Captain Aaron Pierce built Four Horsemen out of necessity. Now the Cut Off-based brand is riding across the Gulf Coast.

There are South Louisiana companies that happen to make fishing gear.

Then there are companies that probably couldn't have been created anywhere else.

Four Horsemen Bait & Tackle is one of those.

But it didn't start with a business plan or somebody sitting around trying to dream up the next fishing product.

It started with Captain Aaron Pierce being frustrated with the gear he was already using.

As a charter captain, Aaron spent enough time on the water to know what worked and what didn't. One thing that bothered him was the popping cork.

There were plenty on the market that made noise. They rattled. They clicked. They got attention.

But Aaron wanted something different.

He wanted a cork that actually mimicked the sound of fish feeding.

So he started experimenting.

And one of his first testing grounds wasn't a laboratory or product-development facility.

It was his parents' swimming pool.

Aaron tested different combinations there before taking them into open water and rough conditions. He experimented with everything from the wire and beads to the material used to make the cork itself.

The goal wasn't simply to make another noisy popping cork. It was to make one that sounded right and could survive what fishermen actually put their gear through.

The name actually came before the company.

Aaron and three of his fishing buddies called themselves The Four Horsemen.

So when Aaron began developing his cork, those same three friends became his first real-world product testers.

They fished it, abused it, and put it through the conditions it was designed for.

When the Four Horsemen gave their approval, Aaron knew he was onto something.

But solving one problem only led him to another.

Anyone who fishes regularly knows the routine.

Catch a fish. Tear the lure. Replace it.

Catch another aggressive fish. Tear it again.

Aaron wanted something more durable that could keep fishing instead of forcing you back into the tackle box every few catches.

He wanted something with durability that could withstand 15 or 20 aggressive fish without constantly having to change.

So he started developing that, too.

And that's really the story behind Four Horsemen Tackle.

Aaron wasn't trying to fill shelves with as many products as possible. He was solving problems he encountered while fishing.

If something wasn't good enough on the water, make something better.

In 2018, Aaron started taking his products beyond just the Four Horsemen.

He didn’t approach local tackle shops; he did something that would ultimately help put Four Horsemen Tackle in front of fishermen across the region.

He sent products to other charter captains.

For Free.

He told them, “Try it, and let me know what you think.”

What did they think….They loved it!

Then their customers started looking for it.

Fishermen began walking into tackle shops asking for Four Horsemen products. Eventually, instead of Aaron having to convince every store to give his tackle a chance, retailers began contacting him because their customers were already requesting it.

The fishermen did the selling for him.

Today, the company that started with Aaron experimenting with a popping cork in a swimming pool is still headquartered right here in Cut Off, Louisiana.

But Four Horsemen's reach has grown far beyond Lafourche Parish.

Its products are now distributed throughout the Gulf Coast and can be found at major retailers including Walmart, Academy Sports + Outdoors and DICK'S Sporting Goods, along with more than 200 independent bait and tackle shops.

You don't necessarily have to travel far to find it, either. If you live in the South Lafourche community, you can even find Four Horsemen products at your local Rouses Super Markets.

And Aaron hasn't traded the boat for an office.

Captain Aaron Pierce still operates Four Horsemen Charters out of Leeville, keeping him on the same South Louisiana waters that created the need for these products in the first place.

What started with one captain trying to build a better popping cork didn't stay one cork for long.

As Four Horsemen grew, so did the tackle lineup. Today, the company has 10 different cork lines, along with lures in multiple sizes and colors, spoons, and other tackle designed with the same on-the-water mentality Aaron started with.

Now, fishermen and businesses alike can make the original idea their own.

Four Horsemen offers custom-printed corks, allowing charter captains, businesses, fishing clubs, and events to put their own logo or design directly on the cork.

We don't normally get to answer that question quite this literally.

But, you better believe it is!

We actually tested it ourselves long before ever interviewing Captain Aaron.

And one of the first things that stood out wasn't just the sound of the cork. It was how the thing was built. It’s durable and holds up well in saltwater conditions.

From a swimming pool in Cut Off to charter boats across the Gulf Coast, the fishermen apparently agreed with us too.

The Bayou Region's own Four Horsemen Bait & Tackle is Worth the Salt, and it was born right here at home.

Friday–Sunday | Houma | Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center

The kids get fair rides, games, and carnival food. You get live music, cold drinks, and the possibility they'll actually sleep on the ride home. Everybody wins!

Hero Fest takes over Houma all weekend with rides, food, arts & crafts, family activities, and a seriously stacked music lineup. Admission is FREE, with rides and some activities costing extra $$.

