The History and Evolution of the Strike King Angling Brand

The Original Strike King Bass Lure
Bill McEwen, a taxidermist in Memphis, TN, created the first ‘Strike King’ bass lure—a single spin spinnerbait—in his garage under the McEwen Tackle Co. label.

Spence Buys Strike King
In the spring of 1966, Charles Spence purchased McEwen’s lure business, which included a lead melting pot, safety pins, skirts, and moulds. Spence renamed the business Strike King Lure Company.

A Business Relationship Formed
Ray Scott hosted his first bass tournament on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas, where Bill Dance, Charles Spence, and Ray Murski competed. Dance secured 2nd place, while Murski finished 4th. The three became friends and formed lasting business relationships. Around this time, Ray Murski connected with Sam Walton, the owner of a small chain of stores in northwest Arkansas.

Strike King Incorporated and the Team Expanded
Bill Dance became a successful tournament angler and later a nationally known TV personality. Charles Spence expanded Strike King Lure Company near the Memphis airport on Sanderwood Street, while Ray Murski’s sales rep group grew, representing various outdoor products. Charles developed the products, Ray handled the sales, and Bill promoted them for many years.

Strike King Catalog Hits the Shelves
The earliest Strike King catalogue featured nine spinnerbait models, the Spence Spook topwater prop bait, Spence Scout and Super Scout crankbaits, wooden Big S and Little S crankbaits, and the Happy Hooker tail spinner.

Early Growth and Product Development
Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Strike King introduced new products:
- 1976: The Prop Scout, Spin Scout, worms, lizards, grub tails, hooks, and sinkers.
- 1977: Buzz King® 385B, Timber King spoons, and replacement skirts.
- 1980: Houston Model Spinnerbait and trailer hooks.
- 1982: Spence Model spinnerbait, Bootlegger Jig®, and Grass King spoons.
- 1984: Polarized sunglasses were introduced and quickly became a significant product line.
- 1985: Tri-Wing Buzz King®.
- 1987: Moved to Collierville, Tennessee.
- 1990: Grass Frog, Jig-N-Spoon, and Pro-Model® spinnerbait.
- 1992: Entered the catfish and pork bait market with a clever marketing campaign featuring Bill Dance and a pig, launching Night Crawler Links® and Bo-Hawg® Pork baits.
- 1994: Released Diamond Shad®, Spin-Dance® spinnerbait, Lightn’in Strike Hooks®, and Whisker Sticker catfish hooks.

Sale of the Company
In 1994/1995, Charles Spence considered selling Strike King to a competitor but ultimately chose his longtime friend, Ray Murski, whose sales organization had represented Strike King since its early days. The deal was signed in July 1995 and completed in November 1995.

Leadership Changes
In early 1996, John Barns became President, and Allan Ranson was appointed Chief Financial Officer in June, later becoming Chief Operating Officer. Their task was to revitalize the company, implement new systems and procedures, strengthen manufacturing and product development, and aggressively target the market.

More Than 50 Years of Domination
Today, the Strike King® brand is one of the most recognized in the market, backed by an experienced team and strong operations. With continued determination, the future looks bright for Strike King.

You can now shop the Strike King brand from the comfort of your lake-side stool through Allcocks Outdoor Store's website. With next-day delivery available from our Worcestershire angling store, you can be ready for the lakes in no time!