About Us
In 2021, Bizz Baits merged with True South Custom Lures, and owner John Martin became business partners. After knowing each other for years as friends and business owners, they felt that it was time to better serve the bass fishing community with a larger, more encompassing line of baits. Each year, Bizz Baits continues to grow by designing, developing and selling unique lines of hand-crafted bass lures across the country.
Brian, John and their growing team are committed to delivering the best hand-crafted bass baits in the industry. When you buy from Bizz Baits, you become part of an incredible story - something all anglers love! Check out our products or drop us a line. We would love to hear from you!
Bizz Baits’ lures are individually made and packaged by people right here in Huntersville, North Carolina. When you receive your bait in the mail, rest assured knowing that not only are hours of product research and testing done, but your product is made by someone who loves the sport as much as you do. We stand by the quality of our baits and the integrity of our staff.
On a Mission
Bizz Baits is on a mission to craft the best bass fishing lures made in the USA. Hand-inspected with attention to detail, this family-owned business is committed to quality, integrity and community.
About Us
Bizz Baits started at a cabin resort on the shores of Wildcat Lake in northern Wisconsin - well, sort of. The love of bass fishing for founder and owner Brian Souza started on the shores of Wildcat Lake and years later, that love inspired a project in college which would turn into the successful business you know and trust today. But as every good angler knows, there’s a story to be told first.
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Fishing for Brian Souza was more than a hobby - it was a way of life. As a young teenager, he started working at the same resort his parents vacationed at every summer - and where he learned to really love bass fishing. After work whether it was bussing tables or doing dishes, a rod and reel were waiting to pass away the never ending summer sunsets in northern Wisconsin.
His love for fishing and hard work ethic followed him back to Illinois where he attended Harper College in Schaumburg, IL and started to take business classes. One of his projects was to create a fake business to demonstrate lessons learned that semester and Bizz Baits was born. His mom even gave him business cards with a logo for Christmas. Nothing beats a mother’s love - except maybe finally catching that 10 pounder. However, at that point, “fake” was all Bizz Baits was.
At a few trade shows that Brian attended as purely an angler looking for more equipment, he met a guy who made his own baits. Winter in Illinois can be long and drawn, so he started to do what every good Midwesterner excels at - tinkering. He bought molds and plastics and used the time to learn the art of making lures. At first, the lures he made were just passed along to friends and family but over time, the idea of turning Bizz Baits into a real business became more attainable. His baits were in demand and he loved doing it.
After graduating from Illinois State University where he also helped start the bass fishing team, he and his wife Ellie decided that now was the time to pursue his dream. She started working as a nurse and while he waited tables full time, he put his nose to the grind and made Bizz Baits a full-fledgling business out of their one-bedroom apartment in Bloomington, IL.
This would continue over the next several years until the Souzas decided on a big change. For five years, Bizz Baits was a full-time job without a full-time paycheck. From working in his dad’s garage, to the apartment he shared with his wife, to his grandma’s basement, Bizz Baits was finally at a crossroads and Brian and Ellie were ready for a change.
After they tied the knot in 2015, they decided to move to a suburb of Charlotte, NC. Better weather and better bass fishing were hopefully a sign for better things on the horizon. The business continued to grow to the point where Bizz Baits finally had an opportunity to have its own warehouse space. As luck would have it, that space was located next to a tackle shop. Between an already growing set of customers in the Wisconsin/Illinois region and now word of mouth customers from his next-door neighbors, Brian decided to finally launch Bizz Baits as a full-time business.
Our Team
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Our Values
Quality
Each lure is researched and tested, ensuring the finest quality in the industry. At the end of the day, you want to catch more fish and that’s what our baits are designed to do.
Integrity
We stand by our products and customer experienceservice. If you have any feedback about our products or how we can do better, feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you.
Community
We partner with a local organization that utilizes the talents and skills of adults with intellectual disabilities to hand-pack baits into every package. every single baitlure. We are proud to support not only our community of anglers but our local community as well.
Our History
Fishing for Brian Souza was more than a hobby - it was a way of life. As a young teenager, he started working at the same resort his parents vacationed at every summer - and where he learned to really love bass fishing. After work whether it was bussing tables or doing dishes, a rod and reel were waiting to pass away the never ending summer sunsets in northern Wisconsin.
Bizz Baits started at a cabin resort on the shores of Wildcat Lake in northern Wisconsin - well, sort of. The love of bass fishing for founder and owner Brian Souza started on the shores of Wildcat Lake and years later, that love inspired a project in college which would turn into the successful business you know and trust today. But as every good angler knows, there’s a story to be told first.
At a few trade shows that Brian attended as purely an angler looking for more equipment, he met a guy who made his own baits. Winter in Illinois can be long and drawn, so he started to do what every good Midwesterner excels at - tinkering. He bought molds and plastics and used the time to learn the art of making lures while transferring to Illinois State University to complete his education. At first, the lures he made were just passed along to friends and family but over time, the idea of turning Bizz Baits into a real business became more attainable. Even more so when Brian won first place in the Business Plan Competition for Entrepreneurship Day. His baits were in demand and he loved doing it.
His love for fishing and hard work ethic followed him back to Illinois where he attended Harper College in Schaumburg, IL and started to take business classes. One of his projects was to create a fake business to demonstrate lessons learned that semester and Bizz Baits was born. His mom even gave him business cards with a logo for Christmas. Nothing beats a mother’s love - except maybe finally catching that 10 pounder. However, at that point, “fake” was all Bizz Baits was.
This would continue over the next several years until the Souzas decided on a big change. For five years, Bizz Baits was a full-time job without a full-time paycheck. From working in his dad’s garage, to the apartment he shared with his wife, to his grandma’s basement, Bizz Baits was finally at a crossroads and Brian and Ellie were ready for a change.
After graduating from Illinois State University where he also helped start the bass fishing team, he and his wife Ellie decided that now was the time to pursue his dream. She started working as a nurse and while he waited tables full time, he put his nose to the grind and made Bizz Baits a full-fledgling business out of their one-bedroom apartment in Bloomington, IL.
After they tied the knot in 2015, they decided to move to a suburb of Charlotte, NC. Better weather and better bass fishing were hopefully a sign for better things on the horizon. The business continued to grow to the point where Bizz Baits finally had an opportunity to have its own warehouse space. As luck would have it, that space was located next to a tackle shop. Between an already growing set of customers in the Wisconsin/Illinois region and now word of mouth customers from his next-door neighbors, Brian decided to finally launch Bizz Baits as a full-time business.
