Episode 149: Mark Nichols - D.O.A. Lures

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Leisure, Wilderness, Education, Hobbies, Sports

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2025

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

About 30 years ago, I spent a few unforgettable days with Mark Nichols on his home waters near Stuart, Florida, chasing big jacks in the St. Lucie River. At the time, Mark was becoming a well-respected entrepreneur and angler, thanks to his young lure company, D.O.A.—short for Deadly on Arrival. Back in 1983, he had begun crafting a hyper-realistic plastic shrimp that proved irresistible to a wide range of saltwater species. It was a game-changer—not just for the anglers who used it, but for Mark himself. A man who loved the outdoors and the challenge of fooling fish, he had found his calling. Over the next 42 years, D.O.A. would go on to develop 27 innovative products capable of catching just about anything that swims—from snook and tarpon to bass and flounder. On today’s episode, we reconnect with an old friend and dive into the mind of Mark Nichols—exploring the genius behind his bait designs and how he continues to stay one step ahead of the fish.

Transcript

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0:00.0	When it comes to outdoor speakers, there is only one that should be on your radar.
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0:18.0	It's packed with clear, crisp audio that is engineered for the outdoors
0:22.9	and your wildest moments. Keep the party going wherever you are with Turtle Box.
0:33.8	We're proud to have Duck Camp as a supporter of the podcast for the last several years.
0:39.1	They've outfitted us for everything from hooking tarpen to our Elkhunts to the golf course.
0:44.7	Their fishing collection is thoughtfully designed by industry veterans
0:48.5	and focused on helping coastal anglers like us brave the elements.
0:52.9	Check out their new technical and everyday gear at duck camp.com.
1:00.9	We broke everything, we broke lines, we broke hooks, we broke rods, we broke our minds, we broke marriages, we broke the whole thing.
1:17.6	We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and whoever had the biggest pair of panties went to pot.
1:24.6	I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other way and I shot him going through the
1:28.4	other way, so I double lunged them both ways.
1:31.4	But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress out into government cut.
1:36.2	I got him on.
1:37.5	All right now.
1:38.5	We're going to teach him a lesson.
1:41.3	I'm just an old guy that likes to fish.
1:43.1	I'm not quitting yet.
1:45.5	And he said, well, who the hell do you think you are, Sue App?
1:48.7	And I said, that's exactly who I am.
	...

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