Wahoo
The company Wahoo Fishing Products, Inc. was founded by Ric Welle, who, as a student, began manufacturing fishing lures in his basement in 1967 under the name R.J. Tackle. In 1968, after acquiring the Barracuda Jig company in Florida, his business flourished due to the popularity of the company's handmade saltwater jigging lures.
In 1973, Ric, along with his partner, created the famous Mister Twister, an innovative plastic lure that revolutionized the entire fishing world. In 1983, the Mister Twister business was acquired by Sheldons (Mepps).
R.J. Tackle continued to release other lure lines. In 1985, the trademarks WAZP and Key Largo were registered for freshwater and saltwater lures, respectively. Today, the company’s products are known under the names WAHOO, WAZP, Key Largo, Class Tackle, Premium Select, Prizm Image, and others.
