The First Soft Plastic Lure Company Reopens after a Decade of Being Closed

Canal Fulton, Ohio August 10, 2021: Brothers Aaron and Brandon Futrell, along with their cousin
Stephen Ziegler are resurrecting the historic fishing brand, Delong Lures, after it has been closed for
over a decade, and bring it back to where it all began many years ago in northeast Ohio.
In 1946 in Akron, Ohio, David Delong poured the world& first soft plastic worm that would revolutionize
the fishing world. He would go on to found Delong Lures based in Cleveland, where his lures would
become a staple in bait and tackle stores across North America. In the 1950 he would move the
company to Centerville, Ohio, where it would operate for the next several decades, producing many iconic lures that many angles remember to this day.

In the early 1980s, Mr. Delong sold his company to a tire manufacturer in Warren, Michigan, which is just outside of Detroit. The company would continue to produce many of the same lures, but the demands of anglers began to shift towards other baits and the company focus began to move as well.  By the mid-1990s, Delong Lures was just a former shell of the great company. You could still find fishing lures, but few stores carried them, and you had to look hard to find them. Delong was no longer the house hold name it once was.

In 1998 the company was sold again and moved to Valparaiso, Indiana, where it saw a resurgence. Many of the old lures came back, and the owner introduced many new lures, including the now-famous
muskie line. Delong Lures was back, but the good time did not last. The economic crash of 2008 took its
toll on the owner, and DeLong was forced to close its doors in 2010.

Delong Lures would not remain closed but would instead return to where it began in northeast Ohio
when three enterprising outdoorsmen bought the company. Aaron, Brandon Futrell, and Stephen
Ziegler had been fishing with Delong Lures since high school, and when they found the company for sale,
they jumped at the chance to own their favorite lure company. When they discovered the company
history reopening, Delong became even more special.“We are bring the company full circle,” said Aaron. “Delong started in Northeast Ohio it is like we are bringing it home and we are excited for this next chapter and cannot wait to add to its iconic history.”

The trio set up shop in Canal Fulton, where they have started production and brought Delong Lures back to life, and it will not be long before you be able to find the world first soft plastic lure for sale in bait and tackle shops all across the country.

Many of the iconic lures are already back in production, including the Giant Witch, the Flying Witch,Twin Tails, and the Kilr Eels, which took the Muskie world by storm when they were introduced. All of the lures are produced using the original molds and are scented using David DeLong’s original formula.

Contact:
Stephen Ziegler
Sales@delonglures.com
(234) 788-9308
2381 Locust St
Canal Fulton, Ohio 44614

www.delonglures.com