Great Fishing Gear Made In the Carolinas

The Carolinas boast a rich maritime heritage and are home to some of the finest saltwater and inshore fishing manufacturers in the world. From legendary offshore trolling skirts to precision terminal tackle, local companies build gear engineered specifically to handle the rugged Atlantic coast.

Here are the top fishing gear brands proudly made in North and South Carolina:

 Offshore & Trolling Lures

•  Blue Water Candy Lures (Holly Ridge, NC): Widely recognized as a staple for offshore anglers along the East Coast, they produce premium, hand-tied trolling lures, JAG skirts, and sea witches. Their gear is the gold standard for targeting dolphin (mahi-mahi), wahoo, tuna, and billfish.

• Clarkspoon (Morehead City, NC): Assembled and distributed directly on Little Nine Road. Their classic chrome and 24k gold-plated trolling spoons are mandatory tackle box items for catching Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish.

• C&H Lures / Sea Striker (Morehead City, NC): Sea Striker produces dependable terminal tackle, rigs, and tools, while their associated C&H line offers iconic offshore lures like the “King Catcher” and “Alien” series.

• Fathom Offshore (Wilmington, NC): This coastal company designs high-end, heavy-duty offshore trolling lures, custom injection-molded resin heads, and premium rigging accessories built to withstand massive pelagic strikes.

 Inshore & Soft Plastics

•  Z-Man Fishing Products (Ladson, SC): A massive innovator in the industry, Z-Man manufactures its revolutionary ElaZtech soft plastics in South Carolina. Baits like the DieZel MinnowZ and Trout Trick are incredibly buoyant, virtually indestructible, and absolute favorites for Carolinas’ redfish and speckled trout.

• Eye Strike Fishing (Summerville, SC): Known for their “Big Eye” philosophy, they create specialized jig heads designed to pair perfectly with ElaZtech plastics, capitalizing on a predatory fish’s instinct to strike the eye.

• Betts Reels & Lures (Fuquay-Varina, NC): A legendary family business spanning generations, Betts is famous worldwide for its handcrafted cast nets, Billy Boy floats, and panfish gear.

 Rods & Heavy Hardware

•  Star Rods (Morehead City, NC): Built specifically with coastal angling in mind, these rods have a massive regional following for everything from light inshore wading to heavy-duty offshore trolling and surf casting.

• Cashion Rods (Sanford, NC): One of the exceptionally rare rod manufacturers that handles the entire carbon fiber production process domestically, building highly regarded, ultra-sensitive bass and inshore rods.

• Wilmington Grill (Wilmington, NC): A premium manufacturer of marine-grade 304 stainless steel gas grills. Engineered to withstand the harshest salt-air environments, these heavy-duty grills are an absolute staple on Carolina docks, decks, and coastal patios for cooking up the day’s fresh catch.

 Support Local Makers: These local companies build gear engineered for our rugged coast. When you restock your tackle box or upgrade your deck, look for these homegrown Carolina labels at your local tackle shop.