Rick Albers, owner of Chaos Tackle and Esox Assault Tackle, has announced the purchase of Custom X Lures and Rods from Chuck DiVito.

The sale — which includes the entire line of Custom X crankbaits and rods — became official in early May, and the purchase price was not disclosed.

“Custom X has produced high quality baits that fit our product line perfectly. Plus, we think the line can be expanded. There is a tremendous upside,” Albers said when asked why he bought the company.

Albers said he has always felt that the Custom X trolling baits “are the class of the lure type.” He said he planned to expand the number of sizes in which Custom X lures are offered, as well as introduce a line of twitchbaits.

“We plan no changes in how the baits are made,” Albers said. “We literally are changing nothing outside of who’s doing the painting. It’s always been a good bait … really, what could we do with it [to make it better]?”

Albers sees the Custom X rods meshing perfectly with the Assault Sticks produced by Chaos Tackle, another company that he purchased recently. “The Assault Sticks are more of a ‘working class’ rod, whereas the Custom X rods are of extreme high quality. I think the two lines will complement each other well,” he said.

For more information, visit www.customxlures.com, www.esoxassault.com or www.chaostackle.com