STAR, Idaho — Two young brothers in Star are turning their love of fishing into their very own business — and it all started with a simple question asked years ago while watching a fishing YouTube video.
For brothers Vaughn and Valen Collins, fishing has been part of life for as long as they can remember. Their mom, London Collins, said the family has always been outdoorsy — both she and her husband grew up fishing with their parents and grandparents. Her oldest son took to it naturally while staying with his grandparents, who lived on ponds.
"He was obsessed with it. He fished all the time, and it just went from one kid to the next to the next," London said.
The family has lived in Star for nearly 10 years and homeschools their children. London said the decision to homeschool came from a desire for more flexibility as a family — they own their own business outside of Bucko Baits and wanted the freedom to take a random Tuesday off and head to the mountains, or spend more time outdoors without being locked into a school schedule.
"A lot more fishing," she said with a laugh.
The idea for Bucko Baits came when her oldest was about two years old. London was watching fishing YouTube videos with him so he could learn to cast, and he asked a question that stuck with her.
"He just said one day, can we do that? Can we make molds? Can we make our own baits?" London said.
The idea kept coming up, but the boys were too young at the time to safely work with the hot plastic used to make soft baits. London, who has a background in special effects makeup and is familiar with the mold-making world, eventually decided to go all in.
"I just started doing research, and we decided no, we're going for it; we're doing real bait, we're doing packaging, we're doing merch, we're doing it all," London said.
Two years in the making, Bucko Baits is a kid-forward brand — though the baits are for everyone. London said the goal is to reach kids who already fish and want cool lures, as well as families who have never fished before and need a reason to get outside.
The company features five soft plastic baits — all sold without hooks — targeting bass, crappie and trout. Each bait comes in a count of seven, except for the Pond Parrot, which comes in a count of eight because it is smaller. The apparel line includes shirts, hats and sun shirts in bright, vibrant colors — a deliberate choice London said is about more than aesthetics.
"If they're across the pond or they're playing in a pool and I can just spot them — if my nephews are with us, I count four neon green hats, and I know they're my kids," London said.
The boys were involved in the creative side from the beginning — designing the apparel and branding themselves. London handles the business back end, but said the boys will be packaging every order, writing handwritten thank-you notes and managing operations alongside her as they grow.
She said watching her sons bring their ideas to life has been one of the most rewarding parts of the whole experience.
"When they bring me an idea, I feel like they're kids, like there's nothing blocking them — they don't believe in limits," London said.
She said fishing has become about far more than catching fish for her family.
"Fishing calms them down. They're using both of their hands, they're learning everyday skills, you know, they're outside, they're learning to treat animals with respect. They're learning how to take care of themselves, stay hydrated. I could go on for hours about the things that they've learned and the things that we are teaching them while doing this," London said.
When asked how many fish he has caught, Vaughn did not hesitate.
"600 probably. I have no clue," Vaughn said with a laugh.
The boys were also quick to share their knowledge — teaching Star neighborhood reporter Greenlee Clark how to put bait on a hook and how to cast a line during the visit.
"We're gonna teach you today," the boys said.
Bucko Baits officially launched July 31. You can find their website by clicking here, and follow their brand on Instagram.
