Any severe angler is aware of the significance of bait — particularly reside bait. However have you ever ever thought in regards to the high quality of the bait, and the way that impacts the benefit and expertise of your fishing journey and the fish you catch?
Enter Keys Feeds, whose mission is to “present premium dietary options that improve the energy, well being and endurance of baitfish, finally maximizing fishing success for our clients.”
Rick Barrows, who has a doctorate in fish diet, is the founding father of Keys Feeds and created a product that has now change into a neighborhood family-run enterprise.
“For a dwelling, I used to develop feed for quite a lot of completely different species,” Barrows mentioned. “I got here down right here fishing and was with a man and he was telling me how they harden baits. … It was with a trout feed and never even one, so I began making some for my pals and captains.”
Previous to shifting to Islamorada in 2015 along with his spouse, Sue, Barrows was a analysis scientist for 15 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, growing feeds for endangered and threatened species in addition to sportfish and meals fish. Then he spent one other 15 years with USDA however centered extra on meals fish. He has 40 years total in fish farming analysis and expertise. His spouse’s background is in veterinary drugs. She, too, is a part of the Keys Feeds workforce.
The Barrows’ son, Invoice, moved to the Keys in 2020. He designed a web site and so they began promoting the product to native retailers in 2021. The early Keys adapters have been West Marine (all 5 Keys areas), Marine Max at Ocean Reef and the Deal with Middle in Islamorada.
Quick ahead to October 2024, a few year-and-a-half after Invoice met his now-fiancé Rebekah Dunaj; they determined to place Dunaj’s gross sales and social media expertise and strengths to make use of and develop the model.
“There’s one thing extremely particular about rising a enterprise collectively,” mentioned Dunaj. “And alongside the way in which, I’ve had the unimaginable alternative to satisfy Rick. I’m actually lucky to study from somebody with such in depth data and fervour for marine well being.”
Each Invoice Barrows and Dunaj are utilizing that data to coach about Keys Feeds with phrase of mouth previously six months, resulting in a plethora of recent enterprise, from Key West to Riviera Seaside. Their main market has turned out to be match anglers and individuals who exit and feed the fish on their canal dock — making Keys Feeds an ideal product for any angler and all ages.
“Numerous guys have been doing what they’ve been doing,” Invoice mentioned. “However there is no such thing as a product like this available on the market of comparable high quality and as soon as they get their palms on it, it’s a simple conversion.”
One other necessary side is the native bait and sort out outlets that promote bait and might use the feed to boost the standard of the bait. Chris’s Bait & Deal with Store at Tavernier Creek Marina is one instance. Carson Rutz, proprietor of Butter Baits Islamorada, has lots of expertise and makes use of Keys Feeds often for the bait he sells.
“In my view, reside bait is crucial ingredient for a profitable day of fishing, and with the quantity of money and time spent on fishing, high quality feed is a no brainer,” Rutz mentioned. “I like how the pellets sink at variable charges, which provides the baits extra alternative to devour 100% of the pellets, and little or no goes to waste.”
The Yellow Bait Home in Key Largo is one other Higher Keys retailer and bait provider stocking Keys Feeds for its bait. It can be bought at Lobster Stroll in Islamorada.
The product is made within the U.S. and distributed out of the Decrease Keys.
“What we’ve actually accomplished is slightly than it from a bait standpoint, we’ve checked out it from a fish farming and diet standpoint and we’ve introduced data from the fish farming world to the bait fish world,” Rick Barrows mentioned. “That’s what makes it completely different from different feeds.
“Sixty p.c of our seafood worldwide is produced on farms,” Rick continued. “Numerous analysis, growth and innovation is occurring in fish farming that we are able to apply to the bait fish feed.”
Is it attainable to overfeed the bait? Rick mentioned as soon as a day is okay, “however I wish to feed twice a day. Dribble it in versus shovel a complete bunch. You’ll be able to inform if you’re feeding an excessive amount of as a result of if it’s a wire cage you’ll have lots of snapper or parrotfish.”
For the one who desires to simply have enjoyable feeding the snapper or parrotfish on the dock, it is a testomony that it really works for these fish too.
“The very best aha moments for me are when a buyer appreciates and notices the variations that Keys Feeds makes with their bait with regard to survival and efficiency,” Invoice mentioned.
Keys Feeds’ web site accommodates tips on bait and feed. Keys Feeds works for pilchards, pinfish, goggle-eyes, threadfin, grunts — all the pieces they’ve checked out up to now. Extra data is at www.keysfeeds.com, @keysfeeds on Instagram and Fb and @keys.feeds on TikTok.