Lure Wings

After I pour a new resin head lure and skirt it, I am faced with the question, “Should I add wings?” Wings are tapered, triangular strips of reflective material that are added to the sides of trolling lures. A distinct Hawai‘i-style accessory, wings provide additional flash and color, cover the eyes on the rubber squid skirt and make a lure a dead ringer for a malolo (flying fish).

For a deep dive on the topic, I reached out to Ken Ching, owner of KC Lures. Ken has been fishing and pouring lures his entire life on O‘ahu and runs his, out of Wai‘anae. Initially learning the lure-making discipline from his father, Ken began to commercially sell his lures in the late 1980s and now is a full-time lure craftsman. I actually knew Ken’s lures before I knew Ken. KC Lures have attracted numerous fish for me, as well as many other fishermen, and they have at least one known “grander” to their credit.