Collection: Hard Baits

In 1980, my father, Don R. Howell, my uncle, Dwight Howell, and our family friend, Joe McCall, formed the DDJ Plug Company and began producing the now-famous Carolina Killer crankbaits. By the mid-1980s, business had grown so quickly that they found themselves overwhelmed and had to decide whether to sell the company or leave their professional careers to work full-time in the fishing industry.

They ultimately sold the business to Paul Bucks of Spartanburg, SC, who continued producing the crankbaits until around 1990. In the late 1990s, my father, Joe, and I produced a small batch of baits for ourselves as we were running low on our favorite colors.

Fast-forward to 2010. My sons were eager to fish in high school bass tournaments, and once again I found myself running short on the best colors and sizes. With both my father and uncle having passed, I reached out to Joe McCall, and together we made another round of Killers. As my boys progressed through BASS and MLF high school and collegiate tours, we shared plugs with friends and mentors, and I soon found myself making small batches of crankbaits more and more frequently.

By 2025, I decided it was time to relaunch the Carolina Killer—only to learn that the name “Carolina” had been trademarked by the Betts Company for use on floats. After plenty of brainstorming and conversations with friends, I am proud to announce the launch of Trip Saver Tackle, home of the crankbaits formerly known as the Carolina Killer.

I’ve spent my entire life working, guiding, tying flies, and building rods—mostly on the fly-fishing side of the industry—while keeping bass fishing as something I did for relaxation and escape from the demands of running one of the top outfitters in the country. Now, along with our crankbaits, I’ll also be offering jigs, spinnerbaits, custom-built rods, and other tackle I’ve spent the last 30 years perfecting.