The American brand Mann’s Bait Company is a true fishing industry icon, founded in 1956 by Tom Mann in Alabama. While the company initially made waves with ground-breaking crankbaits and innovative soft plastic worms, it was their introduction of soft rippers (shad-style plastics) that completely revolutionized predator fishing across Europe and North America. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, when the soft plastic market was just emerging in many parts of the world, Mann’s lures were considered the ultimate secret weapon of tournament pros. They set the gold standard for soft bait design. Even today, Mann’s legendary, ultra-soft silicone formula remains unmatched and impossible for competitors to truly replicate.