Full Circle
Martin Locke here, most of you will know me as ‘Mr Solar’, the brand I started many years ago, designing and producing bobbins, accessories, metalware and bait.
After almost 40 years, things have come full circle, so here I am, back doing what I have always been most passionate about, that being, precision engineered ‘toys for the boys’ and for the bait I’m working in close collaboration with the incredibly knowledgeable and likeable lads from Munch Baits.
The goal is to continue ‘raising the bar’, with no copycat items, to bring you the best products possible to make your fishing even more enjoyable and successful than it is now.
My close-knit team of suppliers are all family businesses, who work to extremely high standards, ensuring top quality products throughout the range.
I wonder if that’s possible?
I’m often asked, how do I come up with the ideas. The answer is easy, it’s when I’m out fishing…
I ’m always looking for ways to improve how we do things. As a qualified engineer, I grew up in machine shops, so working with metal and its design possibilities, comes naturally.
From idea to production, the story is always the same. First the ‘I wonder if that’s possible’ thought process, followed by sketches, then, working with and my ace CAD man ‘Picasso Pete’, we turn the ideas into meticulously detailed component drawings.
From there, it’s onto the prototyping of sample parts, once we’ve got those, it’s out to the lake we go for testing and feedback.
It’s there that any further development notes are made. The drawings are then updated and the parts re-made where necessary until I’m 110% happy with the final finished products, which are then rigorously tested, to ensure everything is performing as I would expect.
Lastly comes the branding - It’s at this point, using laser etching technology, that the ‘Lucky’ bobbins and all the accessories come alive and ready for production.
Nothing more to it really!
When the bait is ‘right’
The bait side of things comes from an ongoing lifetime obsession to catch more carp, it’s like trying to find the ‘holy grail’ of baits.
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to fish with some outstanding and pioneering anglers, on waters where catching more than a handful of sought after fish a year was considered a successful season. I’ve seen what can be done when the bait is ‘right’.
Through fishing with these exceptional and forward-thinking anglers, I’ve been lucky enough to be ‘in at the start’ of best kept secrets and edges. I’ve seen what a difference even the smallest change of a formulation or tiny addition of an enhancer or two, can make and been blown away with results time and time again.
Looking back on it, I’m happy to say that I’ve come up with a few half decent baits in my time!
From the original ‘Savay Seed Mixes’, the ‘Mixmasters , including the incredibly successful Squid/Octopus & E12 flavours, Top Banana, Quench, Red Herring, through to the famous Club mix and liquids such as M17 etc. I could go on.
Through the credibility of those baits, I’m proud and humbled to say, that some of the most successful and well respected anglers, both in the UK and in Europe, put their reputation and trust in my knowledge.
What I’m trying to explain, is that you can be assured, that there is as much thought and attention to detail put into bait formulation, as there is with tackle development, which is why I am more than pleased to have teamed up with the Munch Bait boys.
It was clear from the start, that we share the same way of thinking, the same passion and motivation, so it was a ‘no brainier’ to collaborate our combined knowledge and enthusiasm. No holds barred, no corners cut, and without compromise, these baits will be the very best that we can possibly produce.
My passion for carp fishing is unrelenting, whatever the conditions, I’m out there doing it.
When all the effort, determination and confidence in the bait come together it always results in success.
Please note that all ‘Lucky Lockey’ bait products will be exclusively available through the Munch Baits website.
IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO WAITING FOR THAT BOBBIN TO SLAM UP AGAINST THE ROD BUTT...
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for staying with me, hope you like the products and best of luck out there!
