Ask Mike Riffle about his retirement project and be prepared for a thorough recap of his 40 years of bass tournament experience and all manner of other influential moments in his life.

Riffle is the epitome of the passionate angler with exuberance that spills over into operation of his 330 Bait Co. He makes and markets everything from jigs and sinkers to spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and other lures popular among bass anglers.

Blessed with a bubbly knack for storytelling, Riffle seizes the opportunity to spin the features and benefits for the tackle he makes in his shop at home in Suffield Township near Goodyear’s Wingfoot blimp fleet base.

“They fly over the house almost every day,” he said as he explained launching 330 Bait Co. in 2019 when he retired. His son Brandon helps in the business when he’s off duty as a Portage County sheriff’s deputy.

Riffle puts a personal touch to all of his jigs, sinkers, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. He melts and pours the metal, and assembles the skirts, spinners, blades and other components by hand. Jigs and other lures that are to get color are powder-coated and bake-hardened.

“We pour the jigs and sinkers in small-batch molds for quality control,” he said, noting 330 Bait markets a broad line of jigs, including flipping, football, swim, ball head, tube and underspin swim jig heads, as well as drop shots, nail weights and mushroom heads for standup stickworm presentations.

Their No. 1 seller is the weedless Ned-style jig head, coinciding with the growing popularity of finesse jigs and small plastics for largemouth and smallmouth bass. They also make and market a five-arm Alabama rig, set up with three hooks to comply with Ohio fishing lure regulations.

All lures are made with top-quality Gamakatsu or Mustad hooks. Jigs, spinnerbaits and single- and double-wing buzzbaits are fitted with a full range of skirt colors. They also offer a buzz toad and will release a triple-wing buzzbait in January.

Proud military service veterans, the Riffles stoutly defend their 330 Bait Co. tagline, “We make baits to catch fish, not fishermen.”

“We do offer custom colors in paints and skirts, but we aren’t going to make something that we know is just a trick or gimmick,” Riffle said.

His shop is adjacent to a 2-acre pond where the Riffles can personally test their product line for fish-catching performance. Recently, they have worked to bring back to market the “peanut” jig that was popular in the 1960s.

“We have the mold for a half-ounce peanut jig we’re calling the Stump Jumper. It’s great for skipping,” Riffle said.

Riffle will take 330 Bait Co. on the road this winter. He plans to exhibit at outdoor sports shows at the Canfield Fairgrounds Feb. 2-4, in Girard March 2-3, and Vic’s Sport Center, date TBD. He also sells to select retailers, including Fisherman’s Central.

For information about ordering tackle, call Riffle directly at his shop, 330-790-1113. Additional information is available online at 330baitco.square.site.

Jack Wollitz is the author of The Common Angler, a book that explores the “why” behind anglers’ passion for fishing. He welcomes emails from readers at jackbbaass@gmail.com.