Arkie Lures
The History: Born in Arkansas, Built for Bass
The story of Arkie Lures begins in the early 1960s in the heart of the American South, in Springdale, Arkansas. The founder, Arnold D. "Arkie" Williams (whose nickname gave the company its name), set out to solve a common problem for bass anglers: creating a lure that could consistently penetrate heavy cover brush, stumps, and dense timber without snagging.
In 1964, Williams successfully introduced the Arkie Jig, a design that quickly revolutionized bass fishing. Unlike earlier, cumbersome jigs, the Arkie design offered a unique combination of a streamlined head shape and an effective fiber weedguard. This allowed anglers to present a tempting, compact meal directly to trophy bass hiding in the thickest brush piles.
Arkie Lures quickly became a staple across the Southern United States, providing professional and amateur anglers alike with affordable, high-quality jigs and accompanying soft plastics. The company’s focus remains simple: engineering specialized, weedless baits that provoke strikes in heavy cover.
The Arkie Jig is a fundamental piece of terminal tackle, often copied but rarely equaled in its simplicity and effectiveness.
The key innovation lies in the fiber weedguard. This collection of synthetic bristles extends from the head over the hook point, allowing the jig to slide effortlessly over submerged logs and through dense vegetation without snagging, all while remaining flexible enough to collapse completely upon a strong bass strike.
While modern jigs come in many variations, the original Arkie head often featured a specific round or bullet profile designed to slip through tight openings. When fished, the jig resembles a crawfish or a compact baitfish feeding on the bottom.
Versatility in the South: The Arkie Jig is typically paired with a soft plastic trailer (like a craw or grub), creating a compact, life-like presentation that is deadly when pitched or flipped into heavy brush, making it a cornerstone technique for securing tournament-winning bass.
