Local anglers rely on shrimp imitations this time of year when inshore speckled trout are keyed in on
            brown shrimp. Capt. Travis Miller is a fan of a Louisiana-made bait called an Endura Shrimp.
(Photo by Todd Masson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) (Todd Masson)

Over the years, Jimmie has become somewhat of a local legend in and around Eunice, La.  Jimmie would give various soft plastic lures to friends and fishing buddies.  Having many offers for purchases over the years, Jimmie maintained his “hobby” by refusing to sell them.

This all changed by force of nature, when a friend needed a replacement for another popular shrimp-under-a-cork combo.  The other popular shrimp would constantly slip and slide off the hook when a fish was caught.  Jimmie gave the friend several shrimp of various colors to bring on an excursion to Cocodrie, La.


                

To make a long story short, many fish were caught that weekend without any hassle with the shrimp lures.  The fishermen were so pleased with the shrimp that they requested he make them an additional 50 in glow with a chartreuse tail.

These eventually made their way into the hands of a local fishing guide, who in turn passed them to a somewhat famous Louisiana lure designer, who immediately recognized the superiority of the lure.

                  

This forced the hand of the crafty saltwater enthusiast from Eunice, La.  Eric, his son, convinced him to go into the lure making business.  Jimmie conceded.  He and Eric started Endura Lures and gave the name Hook-Loc to the shrimp, which now has an official patent pending and a trademark name.

This may be the most effective lure setup on the gulf coast.  It can be fished tight-lined or under a cork for Redfish, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, Cobia and flounder.