Our story.

FOUNDED in Kodiak, Alaska, july 7, 2022.

Sometime in the late 90’s, on small island in Alaska, young Jeff Woods was struggling with his penmanship. His teacher told his mother, Dina, he was falling behind the rest of his classmates. Always a clever woman who could think outside the box, Dina sat young Jeff down and showed him how to tie flies for fishing. Even when he was small, Jeff loved to fish. He was excited to learn this new skill, because it meant more time on the water. Jeff’s dexterity improved, and so did his handwriting. Jeff and his mother celebrated the victory together on the lakeside, and a new passion was born.

Jeff Woods was born in Ketchikan, Alaska, but as a Coastie brat, he spent time fishing in California; Upper Peninsula Michigan; Miami, Florida; and Kodiak, Alaska. The last place is where Jeff calls home, and was his favorite of all the bases his father was sent to by the Coast Guard. After his family transferred out of Alaska, Jeff elected to stay behind. He loved Kodiak’s natural beauty and all the outdoor recreational opportunities it provided. He started work as a corrections officer in the City jail before promoting to police officer. Jeff moved up to patrol because he wanted to be out serving the community and making a positive difference in the town he calls home.

Jeff has spent most of his life in the great outdoors. He has been tying flies for over two decades, and he’s spent a decade as a fishing guide, both on the river and on multiple charter boats.

He met his wife Annika when they were both in high school. The longtime friends found a mutual love of fishing and the outdoors, despite being wildly different people with different backgrounds. Always looking for ways to save money, Jeff started making his own custom fishing tackle. Fishing was a relatively inexpensive hobby after getting all the necessary supplies, but fishing lures remained an ever recurring cost that added up. He was frustrated by the lack of quality and options in a small, rural Island community like Kodiak, so he started making his own. He was proud of his creations, especially when they started to land fish when no one else could set a hook. He offered extras of his fishing tackle to friends and family and asked them for their feedback. Before long, others wanted some too. Just like that, Barn Door Baits was created.

The mission of Barn Door Baits is simple: to create high quality gear, for an affordable price, that brings the fish in. We want to spend less time swapping out hooks and more time casting. We bet you do, too. We use high quality materials that are all made in the US, and if we can help it, made in Alaska specifically. This includes our hooks, silicone, and molds. Almost all of our lead is recycled, often rescued from beaches. That means less debris in our ocean.

Our tackle is handmade, in house, just for you. Never lose a big fish again!