From Durban Docks to Grander-Producing Legend

The hook for what would become today’s Big T Lures was firmly set by the family patriarch, Ted Horn, back in the 1950s. In Ted’s book, “Gone Fishing,” which he co-authored with John Dyer, he opens the first chapter by talking about his maiden angling trip aboard the drift boat, ‘Isle of Capri’, off the coast of Durban, South Africa. Though several novice anglers started chumming overboard as the vessel hit the swells of the Indian Ocean, Ted’s iron stomach proved both resilient and rewarding.

Back on the quay later, the crew anted up Ted’s winnings for reeling in the day’s best catch, a 66-pound Steenbras. Ted became a highly respected angler and sported the Springbok (now Proteas) colors to represent South Africa in fishing tournaments overseas, from Islamorada, Florida, to Sodwana Bay, in northwest South Africa. He also introduced a love of sportfishing to his family. That passion for angling would lead them to buy Big T Lures in 1999, located in Plettenberg Bay, a little over 300 miles east of Cape Town.

The Mozambique Connection

“Growing up, my father, David Horn, spent many holidays with his dad, Ted, and their family in Ponta D’Ora in Mozambique,” says Chad Horn, now the third generation of Horn family owners of Big T Lures. “The conditions there were often very rough, but the fish were so plentiful that the sea state became insignificant compared to the quality of the fishing and the beauty surrounding you. That’s where my dad officially caught the fishing bug.”

Chad adds, “A memory my dad always holds dear is the first time he and Ted took my brother, Taegan, and I deep-sea fishing in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. It was an immense joy to share this passion. And to top it off, we both caught our first shad.”

Lure-Making A Natural Fit

Fishing and craftsmanship have always been in the Horn family’s blood. Ted, with a lifetime of engineering experience, had spent decades perfecting his skills and the craftsmanship needed to create top-quality fishing gear. At age 90, Ted continues to spend days behind his lathe. David, on the other hand, studied industrial design, thus bringing a keen eye for functionality and innovation to lure design.

“With my grandfather’s technical expertise and dad’s design background, we knew we could take Big T’s already well-regarded lures and refine them even further to craft some of the best high-performance lures in the industry,” says Chad, who joined the company in 2012 and brought his machinist skills to the table. The three generations now work side-by-side.

The Leopard Evolution

When the Horn family purchased Big T, an impressive collection of lures was already in the catalog. However, the trio has continually expanded that catalog over the years. Many of the new shapes have been named after world-renowned African wildlife. But the men’s favorite, and a lure that was already in Big T’s catalog but that they tweaked to improve it is the Leopard.

The Leopard Lure has always held a special place in David’s heart, as he made changes to the length and weight of the head and also changed the way the inserts were made, which allowed him to weight the head in specific areas, for example, like below the centerline, until it became the Leopard fishermen know, buy, and often try to duplicate today.

Attracting Big Fish

“The Leopard is a shallow-running grander-producing splasher bait,” says Chad. “It has a double-tapered plunger-style head with a length of roughly four inches, which features a distinctive hump near the middle. There’s an about equal front and reverse taper, with a front taper that flattens a bit before reaching the slanted nose. These all play together to enhance stability and its active swimming motion in the water.

“The head, with its Teddy Bear eyes, is made from clear-casting resin, which is hand-poured into high-quality silicon molds,” Chad continued. “We also hand-spray every insert, which, in the case of the first Leopard, is rainbow-iridescent blue to green to yellow. The hand spraying adds to the beauty of our lures. The skirts are also hand made, and all feature our signature artistry of the colorful designs of each spray job. The skirted length of the lure is 12 to 16 inches, although the lure profile is that of a much larger head due to the length and girth of the lure head. But its distinctive shape gives our Leopard its legendary status.”

Custom Design Options

Each client favors the color combinations they think work best for them. And that’s no problem for Big T Lures. Customers can go on the company’s website, where there’s an opportunity for anglers to design their own one-of-a-kind version of the Leopard. Specifically, there are eight different choices from head shape, pattern, and color to skirt type, colors, and patterns, plus selections for lure extras, if desired, like a lateral line or extra glitter on the top. The Horns believe they are the only lure maker to offer such a feature on their website.

Precision Craftsmanship

“Making a great lure isn’t just about looks,” Chad said. “It’s about precision, craftsmanship, and years of hands-on experience. We make everything except the moving doll eyes in our factory. Every lure head is first poured into specially designed silicone molds. Unlike traditional casting methods that can lead to distortion over time, we machine each lure head to ensure it runs perfectly true to its center hole. This extra step guarantees consistency and performance. Once machined, each head is individually polished to achieve crystal-clear clarity. This is where we believe the lure truly comes to life. It’s not just about popping out a product; it’s about crafting a tool that performs flawlessly in the water. Our skirts follow the same philosophy. As mentioned, every skirt is hand-sprayed, making each one unique.”

Grander-Catchers

The Big T Lures Leopard has now become one of the most well-known international marlin lures and has been a game-changer in successfully landing big-game fish. One example happened in 2005, the inaugural year of the Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championships. In the second leg, the Big Game Classic, team Southern Exposure, a 58-foot Jarret Bay with Bob Gollahon in the chair, caught a 1,023-pound marlin on a Leopard Lure, the largest fish as of that time in the tournament’s history.

Optimal Performance Characteristics Big T Lures Leopard Marlin Lure

The Leopard Lure is incredibly versatile, but it shines as a long-corner bait. “It performs exceptionally well in this position, maintaining a consistent and enticing action that big game fish can’t resist,” Chad said. “It also holds steady off the rod tip, especially when the waves pick up, making it a reliable choice even in rougher conditions. We recommend pairing it with 80-pound to 130-pound tackle for the best results. This ensures you have the strength needed to handle the large fish it’s sure to attract while still allowing the lure to perform optimally.”

The Legacy Continues

While Ted is the professional angler, David and Chad are social fishermen who enjoy getting out on the water when there’s an opportunity. They’ve enjoyed excursions around the waters of Plettenberg Bay and trips to Richard’s Bay, north of Durban, with David’s other son, Taegan. Chad and Taegan recently had the honor of buying their children their first rods and helping them land their first fish. Even though it’s only river fishing at the moment, as the kids are still relatively young, it’s the start of what might be the fourth generation of Big T Lures.

Big T Lures Manufacturing Excellence

Key manufacturing features:

• Hand-poured clear-casting resin heads
• High-quality silicon molds for consistency
• Machined lure heads for perfect center hole alignment
• Individual polishing for crystal clarity
• Hand-sprayed inserts for unique beauty
• Custom color combinations available
• Hand-made skirts with signature artistry

Technical Specifications

Leopard Lure Details:

• Head length: Approximately 4 inches
• Skirted length: 12 to 16 inches
• Design: Double-tapered plunger-style with distinctive hump
• Eyes: Teddy Bear style
• Recommended tackle: 80-130 pound class
• Position: Excels as long-corner bait
• Target: Grander marlin and large pelagics

For more information and custom design options, visit the Big T Lures website to create your own unique Leopard lure.

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