From Bullet Lures to Buckets

First, he made bullet lures. Then came the bucket.

“It was in the early 1970s that I fished with a friend on his boat,” says Gary S. Yamamoto, who founded Magic Lure Enterprises in Kailua, Hawaii, in 1973. “We ran my bullet, which back then didn’t have eyes, on his outrigger, and it took a big screamer. My friend just stood there and stared. ‘Wow! Like magic,’ he said.”

That moment convinced Yamamoto to go into business.

“It was this era that I decided to go into business and started selling my lures in stores,” he said. “Since there was already a Magic Lure, I am Magic Lure Enterprises. My scoop-front bullet was soon featured on the cover of a magazine. It was so popular I couldn’t keep up. I modified it to have an angled front. At that time, I was working full-time as an electrician and making lures at my parents’ home until we bought a home of our own.”

---

An Early Allure for Fishing

Yamamoto grew up in the Kaimuki neighborhood south of Honolulu. His father operated a vegetable stall in the city’s Chinatown district. As a boy, Yamamoto fished the nearby piers, later riding his bike to Waikiki and Ala Moana to fish. When he got his driver’s license, he traveled with his uncle to Kaneohe Bay.

After serving his military obligation, Yamamoto attended Honolulu Community College, where he befriended Michael Teraoka, who introduced him to trolling and lure making.

“I helped Michael sell lures to K. Kida Fishing Supplies on Kamani Street,” Yamamoto said. “Later, Michael decided he wanted to do more fishing than making lures. With his help, I came into my own.”

Yamamoto’s early lures were simple bullets, including a black salt-and-pepper bullet that is still produced today and remains the only lure with its original round inserts.

---

The Bucket Lure Story

Yamamoto’s Bucket may not have been his first lure, but the story behind its name is legendary.

In the early 1980s, Yamamoto joined his friend Captain Gino Silva aboard the Reel Hooker, a 33-foot Bertram out of Maui, heading to Kona for the Hawaiian Invitational Billfish Tournament. After the event, the crew fished their way home.

Once lines were set, Yamamoto quietly pulled in the flat line and tied on a five-gallon bucket used for washing down the boat.

“I left lots of slack on the line, threw the bucket in the water, and ran back to the cabin and sat down,” he said.

Soon, the flat line took off.

As the “fight” unfolded and photos were taken, the truth finally surfaced—literally.

“When that bucket finally surfaced, we all lost it—laughing so hard we could barely stand,” Yamamoto said.

After resetting the spread, they landed a 160-pound yellowfin tuna on Yamamoto’s nine-inch scoop Opelu Jet lure, which later became known as his marlin/tuna nine-inch Bucket Lure.

---

Passing It On

Lure-making remained a hobby until Yamamoto retired in 2007 after more than three decades as an IBEW electrician. His career included wiring major infrastructure projects at Honolulu International Airport and large residential developments across Oahu.

In 2016, Yamamoto sold his boats and stepped away from trolling after 45 years—but he never stopped making lures.

Over five decades, he has built friendships with many of Hawaii’s legendary lure makers and continues to mentor the next generation.

“I love teaching and passing my knowledge on,” he said. “Passing on my knowledge of lure making is my passion, too.”

---

Teaching the Next Generation

Yamamoto regularly helps young lure makers refine their craft, sharing tools, materials, and hard-earned techniques. He also educates anglers through his Instagram account, 808magiclure, explaining lure placement, color theory, and reading bird life offshore.

“You never run all one color,” he said. “Run dark and blue colors all the time. This way, you never need to worry about what to run again.”

He also explains how to read bird behavior—from frigate birds to tuna birds to Hawaiian petrels—to locate fish more effectively.

---

A Global Reach

Today, about half of Yamamoto’s lures are sold in stores, with the rest available through online marketplaces. Since retiring, he has shipped lures to more countries than he can remember—from tropical fishing destinations to unexpected places like Moscow and Afghanistan, where soldiers stationed overseas ordered his lures to fish while on leave.

Gary S. Yamamoto and the Magic Behind Hawaii’s Bucket Lure

---

By Carol M. Bareuther, RD

---