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Strikezone Lures, the beginning - Paul Dolan

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Tony View Drop Down
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    Posted: 16 Feb 2010 at 3:54pm
Paul Dolan currently owns and runs Fraser Coast Sportfishing at Hervey Bay QLD specialising in Fly and Lure fishing the saltwater in Hervey Bay and freshwater in the surrounding Dams - Lake Lenthall, Borumba, and Monduran.



In 1994 Paul carved a timber prototype lure that he named the "Intruder". Paul's brother Al Dolan then created a mold from the prototype to produce the final product using the Injection Molded polyurethane method that Al had used since 1987. The lures were then packaged and marketed by Paul up until the sale of the Strike Zone business to Mike Polfreman in 1997.


Paul designed the Intruder using elements from two of his favourite Lures. These were the "Mad Mullet" and the "Assassin" made by his brother Al Dolan of Lively Lures.


Top- Lively Lures Mad Mullet
Middle - Strike Zone Intruder prototype
Bottom - Lively Lures Assassin




Here's some photo's of the original prototype lure that Paul carved.

Being a consumate fisherman Paul couldn't help but to continue to fish with this prototype lure after the mold had been produced and eventually lost it to a solid mangrove Jack Confused

In a  stroke of luck, some time later a friend of Paul's was fishing the same stretch of water and found the lure hanging from a mangrove - the lure was returned to Paul! (what's the odds?) Big smile


Timber Strike Zone Intruder Prototype (including a few teeth marks from Mangrove Jack)









The original version of the Strike Zone Intruder was made in 2 models (these were the only Strike Zone models commercially produced while Paul owned the business)
  • 3" Intruder (Shallow)
  • 4" Intruder (Deep)

Here's some examples of orignal Strike Zone Lures.


3" Intruder (Shallow)




4" Intruder (Deep)





Here's another couple of prototypes that Paul made during this period, although this model was never commercially produced.


The Strike Zone Cray prototypes:








Thank you Paul for taking the time to share the history of your Strike Zone lures with LureLovers.com Thumbs Up

Paul also kindly shared some great information with me relating to the "Pro Rigging Kit Lures"  that he marketed and sold as kit lures prior to starting the StrikeZone business - I'll be posting up that information soon Smile


Cheers, Tony

For the love of Fishing Lures.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alistair Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2010 at 5:52pm
Interesting lures Tony. I can see why they would work well on the Barra and JAcks and other northern river species. Love the cray to. Pity that was never released.
 
Actually It is a pity they dont do any lures, mainly the mad mullet in timber. I personally am a big believer that timber produces more fish than plastic and would pay more for a timber lure. Perhaps a hint hint to the Dolan's for meLOL
Alistair.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2010 at 6:30pm
Originally posted by Alistair Alistair wrote:

Interesting lures Tony. I can see why they would work well on the Barra and JAcks and other northern river species. Love the cray to. Pity that was never released.
 
Actually It is a pity they dont do any lures, mainly the mad mullet in timber. I personally am a big believer that timber produces more fish than plastic and would pay more for a timber lure. Perhaps a hint hint to the Dolan's for meLOL


Gday Al,

I think the solid bodied polyurethane lures that Al Dolan makes are probably a lot closer to properties of timber than say two part plastic lures. I think there's several lures made in this style that seem to get mistaken as being timber lures fairly easily.

I certainly wouldn't mind a few timber Mad Mullets though  (and maybe a few Arafura Barra's too) Tongue

Paul showed me a few of his lures that he and Al had experimented with adding rattles to, the duller sound of the rattle in those sounded not unlike rattles in a timber lure.




Cheers, Tony

For the love of Fishing Lures.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote puglee62 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2010 at 12:09am
Originally posted by Alistair Alistair wrote:

Interesting lures Tony. I can see why they would work well on the Barra and JAcks and other northern river species. Love the cray to. Pity that was never released.
 
Actually It is a pity they dont do any lures, mainly the mad mullet in timber. I personally am a big believer that timber produces more fish than plastic and would pay more for a timber lure. Perhaps a hint hint to the Dolan's for meLOL
polurethane lures moulded in the right conditions can be as good as timber ones,strike zone are very good as far as this goes Alistair.one thing i will say and i'm sure Paul will agree is that a timber
lure has a lot more ''soul'' (from the fact that its timber and the fact that its creator has put more of himself into it).its quite a pagan concept,the fact that the fisherman has more faith in his timber lure could add to its ''magic '' and better fish catching properties,whoo deep stuff!Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote puglee62 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2013 at 9:17am
Originally posted by puglee62 puglee62 wrote:

Originally posted by Alistair Alistair wrote:

Interesting lures Tony. I can see why they would work well on the Barra and JAcks and other northern river species. Love the cray to. Pity that was never released.
 
Actually It is a pity they dont do any lures, mainly the mad mullet in timber. I personally am a big believer that timber produces more fish than plastic and would pay more for a timber lure. Perhaps a hint hint to the Dolan's for meLOL
..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2013 at 5:09pm
So are Strike Zones and Assasins still being made? Since the introduction of BCF all of my local tackle stores closed down and I don't often get into a decent store to browse and chew the fat with a fisherman.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davent Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2013 at 6:46pm
That's a sad story martin, bloody BCF, soon shops like that will dominate Australia,and charge what they want.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2013 at 8:11pm
There are fisherman who work there, but they are too busy to give you the personal services of the old tackle shops. I had a great tackle shop nearby years ago, spent more time there then actually fishing. He was forced to sell and the new owners (land lord's son in law - read into that what you will) sold out to BCF.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Darby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2013 at 8:45pm
Martin, Strike Zone is now out of business.
Paul sold to Mike Palfermann, he took on some investors, they took it over and ran it for a couple of years.
Then they sold it to an ex mechanic who had it for another couple of years.
Then he sold it to a couple who found out how hard the industry is on local makers and closed it down within 12 months.
This applied to the Strike Zone Lures, Reflecta Lures & Castaway Lure ranges, and also affected a number of small companies that had their bodies moulded under contract by Strike Zone. I have no idea where the remaining stock (if any) and equipment ended up.

Brad
"If you are going to have fun with your rod.. get some wood



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