosophy — what most anglers misunderstand about buoyancy, weight, and balance
Why clean water is the single most important factor for chasing metro Spanish mackerel on lures
Ben's Spanish mackerel trolling spread and the stick bait tip Craig White swears by
The Abrolhos Islands — how the fishery has changed, why the baldies are better than ever, and the Batavia shipwreck story
The Iconic Twisty — how it's still made the same way Hal Cooper invented it in 1950, and why Ben nearly dropped it from the range
Live scoping and how sounder technology is changing lure design
Noodling for catfish in Texas
Ben's most memorable fish — a 180lb tarpon in Panama on a Laser Pro 160
Why the red and white Laser Pro catches more fish
A limited edition Halco Twisty idea that the boys pitched to ben on air
Ben's wood duck moment — sniping a drone on national television with a Rooster Popper
Plus we give away an epic Daiwa Saltiga Topwater lure pack for the best listener question submitted through our Instagram @TallTailsPodcast thanks to Daiwa Australia
halcotackle.com
TALL TAILS!
Honouring the past & acknowledging the future of Australian Fishing Culture.
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INTRO TUNE
🥩 Red Bellied Black Snake - The Beefs 🥩
Courtesy of Sam Smith
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