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who designed the jig keeper?
Just what is a "Jig Keeper" and just how did it come to be?
The origination of a system of clear plastic tubes wrapped inside a soft fabric with a Velcro (or hook & loop) closure was inspired by two entreprenurial individuals in 1998. Shane Pase from Angler Sports and George Zanatta from Baja Action Gear working together developed this system to keep treble hooks from tangling with each other. The first two "systems" incorporated round plastic tubes wrapped in a lightweight material. The smaller 4-tube system and the 7-tube system named "Jig Keepers" worked great as there was absolutely nothing on the market at the time for treble hook nightmare. |
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| Over time, the semi-soft round tubes began to fade and crack (just as PVC does) from the increased sun and saltwater exposure. George Zanatta changed the tubes from a round tube to a square tube which proved to be a step forward from the original design. The square tubes which were connected using a large strip of hook and loop fastener were much more stable now. The exterior material was also improved upon as well as a configuration change to five and ten tubes. The name was changed slightly to the Xtreme series and the product line expanded due to angler demand. Now, four versions of the popular system were available. The Jig Keeper Xtreme 20 which was a total of ten tubes, held approximately 20 jigs. A "double" version was created, resembling a book, with to Xtreme 20's facing each other and was dubbed the name Xtreme 40. In addition, a five-tube system was created to hold 10 jigs and a "Big Game" system was created to handle even longer jigs. Mr. Zanatta was really on to something. |
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| During this time, Jeff Jost from Albackore Sportfishing Gear was watching these products grow in popularity and asked George if he would design a slightly different system specifically per Jeff's specifications. Jeff, being modular-in-mind, wanted his Jig Keepers to fit into his Albackore Tackle Backpacks and Bags. It needed to be the exact dimensions of a standard plastic utility box. After several months of discussion, an agreement was reached between George and Jeff. Jeff agreed to pay George Zanatta a royalty for each Jig Keeper system sold under the Albackore name. |
| In Spring 2005, Albackore Sportfishing Gear introduced the Jig Keeper Vertical and Jig Keeper Horizontal both of which fit in place of a standard plastic utility box like the ones inside the Tackle Backpacks and most fishing tackle bags. The Jig Keeper Vertical incorporated the same technology and ideas as the original system, but used slightly larger (1.25") and fewer (8) square tubes. The Jig Keeper Horizontal used a total of six tubes with a 10.5" length to house either large irons like the Tady 15 or long big game trolling lures. Both Albackore Jig Keepers are finished off like the rest of the Albackore products with a treated 600D Dacron fabric and a 210D Nylon interior. |
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The Albackore Jig Keepers, both Vertical and Horizontal are available throughout hundreds of fishing tackle shops. To find a local tackle shop in your area, please visit our Dealer Search page.
In Spring 0f 2006, the Jig Keeper, Vertical was additionally private-labeled to Pace Marine for housing their MegaBait Live Jigs. The Megabait Jig Keeper and eight MegaBait Live Jigs is sold as a single unit. Although Megabait filed for bankruptcy in 2006, the Megabait Jig Keepers can still be found in stores. |
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In the Summer of 2006, the company that was once contracted to manufacture all Shimano soft goods, HYI, introduced their Jig Holder under the brand name Open Water 606. Although most of the products Open Water produces are knock-offs of existing products, their price point is much lower. Subsequently, the manufacture quality of these products are also below most newer acceptable standards.
Since then, Shimano has copied the Open Water bag with their Shimano Bluewave Jig Bag (below left) in two sizes. They increased the quality somewhat and also the price. The year prior to all of this, Shimano created their "modular" line of bags, one of them being a square-tube-system jig holder (below right).
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| For more information regarding the manufacturers or products mentioned in this article, visit the following websites: |
Angler Sports (anglersports.com), the originator of the Backpack Tackle Box, also manufactures additonal products for fishing and the angling enthusiast.
Specs 'N Sports (jigkeeper.com or specsnsports.com) is the primary distributor and online dealer for the second generation Jig Keeper systems. You'll find several variations of the Jig Keeper products here.
HYI Open Water 606 is HYI's saltwater fishing accessories label. This brand was created after Shimano ended their contract with them. Prior to that, HYI was strictly an importer.
Shimano is the ultimate conglomerate in fishing tackle companies. They own a huge majority share and make everything from rods to reels, jigs and bags. |
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