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THE FISHGUM STORY AND WHAT MAKES OUR BAIT DIFFERENT THAN THE REST
THE IDEA
ONE BAIT. EVERY ADVANTAGE
IN THE SPRING OF 2016, TONY FAGGIONI WAS SURF FISHING THE BEACHES OF NAVARRE, FLORIDA, ROTATING THROUGH DIFFERENT BAITS IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT COMBINATION. THAT'S WHEN THE IDEA HIT HIM:
"WHAT IF ONE BAIT COULD COMBINE THE SCENT OF ALL MY FAVORITE BAITS?"
THAT SINGLE QUESTION SPARKED THE BEGINNING OF FISHGUM. TONY SET OUT TO CREATE A BAIT UNLINE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE MARKET. ONE CAPABLE OF COMBINING MULTIPLE PROVEN FISH-ATTRACTING SCENTS INTO A SINGLE, DRUABLE PRODUCT BUILT FOR SURF FISHERMAN COAST TO COAST.
THE PROCESS
FROM KITCHEN EXPERIMENTS TO BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA
WHAT STARTED AS AN IDEA QUICKLY BECAME AN OBSESSION. THE FAGGIONI FAMILY KITCHEN TURNED INTO A MAKESHIFT BAIT LAB, WHILE THE GULF OF MEXICO BECAME THE ULTIMATE TESTING GROUND.
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, TONY WENT THROUGH:
- 500+ BAIT-MAKING ATTEMPTS
- COUNTLESS HOURS OF SURF TESTING
- MULTIPLE FORMULA FAILURES
- AND THREE UNEXPECTED "GOD-GIVEN MISTAKES" THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE BREAKTHROUGH
EACH VERSION BROUGHT HIM CLOSER TO CREATING THE FINAL FORMULA THAT WOULD BECOME FISHGUM, A BAIT LOADED WITH THE SCENTS OF SHRIMP, CLAM, CRAB, SAND FLEAS, AND MORE.
BY 2018, THE FIRST WORKING PROTOTYPE WAS READY.
BUILT BY ANGLERS
A COMMUNITY THAT HELPED CREATE FISHGUM
IN THE FALL OF 2018, TONY INTRODUCED FISHGUM TO THE YOUTUBE FISHING COMMUNITY AND INVITED FISHERMAN ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO HELP FIELD TEST THE BAIT IN REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS.
FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, SUBSCRIBERS, SURF FISHERMEN, AND FRIENDS HELPED REFINE THE PRODUCT THROUGH CONSTANT FEEDBACK AND ON THE WATER TESTING. TOGETHER, THEY HELPED SHAPE FISHGUM INTO THE BAIT ANGLERS KNOW TODAY.
BY SPRING OF 2020, THE FIRST PACKS OF FISHGUM HIT ONLINE STORES AND LOCAL TACKLE SHOPS. WHAT BEGAN AS ONE FISHERMAN'S IDEA BECAME A GROWING MOVEMENT WITH ONE MISSION: EXCITE THE STRIKE!