Environmentally Friendly Soft Plastic Fishing Bait

Entrepreneur Ben Hobbins, president and CEO of Waunakee-based Lake Resources Group, has developed a new soft plastic fishing lure which he plans to be in sporting goods stores very soon. Hobbins worked with University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering and business school faculty and students to perfect a fiber-reinforced fishing lure that will prevent millions of pounds of toxic plastics from polluting waters nationwide. Most lures on the market today are easily torn or ripped off of the hook and end up on the bottom of our lakes and rivers.

Key to the technology is tiny microfibers embedded in the soft-plastic material. They're placed in the plastic in such a way that you still have a flexible lure, but it will not rip. It is estimated that each year more than 12,000 tons of rubbery "soft baits" land at the bottom of lakes, streams and rivers.

In the "soft lure" category at last year's ICAST, Hobbins' lures - called "IronClads" - finished runner-up to an entry from international fishing giant Pure Fishing. Since then, he has received accolades for the IronClads in outdoors publications and shows nationwide. Most recently, he earned the Best in Show Award at the 2008 Chicagoland Outdoors Show. It looks like Ben Hobbins and the University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering and business school have come up with a winner for the environment. I'm sure we'll hear more about this soft plastic lure in the months to come.