John Wicht is a competitor. Always has been. “Actually it all started when I first went fishing with my grandfather in north-central Minnesota,” he said. “I was five, and already passionate about winning.”

Since then John has competed in NASCAR events, professional snowmobile races, and practically every fishing circuit around, including the Bassmasters Central Division, Mega Bucks, the Silverado Pro Bass Tour, Super 30 and Redman events, and the U.S. Bass Invitational, to name a few.


"There are so many competitors in a field, whether it be fishing or racing, and they all have the best equipment available, and a strong desire to win. That's why I’m always looking for that subtle advantage to help me finish first. And that's exactly why I created Thunder Bullets."

John set out to manufacture the most precision-made fishing products in the world, so in 1990 he founded Thunder Bullets. It is a division of Wicht Machine Works, his precision machine shop that manufactures products ranging from medical goods such as hip and knee joints, to fuel systems for aircraft. The company now has over 50 employees and is located in Osseo, Minnesota.

"I talked to fishermen all over the country and put their input into a line of rattling brass fishing weights and lures." John personally designs every Thunder Bullets product through on-the-water fishing experience, field tests them all over the country, and makes refinements every step of the way. They are then manufactured in a 99% computer-controlled environment before they go to market.

"I designed Thunder Bullets products to help me catch more fish, and ultimately win more tournaments. They have. For me, and many other anglers. I get letters every day from fishermen writing to say how much they appreciate the quality of the products and have caught more and bigger fish using them."