KONA, HAWAII — ACTIVE YEARS EARLY 2000s – PRESENT

Ali'i Kai Lures are the work of Capt. Shawn Rotella, a veteran Kona charter captain — his boat is the Night Runner — who has fished Hawaiian waters for more than two decades. He came to lure making with a resin background, having shaped surfboards, and crossed paths with the late Tom Futa, who helped get him started. Before Futa retired, Rotella bought many of his molds, along with the wooden shape masters used to duplicate them, so a number of Futa's shapes live on through Ali'i Kai.

Rotella has spent the last decade-plus running charters and refining his baits, and in 2020 he won Kona's Lure Maker's Challenge, fishing nothing but his own Ali'i Kai lures for three days to take first place.

His lineup runs to keel-weighted jetted bullets — the 6-Shooter, Kai Nui, and Disco Ball among them — along with hard heads and plungers, dressed in Flashabou and built to work the corners, riggers, and stinger. They're fished by tournament captains across Hawaii and beyond.

As a museum and archive, we're honored to document Capt. Shawn Rotella and Ali'i Kai Lures — a Kona charter captain and maker who carries some of Tom Futa's shapes forward. As an official distributor of Alii Kai lures, Luremonger is proud to offer their handcrafted, fish-proven work to anglers who demand the very best.

Notable shapes: Jetted bullets — 6-Shooter, Kai Nui, Disco Ball, Gatling Gun; hard heads; plungers; Peanut

Identification tips:

• "Ali'i Kai" / Capt. Shawn Rotella; keel-weighted jetted bullets (4- and 6-jet) with Flashabou skirts
• Some shapes trace directly to Tom Futa's molds (Rotella bought them) — a point of overlap to keep in mind on ID

Below, you’ll find our ever-growing digital archive showcasing every lure that has come through our shop. This collection is constantly evolving as new lures arrive, making it a living record of rare, limited-production lures. We will continue updating this database regularly, building what we aim to be the largest digital archive of offshore trolling lures in the world.

If you have any further information or any lures you believe deserve to be showcased, please reach out to us at ren@luremonger.com