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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 23, 2006 MacDaddy and The Million-Dollar Lure Mac "MacDaddy" McBurney stood on the deck of the fishing yacht Pisces last month and watched a Mexican governor toss $1 million worth of McBurney's own gems overboard into the Pacific — on purpose. And with McBurney's blessing, as well as the backing of Lloyds of London itself. It was McBurney's way of making good on his pledge to create the world's only million-dollar lure and actually use it to fish during the world's richest marlin tournament. So this first-ever trolling for marlin with McBurney's "Million-Dollar Lure" on Oct. 24 became the ultimate put-up-or-shut-up moment for a man attempting to put his mark on ultimate angling. "Stop and think of the rush of throwing a million dollars off the back of a boat," McBurney says in a Mail Tribune interview. "It's unbelievable. Talk about exciting." Advertisement Talk about marketing. McBurney's trademarked lure is the very expensive and very clever venue that the veteran jewelry designer and avid angler has developed to publicize his new genre of fishing-related gifts. The 12-inch lure — built from three pounds of gold and platinum and outfitted with 4,753 tiny diamonds and rubies — is the perfect hook to draw the angling world's attention to MacDaddy's line of luxury lures and flies. The 2-year-old company, based in Southern California, designs and sells lures and flies made from gold and precious gems, complete with gold- or platinum-plated hooks. Some lures have names. Others can have company logos added. A hot-selling item is a gold-plated spoon lure with "#1 Dad" etched into it. The items are fashioned as commemoratives or to be worn as jewelry and they are designed to catch fishermen as well as fish. McBurney insists his creations are casting-worthy for those rich enough to tie a glittering chunk of their disposable income on the end of their line. "They're fishable, but they're also the ultimate gift for a fishermen," McBurney says. "Just think of a nice No. 1 Dad lure in a shadow box with a picture of a family fishing trip. Can you beat that?" McBurney knows post-Thanksgiving shoppers will be trolling the malls during Black Friday in search of something different for the angler on their Christmas list. He hopes they consider nixing the salmon tie or the singing bass and instead surf MacDaddy's world at " target="_blank">www.MacDaddysfishinglures.com. But be prepared. The Web site's has a decidedly if-you-ask-you-can't-afford-it feel, offering no price list. McBurney leaves pricing up to dealers, though he says items retail as low as $50. With no dealers yet in Oregon, McBurney says he will sell directly to Oregonians through his Web site. Those who fish with these little jewels better tie a good knot because there are no refunds. McBurney unveiled the concept of castable jewelry in 2004, when the 28-year jewelry designer married his work and his passion. "I took my two biggest loves and put them together," he says. He formed MacDaddy intent on creating the most instant buzz possible by crafting the world's first lure worth $1 million. "The first six months were just lawyers running around to make sure no one else had done this, that no one else can make this claim," McBurney said. They registered trademarks on the lure's name as well as the MacDaddy moniker and have patents pending on the lures and flies. McBurney even reached into the hip-hop world when he registered the company's trademark slogan: "We put the bling on your string!" Outdoor media already are rising to the bait en masse. ESPN, The Outdoor Channel and a host of other cable outdoors shows were all over McBurney and the Million Dollar Lure during its use at the Bisbee Black and Blue Marlin Tournament Oct. 24-28 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was fitting, McBurney says, to debut a $1 million lure at a tournament with a $4.166 million purse. "It's kind of fun because no one's done this before," says McBurney, who won't divulge his age. "At a certain point, you have to step up and say, I'm doing this." McBurney's step-up moment came on the Pisces, when the governor of Baja California Sur, Narciso Angundez Montano, dropped the lure overboard and began trolling for marlin. But diamond's aren't necessarily a marlin's best friend. "We didn't hook one, but on the second-day, a 500-pounder did a pass-by," McBurney says. "The camera guys were falling over themselves." The lure survived the four-day tournament, losing only two small diamonds when some unknown fish took a swat at it, McBurney says. "The second we got back from Cabo, we fixed it," he says. Throughout the tournament, McBurney had more than a 800-pound-test steel-woven leader and 500-pound-test monofilament line protecting his invention. Lloyds of London insured the lure for an undisclosed amount, just in case a broken leader turned a big marlin into a jewel thief. "Lloyds of London said it was the only fishing tackle they've ever insured," McBurney says. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com