MAUI, HAWAII — ACTIVE YEARS 1995 – PRESENT

Ganku Lures are among the most artistically designed trolling lures anywhere — "imaginary masterpieces," as one big-game retailer put it. Leighton Nakamoto, born on Oʻahu and raised on Maui, comes from a deep fishing family — his grandfather crewed the Orion and Tradewind aku boats back in the 1960s — and started making lures under the Ganku label in 1995.

He's a perfectionist, known across the lure world for craftsmanship and detail, and above all for his eyes, which are genuinely works of art. Some Gankus mimic a specific baitfish; others are pure abstract color. He focuses on lures nine inches and under, built to put meat in the box and food on the table, and they deliver: Gankus have accounted for 200-plus-pound ahi and marlin pushing 900 pounds, with plenty of tournament wins along the way.

His shapes include the Bumbucha (a wide, heavy bullet with a sharp double-cut angle that handles any sea), the Long Bullet (a slow, traditional single-taper), the Can Pusher (a heavy flat-nose), and the Longneck Cut Face — many offered in both round- and square-lead-insert versions. Output is limited; lure-making is, in his own words, a "hobby" job, which only makes a genuine Ganku more of a prize.

As a museum and archive, we're honored to document Leighton Nakamoto and Ganku Lures, where Hawaiian lure making becomes fine art.

Notable shapes: Bumbucha (bullet), Long Bullet, Can Pusher, Longneck Cut Face, Cuttlefish Bullet

Identification tips:

• The eyes are the signature — extraordinarily detailed, true works of art
• Artistic, often baitfish-mimicking or boldly abstract color work; mostly 9" and under
• Some models come in both round- and square-lead-insert versions (a weight/feel difference); limited output

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