Rural Missouri - July 2023 - 42

with his father in 1973. Unbeknownst to the duo at the
time, the lure which was manufactured in Houston, Texas,
had already ceased production. Dixie Jets were still on
hand at grocery stores and bait shops in the Show-Me
State. Fishing strip pits near Calhoun, Tom found how
effective the lure was at landing lunker bass.
" We'd camp out and fish from the bank. We didn't have
a boat, but you can cast a Dixie Jet a long ways, " Tom
recalls. " That's how I started catching fish, and they catch
big fish. "
Once he'd received the blessing of the original manufacturer,
Schumacher Co., in 2009 Tom set to work. Using a
CAD program he modeled an original lure and recreated
the lure's cupping, bends and eye twists in marine grade
brass. Those elements are the keys to how the spoon -
modeled off of a gizzard shad - fools fish.
" The fall and flutter of an injured shad is what we try
to replicate. It falls slowly through the water column and
it's very consistent, " Tom says as he flicks his line into the
Lake of the Ozarks.
Between his own experience on the water and the photos
sent to him by guides and customers, he's found the
lure effective at landing everything from crappie to muskie
and anything in between. Soon, a white crappie hits the
aptly named Slab Spoon and is dancing on Tom's line. " If
a fish eats shad, they'll eat a Dixie Jet. You throw it out
there and you don't really know what might hit it. "
One year after he set out to resurrect Dixie Jet Lures,
the legend had returned to the lakes of Missouri. Today,
only one piece of the lure - the hook - is made in France.
The rest of the components are manufactured in the U.S.
and assembled by Tom's team in Richland. The angler fills
every order from his home.
To market the spoons, Tom went back to the source by
handing out lures to fishing guides on Bull Shoals and
Table Rock lakes. As word spread from the dock to the bait
shop, Tom found himself in a unique and enviable position:
rather than beat a path to the doors of major retailers
and distributors, Tom soon had some of the biggest names
including Bass Pro Shops, Pitman Creek and Sportsman's
Warehouse asking him for his product. Missouri-born pro
angler Cody Huff landing a 6-pound-plus largemouth bass
on TV using one of Dixie Jet's Talon Spoons didn't hurt
matters, Tom adds with a laugh.
" Life is good but I want to grow the business, " Tom
says. " Coca-Cola's vision statement is 'a Coke within
arm's reach' and my view is a Dixie Jet spoon within arm's
reach. I want to see this last forever. "
Dixie Jet Lures are available from retailers in 26 states.
For more information, or to download the product catalog,
visit www.dixiejetlures.com.
WATCH VIDEO
Richland
42 RURAL MISSOURI | JULY 2023
Scan to hit the water
with Tom Murphy
and a Dixie Jet Lure.
Top: The reverse of each Dixie Jet Lure bears the original stamp.
Above: The new Slab Spoon earns its name landing a white crappie.
http://www.dixiejetlures.com https://ruralmissouri.org/caught-in-the-usa/
Rural Missouri - July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - July 2023
