Behind the Bait: How Zion & Xavier Dunaway Built Southern Indiana Bait Company from the Ground Up
, 5 min reading time
Behind the Bait:
How Two Brothers Turned a $200 Investment into One of Indiana's Most Promising Bait Companies
Every Lure has a story...and we're here for it.
When you hold a bag of soft plastics from Southern Indiana Bait Company, you're holding more than a fishing lure.
You're holding the result of two brothers who believed a hobby could become something bigger.
For Zion and Xavier Dunaway, it all started with a simple goal: save a little money on fishing.
As junior high and high school students, they invested a couple hundred dollars into a few standard molds so they could pour their own soft plastics instead of making another trip to the tackle shop.
They weren't trying to build a business.
They were just two brothers who loved to fish.
Little did they know, those first pours would become the foundation of Southern Indiana Bait Company.
A Hobby That Grew Faster Than Expected
What began as a way to save money quickly became something much bigger.
As the brothers shared photos of their handmade baits online and with fellow anglers, demand started to grow. Friends wanted them. Tournament anglers wanted them. Local fishermen began asking for custom colors and different styles.
Within two years, what started in a garage had grown enough that the brothers officially formed Southern Indiana Bait Company as an LLC.
Like many small businesses, it wasn't built in a fancy warehouse.
It was built in the family garage—with molds, glitter, colorant, and plenty of late nights. On shipping days, the kitchen table became part of the operation, and even their mom pitched in to help keep production moving.
That's what a true family business looks like.
Winning More Than a Competition
In 2021, the brothers entered Indiana's Innovate WithIN statewide high school business pitch competition.
Out of more than 800 students representing 128 high schools, Southern Indiana Bait Company earned the top prize.
For Zion and Xavier, the experience changed everything.
The competition gave them more than prize money—it gave them confidence that what they were building had real potential. They invested their winnings right back into the company, purchasing better equipment, expanding production, and continuing to grow the business.
As Zion later reflected, the competition helped them realize they weren't just "making bait in the garage" anymore—they were building a business.
Built by Anglers, for Anglers
Spend a few minutes talking with Zion or Xavier and one thing becomes obvious.
They're anglers first.
That passion shows up in every bait they make.
Southern Indiana Bait Company has become known for its incredible attention to color, offering an impressive range of custom color combinations developed through countless hours of experimentation. Today, Zion maintains more than a hundred color recipes to give anglers exactly what they're looking for.
They're also known for one bait that many anglers swear by:
The G.O.A.T. — Greatest Of All Tubes.
It reflects exactly what Southern Indiana Bait Company is all about—creating quality baits they'd proudly fish themselves.
Still Chasing the Dream
What makes their story even more remarkable is everything happening outside the bait shop.
While continuing to grow Southern Indiana Bait Company, Zion and Xavier have balanced college, full-time work, bass fishing tournaments, and the daily responsibilities of running a growing business. Zion has continued his education while competing with the Purdue bass fishing team, while Xavier has helped manage day-to-day operations back home.
Their journey is a reminder that success rarely happens overnight.
It comes from showing up every day, learning from failures, reinvesting in your dream, and never losing sight of why you started.
Why We Tell Stories Like This
At My Local Tackle Shop, we believe every independent bait maker has something that can't be mass produced:
A story.
Behind every mold, every color recipe, and every package is someone who took a chance on an idea.
For Zion and Xavier, that idea started with two brothers trying to save money on fishing.
Today, it's grown into a respected, family-run business that's making its mark across the fishing community.
That's exactly the kind of story we're proud to share.
Because when you support companies like Southern Indiana Bait Company, you're not just buying another lure.
You're supporting a family, a dream, and the next generation of American bait makers.
Our mission isn't just to connect anglers with great tackle. It's to introduce you to the independent makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of fishing - one lure at a time.
Every Lure has a store...and we're here for it.
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Know a lure maker with a story worth telling?
We're searching across America-one bait company at a time-to share the people, passion, and purpose behind independent fishing suppliers, and we'd love your help in finding and sharing their stories.