I may be overly partial, but I think Mississippi is home to some of the most creative craftsmen on earth. Truly, there’s no limit to the variety of handmade products that flow from our state.
It always makes me so proud when I find those products displayed in stores around the country or when I see people from other states proudly post Mississippi-made goods online and attest to the great quality of craftsmanship that went into those products.
That is exactly how I heard about the amazing work of Cliff Pace – scrolling online and shopping for a gift. I followed the internet trail of several people who praised Pace’s craftsmanship until it led me right back to Wood Bait Country, the online store owned by Cliff and his wife, Tiffany.
Now, I might not look like much of a fisherman, but I love the sport. Plus, I raised two boys who enjoyed nothing better than slinging a line into the nearest lake. Believe it or not, I also know my fair share of professional fishermen. (I even taught one of two of them in my days as an English teacher.
So, when I read the multiple reviews of the Black Label Handmade Balsa Baits that Cliff Pace crafts, I was instantly hooked. (Please excuse the obvious pun.) I also quickly discovered that these balsa wood lures are well known and loved by fishermen around the country, including some of those in the Bassmaster pro-fishing circuit.
Just in case you don’t already know, Pace is one of those Bassmaster anglers. In fact, he has competed professionally since the early 2000’s and is an MLF Pro Tour winner. He was also the 2013 Bassmaster Classic champion!
His impressive fishing career aside, Pace’s hand-crafted lures are extraordinary – and so is the story behind those balsa beauties.
As he readily admits, Pace became obsessed with fishing and fishing lures at an early age. Not only was it an enjoyable pursuit, but it was also a challenging one. So, by the age of 15, he was coming up with lures he could not find elsewhere – for scenarios, conditions, and locations that he encountered in the fishing holes near his hometown of Petal, Mississippi.
For his senior project at Petal High School, Pace crafted his very first balsa wood baits, and they were just the beginning of his current line of Black Label Balsa lures. Believe it or not, all these years later, Pace still hand-paints and personally tunes every one of his Black Label lures sold via blacklabeltackle.com.
And get this! Each Black Label product is crafted through a stringent 45-step process, ensuring fishermen with a naturally snag-resistant product of the highest quality.
Now, that is Mississippi craftsmanship at its finest!
So, take a peek at the dozens and dozens of baits that Cliff and Tiffany Pace offer at (woodbaitcountry.com). While you are shopping through their shop’s extensive catalog of baits, check out his Black Label Tackle’s line of “Wreck” lures, which tend to be the favorites of many diehard Pace fans.
Also, make sure go to the Cliff Pace Fishing page on Facebook to learn more about this Mississippi man and his continued love for fishing and fishing lures.
