Gary Yamamoto Lures

Gary Yamamoto Lures (Magic Lure Enterprises), handcrafted in Kailua, Hawaii by Gary S. Yamamoto since 1973, trace back to a single moment offshore. Running his bullet — which back then didn't even have eyes — on a friend's outrigger, it took a big screamer. "My friend just stood there and stared. 'Wow! Like magic,' he said." That was enough to convince Yamamoto to go into business, naming his company for the moment.

His scoop-front bullet was soon featured on the cover of a magazine and became so popular he couldn't keep up, leading him to modify it with an angled front. Yamamoto sold his boats and stepped away from trolling in 2016 after 45 years on the water, but never stopped making lures — and continues to mentor the next generation of Hawaiian lure makers today.

View the full history and identification guide for Gary Yamamoto in our Digital Archive