Featured Maker: RPE Tackle

NOVEMBER 2026 · FEATURED MAKER

Meet RPE Tackle

From tungsten weights to original lures and precision-machined molds: meet the Wisconsin company behind November’s Poppin’ Shad.

Fishing Is the Passion Behind RPE

RPE Tackle is part of River Pirate Engineering, a small Wisconsin company built around a love of fishing and making things. The business started by reselling bulk tungsten weights, including its LoPro weights, before moving into original fishing-lure production.

The company's first production lure was the Poppin’ Shad. From there, RPE developed the RP² and Speakeasy and expanded into jigs and soft plastics.

Featured in the November Box: Poppin’ Shad

For November 2026, Discover Tackle selected the RPE Tackle Poppin’ Shad—the very lure that marked RPE's move from tungsten resale into making its own original fishing tackle.

It's a fitting introduction to an independent maker whose product development is driven by both fishing experience and engineering.

Custom Molds, Designed and Machined In-House

RPE uses Autodesk Fusion for design and machining setup. The company specializes in custom molds for lead and soft plastics and operates CNC milling machines to produce prototype and production molds.

For anglers or other makers with an idea, RPE can develop a custom design and even 3D-print a model for approval before machining the aluminum mold.

More Than Just a Tackle Brand

River Pirate Engineering also takes on other engineering and fabrication projects. Its work includes a Power-Pole Move 360 mounting plate as well as custom fishing-lure molds.

That mix of fishing knowledge, design, and machining is what sets this small independent company apart.