Opening Cast – July 2025

“Looking behind the curtain” is an expression that means to see or reveal the true nature, inner workings, or secrets of something that is usually hidden or not openly known.

I was privileged to get a look behind the curtain at the Pure Fishing/Berkley Labs operation in Spirit Lake, Iowa recently. It was fascinating to see the technology and expertise involved in cranking out soft plastics for anglers around the world.

The most incredible thing I learned is that, according to Plant Manager Derek Heronimus, the facility manufactures enough fishing line every year to circle the Earth 109 times. A friend did the math and calculated that is 2,834,000 miles of fishing line every year!

That tidbit was just the tip of the iceburg. The research and technology that goes into making Berkley lures was mind-boggling. They execute rigorous, quantitative analysis of every product they make. If they say they are the best at something, they probably have the scientific research to back it up.

More impressive than the technology, however, was the dedication to the job. Every person on our tour had been with the company 10, 20 or more than 30 years. It was clear they were passionate about, and proud of, what they do.

Perhaps tops among that list is John Prochnow.

Prochnow is a professional chemist and Product Development Manager for Berkley, and the inventor of Power Bait. Since 1986 Prochnow has spent nearly every working day living in a lab with thousands of fish. In 2022 he was inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, one of fishing’s highest honors.

Prochnow was a little taken aback when I asked him if his job is fun. But here’s his answer:

Berkley is a powerhouse in the world of walleye fishing. While visiting I caught my new personal best walleye using one of their brand new lures called the Rawler (scheduled for release this Fall). That wasn’t the only one we caught.

Berkley makes fishing lures for virtually every fish that swims, including crappie. While walleye and bass seem to overwhelm their marketing efforts, there are plenty of offerings for the crappie addicts too. Not the least of which is Gulp.

For the record, the manufacturing process for Gulp was one of the few things we DID NOT GET TO SEE on our visit. That secret recipe remains a secret. But I’ll be sharing other stuff you might want to add to your tackle box in future issues.