Starting a private label lure brand
Direct answer
A private label lure brand is four decisions in a fixed order — which form, which mould, which specification, which pack — and almost every abandoned first order failed at the first one. This page is the order to make them in, with the fields that have to be settled at each step and the pages on this site that carry the detail.
Key facts
- The form comes before the supplier. "Soft lure" covers four moulds in our own sample, priced US$0.20-3.85 per piece.
- The mould comes before the price. A stock mould means no tooling charge and a faster first order; a new mould means you own an asset.
- The specification comes before the sample. A sample can only confirm a specification; it cannot replace one.
- The MOQ and the unit price move together. Across our sample, MOQ runs from 20 pieces on rods to 2,000 on hooks.
- Private label is usually packaging before it is the product. A printed card or a branded bag needs no tooling; a stamped hook does.
The four decisions, and why the order matters
Almost every abandoned first lure order fails the same way: the buyer starts with a supplier and works backwards. The decisions have a natural order, and each one narrows the next.
| Order | Decision | Why it has to come first |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which form | "Soft lure" is not a product. Our own sample covers fork tails, paddle tails, needle tails and pre-rigged sabiki rigs under that one name — four moulds, one word. |
| 2 | Which mould | A stock mould means no tooling charge and a faster first order. A new mould means you own an asset, and it is the decision that cannot be revisited cheaply. |
| 3 | Which specification | Length, hardness, salt loading, colour standard, pack count. This is what makes a repeat order match the first one. |
| 4 | Which pack | Retail card, blister, pouch or bulk. The pack is what the customer sees first and the last thing most buyers decide. |
Step 1: choose the form, not the category
The catalogue on this site is filed by type — soft lures, hard lures, metal jigs, hooks and eight more. A type is a starting point, not a specification. Each type brief in the Opportunities column shows what the spread inside one type actually costs, and why.
If you are still choosing between types, the catalogue guide sets out which field decides the price in each family.
Step 2: choose the mould, and decide who owns it
This is the decision that separates a cheap first order from a programme.
- A stock mould costs nothing up front. The form already exists, the minimum is whatever the factory has set, and the first order can be small.
- A new mould is tooling you pay for once. It buys exclusivity on the form, and it means the mould is an asset — with the question of who owns it and what happens to it if the relationship ends.
The sample data shows what the second choice costs in time: across the metal jig and hard lure types, the products differ mainly by mould geometry, and a change to the bill or the shape is a new tool rather than an adjustment.
Step 3: write the specification
A sample cannot replace a specification. It can only confirm one. Before you approve anything, the fields below have to be written down, because they are the ones a repeat order drifts on.
| Field group | What to name | Where the detail sits |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Length in mm and inches, body thickness, weight in grams | Any type brief |
| Material | Hardness in shore, buoyancy class, salt or scent loading | Soft lure brief |
| Colour | Colourways, flake, and the light the standard is checked under | Any type brief |
| Hardware | Hook pattern, gauge, gap, coating, salt-spray hours | Hook brief |
| Pack | Count per pack, format, printed unit | Any type brief |
The specification builder turns those fields into a sheet you can send.
Step 4: choose the pack, then price the whole thing
Private label is usually a packaging decision first. A printed card, a branded bag or a sticker needs no tooling; stamping a brand into a hook does. Ask which of the two a factory is quoting.
Once the four decisions are made, the arithmetic is simple and it is all in the catalogue: unit price × MOQ = first-order cash value. Our sample spans MOQ 20 on rods to 2,000 on hooks — and in type after type, the lowest unit price sits on the row with the largest MOQ. Choosing between them is a cash decision, not a price decision.
What to do before you send the first enquiry
- [ ] The form is named, not the category
- [ ] You know whether you are buying a stock mould or tooling a new one
- [ ] Length, weight, material, colour standard and pack count are written down
- [ ] You know the unit price and the MOQ on the row you are asking about
- [ ] You know whether the logo goes on the pack or on the product
Send those five things and a factory can quote. Send a photograph and it can only guess — which is the subject of the next page in this route.
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own mould to start a lure brand?
No, and starting with a stock mould is usually the better first move. A stock mould means no tooling charge, a shorter first order and a lower cash outlay. What you give up is exclusivity on the form. Most first ranges are built on stock moulds with a private label pack, and the tooling decision comes after the brand has a customer.
How much does it cost to start?
We publish no figure for a programme, because it depends entirely on the form and the volume. What we can tell you is where the money goes: the sampled listings on this site carry reference bands from US$0.07 per hook to US$132.55 per rod, and your first-order cash value is the unit price multiplied by the MOQ on the row you choose. Those two numbers are in the catalogue, per listing, with the unit stated.
Can I put my logo on a lure?
On the pack, almost always. On the product itself it depends on the form: a printed PVC body or a rod's wrap and decal can carry artwork, while a plain moulded worm usually cannot without a second process. Ask which of the two a factory is quoting before you design packaging around it.
What is the difference between OEM and ODM?
OEM means the factory builds to your specification; ODM means the factory brings the design and you brand it. For a first brand the difference matters less than it sounds — either way you still have to write the specification that decides whether a repeat order matches the first one. Our glossary entry on OEM covers the distinction in the terms a quotation uses.
How long does it take?
A stock mould runs on the factory's normal schedule; a new mould adds tooling and a sample round before production. We do not publish a single lead-time number, because a single number would be wrong for one of the two cases. The timeline page in this column sets out where the time actually goes.
Sources 3 cited
- Slow-pitch metal jigs, soft lures, hooks and rods — our sampled listings with unit price and MOQ, aggregated at build time from the product sample internal record
- Rapala Expands Crush City line of Soft Plastics at ICAST 2026, On The Water, 2026-07-21 — an example of how an established brand structures a lure range
- ASA 2026 Special Report on Fishing — the participation context a first range is being launched into
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. The same list is declared in the page structured data (schema.org citation) and in the Markdown twin.