What a fish story
Andy Bellenie found his biggest catch five years ago when he was in town for the Chicago Muskie Show.
He was in the Chicago area from England buying tackle for his fishing lure business back home, and that's when he met his wife Michelle.
Now, the Huntley-based entrepreneur is heading back to the show this weekend at Harper College, hoping to help others find their biggest catches with his handcrafted Suzy Sucker lure.
Bellenie will be showcasing the Suzy Sucker at the show, which runs today through Sunday, and selling the Suzy Sucker in a limited run of custom colors such as bright pinks.
He also will debut his latest lure -- the Curly Sue, at the show.
Both lures are becoming increasing popular with anglers across the Midwest who are starting to brag at the size of the fish they've caught with the lures.
Bellenie says it was only after meeting and marrying Michelle that he came up with the idea for the lure.
They first moved to England together, but she didn't like it there, he said. So, they decided to return to the Chicago area and settled in Huntley.
Michelle went to work, and Bellenie says he needed something to do.
"I started making soft plastic fishing lures to give myself something to do, and that's when I came up with the design," he said.
The Suzy Sucker came out at the end of 2006, and as 2007 progressed, it started to get a reputation for helping die-hard fishermen reel in the big ones.
"The demand increased so much that the product put the company on the map," he said.
Bellenie says the lure is so popular because it is so realistic -- so similar to the long, slim sucker fish that Muskie anglers often use as live bait.
"It is the most realistic sucker imitation available," he said. "I came out with a lure that looks like this so the guys can throw this and have confidence that it's a realistic looking bait.
"It's a very natural looking look with a huge paddle tail that gives off a lot of vibration," he said.
The Suzy Sucker is available is in a 6-, 9- and 11-inch version.
"The 11 inch only came out this past September and it's already got several fish over 50 inches long," Bellenie said. "They're big fish and they're multiple catches."
The Curly Sue, he said, is very similar to the Suzy Sucker, he said, except it has a long, flowing tail like a ribbon.
Bellenie runs his company -- Shack Attack Lures, and manufacturers all of the products right out of his home in Huntley. And he now does it all while also caring for his 8-month-old baby daughter.
And that, he says, leaves no time any more for any of his own fishing.
However, he said, he's content to focus on making the lures, and hearing other people's fish stories.
"Everything is sourced and made in America," he said. "I hand make everything and pretty much do it all here."
However, the lures are for sale -- ranging in price from $12.99 to $21.99 -- pretty much in any fishing tackle shop where Muskie and large bass fishing is popular, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.
Bellenie said he also does a lot of business through word-of-mouth and via his Web site, www.shackattacklures.com.
"The shows, like the Chicago Muskie Show are also a good way to show people what we have," Bellenie said.
To contact Bellenie, visit the show at Harper, or call (847) 525-6677.
If you go
What: Chicago Muskie Show
When: Noon to 9 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Harper College, Roselle and Algonquin roads, Palatine
How much? $10 for one day; $20 for a three-day pass. Children 12 and younger admitted free.
Info: www.chicagomuskieshow.com