a legendary legacy

The history of jewel's catfish bait

Catfish in a bag

how we Baited Success

For more than 50 years, Jewell’s Catfish Bait has been a name that sticks—just like the stink and oil that make it legendary.

Three simple ingredients make it work: stinky draws them in, oil makes it linger, and proven results keep it on the line. From farm ponds to deep rivers, it’s been trusted by catfish anglers across Kentucky and the Southeast for generations.

But bait this good doesn’t just happen—it’s built on experience, hard work, and the hands of those who know what real fishing takes. This is the story of how Jewell’s Catfish Bait changed hands, stayed true, and kept growing.

Catfish swimming
Jewel Hastings holding up a fish he caught with his best catfish bait.

Jewel Hastings

By the time Jewel Hastings bought the bait business in the early ‘90s, he already knew it well. He’d been selling it in his Western Kentucky bait shop for years, watching local anglers come back for more, knowing it worked.

When the opportunity came to buy the company, Jewel and his wife jumped in. They took what was already good and grew it into something even bigger.

For years, they worked the business, building its name, keeping the bait the same, and making sure every jar was as good as the last. When Jewel passed, the business stayed in the family, just like it should.

Dean Hastings

Jewel’s son Dean Hastings stepped up when his father passed, taking on the business alongside his mother. For the next 20+ years, they ran it with the same commitment, the same bait, and the same reputation. The name spread beyond Kentucky, reaching catfish anglers throughout the Southeast.

When Dean’s mother passed in 2017, the weight of the business changed. After years of steady work, he made the decision to step away. In June of 2020, it was time for someone new to take the helm.

Dean Hastings standing with his rod and reel in front of a pond, showing off the fish he reeled with Jewel's Catfish Bait.
Hunter Herring with his family on a boat, showing the giant catfish he caught with his best catfish bait

Hunter Herring

Some folks buy businesses. Others live them.

Hunter Herring has been outdoors his whole life—hunting, fishing, and chasing whatever adventure came next. But catfishing? That’s always been the thing that stuck.

So when he saw the Jewell’s Catfish Bait listing, he didn’t just skim past it—he dug in. Talked to Dean. Did his research. Got a sample jar and put it to the test. After a week, he didn’t just believe in it—he knew it had a future.

Now, Hunter runs Jewell’s Catfish Bait with the same simple mission: Keep it strong. Keep it real. Keep it growing. Because if there’s one thing worth carrying forward, it’s a bait that works—and a name that means something.