Today we’d like to introduce you to John Moy.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Opened store in 1999, known then as Lee’s Dollar Plus. Started as corner bait store with little tackle. When began expanding, customers asked us if we were worried about the opening of Cabela’s, the big box store then breaking ground. Already I had adopted the philosophy of handling only high end tackle. I figured with Cabela’s already offering a wide range of tackle and us only handling high end tackle, we might be able to give the customer tackle Cabela’s count not offer.
Among the high end brand offerings that captured the imagination of our customers then were Megabass, Jackall, Lucky Craft, and a few other Japanese manufacturers. These brands were either just getting started in the U.S. Market or were just then earning reputations among U.S. Anglers, much of it based on rumors of fantastic catches made with these baits.
Even when these and other Japanese (and other foreign brands) companies began to market their products in the United States, they withheld many of these lures, which sold only in Japan. These products, called J.D.M., meaning products made for the Japanese Domestic Market, had only ear-to-the-ground familiarity among American bass fishermen. Most had never seen these products. With the help of some of my associates who were familiar with Japanese products, I was able to import some of these.
My customers– and I have a lot of serious tournament bass fishermen in my area — loved these products. The reputation of the shop began to grow. We became known as the place where they could find top lures that could be found nowhere else in the area.
I added Deps, ima, Evergreen, Reins and Duo Realis, with other attractive brands like OSP following, too.
We created an Internet business based on foreign imports, particularly our JDM products. We called it Lee’s Global Tackle. About the same time, my wife Sue and I opened a second store in Carol Stream, which we continue to operate today.
About eight years ago, I met with Munenori Kajiwara, who would soon open a company that would help advance my import sales — Japan Import Tackle. He already had connections with other top Japanese bait and tackle companies including, Marukyu, Nories, Ecogear, We have been working together ever since. Due to this relationship, we today also market GanCraft, Imakatsu, Geecrack, Fish Arrow, Decoy Hook, and other Japanese brands.
While selling high end lures, I began to look into premium rods and reels, too, including super-premium rods and reels from Japan. Those have been an attractive addition to our tackle offerings.
This past spring, Lee’s became the first Winn Authorized Service Center in the upper Midwest, offering Winn grips on custom rods and rod grip replacement on existing rods in angler arsenals. Winn grips are the first significant upgrade to cork and EVA rod handle materials. They are made with patented polymers developed by Dr. Ben Huang, who worked under Wernher von Braun in the development of the Saturn V rocket that took American astronauts to the moon.
Has it been a smooth road?
The import business itself is challenging with delivery dates constantly changing, orders coming in staggered shipments, currency fluctuation, shipping costs and import duties factoring into projected costs. Timing, quantity….it’s all pretty tricky, too.
The uniqueness of our products also includes offering very interesting lure colors that no one else has. But the colors we order are not always what we receive.
The bottom line is, we rarely receive exactly what we want. Sometimes we have many customers anticipating products, and we are not sure if we can fulfill all those expectations.
But the limited availability of so many of our products also enhances their value — real and perceived.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lee’s Global Tackle – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are most proud of knowing that we are selling unique and highly effective products that no one else has and that we are acknowledged experts in the JDM field. We receive inquiries and requests from all over the country any time word of a new lure from Japan comes out whether we have it or not.
But even if we do not have the product, we can usually get answers for our customers. And we are very proud that we have earned such trust and such a glowing reputation for that kind of expertise,
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about our locations is I have a diverse group of customers coming into my stores. They range from top professional bass anglers and renowned local tournament fishermen to many, many families who are just out to enjoy a day near and on the water and catch a few fish.
We offer the highest quality of product at every level, too. That includes the live bait we sell. It is always fresh and lively.
I love working with local fishing clubs and donating product and bait to events and causes, and we have many in our area!
Contact Info:
- Address: Lee’s Bait & Tackle
23 Arlington Heights Road
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 - Website: Www.leesglobaltackle.com
- Phone: 847-593-6424
- Email: leesglobaltackle@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Mike Pehanich & Munenori Kajiwara
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