Chris' Final product
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Gene's Shur-Set
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Sea's & Lakes product
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Sea's & Lakes product and an original stacker that worked great, but wasn't durable when it hit the boom pully.
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The Pro Release II® Story:
In 1977, Willard Basco and Jerry Dusich invented and patented the revolutionary Wil-Jer release. After many successful years of manufacturing and distributing the Wil-Jer release in the Great Lakes area, Jerry and Willie sold the business. The Wil-Jer became the Pro Release on the West Coast and it was also very successful. People found it was the only release that worked "predictably" when fishing deep for Chinook Salmon and Lake Trout. With the invention of braided line, it was discovered that the Pro Release was virtually the only release that would work "predictably". The deeper you go, the more pressure on the belly line, at some point, The Pro Release is the only thing that works. The Pro Release was manufactured in China and distributed by Seas & Lakes in Washington State. Shortly after 9/11/2001, Seas & Lakes closed their doors and the release was no longer being manufactured or distributed. I knew how awesome the product was, so I searched out and spoke to one of the original inventors, 94 year old Jerry Dusich. Jerry told me he had been consulting with a fellow named Gene in Indiana who also wanted to bring the release back to the market, but didn't really have enough time. Gene had re-invented the molds using injection technology and I was willing to invest my savings into it so that I could take over the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of the product.
To protect my investment and IP, I acquired a new utility patent and trademarked the name. I've added an additional spring to increase the adjustment range from zero to as much as 20lbs. This improves the release for the tiniest fish like Trout, Kokanee, Walleye, and others, while maintaining the ability to go deep, for big fish, with big gear, especially with today's braided lines. I've made the product fully rigged, so you can connect directly to your weight or stack it. I've added a large Duo-Lock snap and a stacking snap with a double thickness, adhesive shrink-tube sleeve. I've also made better directions and a few videos to show folks how to use it correctly and why it works so well. I've been to a couple trade shows where I would show people who had never heard of it, how it worked. Their reactions were priceless. They could see that it would solve all of their frustrations with releases. By the end of each show, my new customers were walking by telling folks who were looking at the product, things like: Best release ever, amazing, great idea, it sells itself, no more false releases, best and only release for braid, etc, etc ...
My goal is to rebuild the Pro Release brand. It's a slow process of selling online and going to trade shows. I recently left my 35 year engineering career, so I'm making and marketing the Pro Release full time now and having a ball. I plan to make the Pro Release available everywhere again, so that it can become a staple in all downrigger fisherman's arsenal.
Best Regards, and I hope you take the opportunity to pass on the gift of fishing to as many of our next generation as possible !
- Chris
In 1977, Willard Basco and Jerry Dusich invented and patented the revolutionary Wil-Jer release. After many successful years of manufacturing and distributing the Wil-Jer release in the Great Lakes area, Jerry and Willie sold the business. The Wil-Jer became the Pro Release on the West Coast and it was also very successful. People found it was the only release that worked "predictably" when fishing deep for Chinook Salmon and Lake Trout. With the invention of braided line, it was discovered that the Pro Release was virtually the only release that would work "predictably". The deeper you go, the more pressure on the belly line, at some point, The Pro Release is the only thing that works. The Pro Release was manufactured in China and distributed by Seas & Lakes in Washington State. Shortly after 9/11/2001, Seas & Lakes closed their doors and the release was no longer being manufactured or distributed. I knew how awesome the product was, so I searched out and spoke to one of the original inventors, 94 year old Jerry Dusich. Jerry told me he had been consulting with a fellow named Gene in Indiana who also wanted to bring the release back to the market, but didn't really have enough time. Gene had re-invented the molds using injection technology and I was willing to invest my savings into it so that I could take over the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of the product.
To protect my investment and IP, I acquired a new utility patent and trademarked the name. I've added an additional spring to increase the adjustment range from zero to as much as 20lbs. This improves the release for the tiniest fish like Trout, Kokanee, Walleye, and others, while maintaining the ability to go deep, for big fish, with big gear, especially with today's braided lines. I've made the product fully rigged, so you can connect directly to your weight or stack it. I've added a large Duo-Lock snap and a stacking snap with a double thickness, adhesive shrink-tube sleeve. I've also made better directions and a few videos to show folks how to use it correctly and why it works so well. I've been to a couple trade shows where I would show people who had never heard of it, how it worked. Their reactions were priceless. They could see that it would solve all of their frustrations with releases. By the end of each show, my new customers were walking by telling folks who were looking at the product, things like: Best release ever, amazing, great idea, it sells itself, no more false releases, best and only release for braid, etc, etc ...
My goal is to rebuild the Pro Release brand. It's a slow process of selling online and going to trade shows. I recently left my 35 year engineering career, so I'm making and marketing the Pro Release full time now and having a ball. I plan to make the Pro Release available everywhere again, so that it can become a staple in all downrigger fisherman's arsenal.
Best Regards, and I hope you take the opportunity to pass on the gift of fishing to as many of our next generation as possible !
- Chris
Big "C" (Chris) on the Big "C" (Columbia) with a 32lb Fall Chinook.