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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Live Line Baits’ new owners say business is rebounding

By NIna Culver For The Spokesman-Review

A small fishing lure company in Newman Lake struggled to stay afloat when orders dried up during the early stages of the pandemic, but orders have started to come in since fishing reopened.

It was particularly bad timing for Live Line Baits owners James Calistro and his longtime partner, Charlie Perry. The couple just purchased the business in January.

“The previous owner had it for 22 years,” Calistro said. “It was in business a dozen years before that under another name.”

The previous owner, Scott Curl, had shops in Newman Lake, Virginia and Colorado. He shut down the other two as he got older. Then he sold his business and his equipment to Calistro and Perry.

“He decided to retire and he wanted us to pick it up and carry it through.”

The couple didn’t quit their day jobs, he as a machinist and she as an employee at a plastics company, and that turned out to be a good thing.

“We spent basically our life savings, but then by March everything shut down,” he said. “We went for a couple months without an order. Who is going to buy bait when you can’t fish? It about killed us.”

The cancellation of the Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show also hit them hard, since they had invested money in building up their inventory and creating a display for their booth. “It’s been an experience, that’s for sure,” Perry said.

But now the couple is back in their shop on nights and weekends creating plastic bait.

“This is the grassroots of tackle crafting right here,” Calistro said. “It’s a small operation.”

They melt plastic into liquid, then either dip metal pins into the molten plastic to form tubes that will be fashioned into lures or pour the plastic into large molds that can make a dozen pieces of bait at a time. Often various shades of glitter are mixed into the plastic, which also comes in a variety of colors.

“Fish do see color,” Calistro said. “They are actually finicky. You’ve got to figure out what they want.”

People can also order custom bait. Their most popular is their crappie jig, a small lure that is also suitable for perch and trout. They make large lures for larger fish like bass. “We have a fairly large variety of bait,” Perry said. “We can do custom colors.”

The couple make every effort to buy their supplies locally. “Our card stock is all local, our bags are local, our hooks are local,” Perry said.

“As much as we can buy local, we do,” Calistro said. “Everything is American made.”

Their bait is available in a variety of locations, including the Conoco gas station at Trent Avenue and Starr Road and the Exxon station in Hauser. People can also visit their Facebook page or call (509) 621-0042.

The couple bought the company because they love fishing. “We both enjoy fishing,” Calistro said. “I used to be in a bass club and fish in tournaments.”

Perry said she can’t wait to get the boat out and go fishing.

“I like the fishing, just to sit and be quiet,” she said. “If I catch a fish, that’s a bonus.”

They’re always looking for feedback on how their bait is working.

“We have people who go out and fish for us and tell us how our bait is doing,” Perry said. “They’ve all caught fish this year.”

Now the focus is on recovering the company from the COVID-19 shutdown. Eventually, Calistro would like to build the business up enough that he and Perry can quit their day jobs.

“It would be nice to grow this little company,” he said. “I think we make a good product.”