🎸 FRIDAY — SEPT. 18

6:30–7:30 PM — MJ Dardar
7:30–9:00 PM — Caleb Lapeyrouse & The Drivers
9:30–11:00 PM — John Foster

🤘 SATURDAY — SEPT. 19

4:00–5:30 PM — Thomas Cain
7:30–9:00 PM — Drowning Pool
9:30–11:00 PM — Eli Young Band

🪗 SUNDAY — SEPT. 20

12:30–2:00 PM — Tony B
2:30–4:00 PM — CaneBreakers
4:30–6:00 PM — Wayne Toups
6:30–8:00 PM — Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band

Worth the Salt? Pack up the kids. This one's an easy yes.

Saturday 11AM | Houma | Courthouse Square

Watching other people cook while you eat their food counts as a family activity, and we're completely fine with that.

Local teams fire up the pits for a tailgate-style cook-off benefiting the TCU Foodbank. Come hungry, bring the family, and let somebody else worry about what's for lunch.

Worth the Salt? Absolutely. Leaving with a full belly and helping a good cause, what more could you want?

Saturday & Sunday | Morgan City | Joe C. Russo Memorial Boat Landing | $25 Admission

Some people spend their weekends relaxing by the water. These people strap giant motors to boats and see who can cross it the fastest.

The Atchafalaya Nationals bring two days of outboard drag racing to Morgan City. Fast boats, big noise, and enough horsepower to make your fishing boat develop self-esteem issues.

Bring the family, grab some hearing protection, and watch people make questionable decisions at very high speeds.

Worth the Salt? Do you like your drag racing wet and loud? If so, this is the must-attend event of the weekend!

Friday 6–8 PM | Morgan City | Immanuel Baptist Church | $10

Finally, an event where you're actively encouraged to shoot your children with foam darts.

Bring your Nerf blaster and prepare for an all-ages battle complete with Nerf wars, nachos, snacks, prizes, and photo ops. Extra darts are provided, so apparently there will be no shortage of ammunition.

$10 gets you in. Settling longstanding family rivalries is free.

Worth the Salt? If you're looking for a reason to blast people with foam darts while running in circles after eating tacos…. Then this is the event you have been waiting for!

🧂 The Worth the Salt Family Weekend Plan

Friday night: Nerf & Nacho Night in Morgan City
Saturday morning: Atchafalaya Nationals in Morgan City
Saturday afternoon: TCU Tailgate Cook-Off in Downtown Houma
Saturday night: Rides, food & live music at Hero Fest
Sunday: Wayne Toups + Keith Frank at Hero Fest

Fast boats. Foam darts. Tailgate food. Carnival rides. And enough live music to send the weekend out properly.

That's the beauty of living down here. Family fun doesn't have to mean doing the same thing every weekend.

Sometimes you just need to know what's worth getting out of the house for.

The weekend plans that are a little more fun without a juice box in your hand.

The kids have rides, Nerf guns, and plenty to keep them busy. Now it’s your turn. Grab a date, round up the group chat, call whoever still owes you a night out, and go remember what weekends were like before “What are we doing with the kids?” became the first question.

Here’s what the Bayou Region has to offer that’s actually worth getting dressed for.

Friday & Saturday | Houma | Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center

Yes, we already sent you to Hero Fest with the kids. Now find a babysitter and go back.

Friday brings John Foster, while Saturday turns things up with Drowning Pool followed by Eli Young Band. Add festival food, drinks, and a crowd that doesn't need to be reminded it's bedtime, and you've got yourself a night.

Worth the Salt? After the Bodies Hit the Floor, and the Crazy Girl, we’re not sure what else you’d want for the weekend. We are giving this an Absolutely Yes.

Friday 5–8 PM | Downtown Thibodaux | FREE

Need a date night that looks like you actually put some thought into it?

Stroll Downtown Thibodaux while local artists, crafters, and musicians take over businesses throughout the district. Grab dinner or a drink along the way, and suddenly you've planned a whole evening without making a reservation.

Worth the Salt? We think so, plus there’s the bonus of being free, which leaves more money for cocktails.

Saturday 7–10 PM | Larose | Larose Civic Center | 21+

It's bingo... except instead of winning a few dollars or a cake, you could walk out with a designer handbag.

Purse-A-Palooza brings together bingo, drinks, and bags from brands including Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Brahmin, and more, while raising money for local scholarships.

Girls' night has entered the chat.

Worth the Salt? No kids, no men; this just might be the best night in a long time.

Saturday | 4–9 PM | Berwick | Berwick Civic Center

Dinner and a movie? Predictable.

Live boxing in Berwick? Now we're talking.

Lace 'Em Up 2 brings an evening of amateur boxing to the Berwick Civic Center. Grab somebody who won't ask why you chose boxing for date night and enjoy something completely different.

The Headline fight: Damon Green vs. Terrance Andrus

Doors open at 4. First punch flies at 5.

🎟️ Adults $20 | Kids $10

Worth the Salt? Of course. It is much better than a Saturday night on the couch watching reruns of Seinfeld.

If you want the biggest night out, get to Hero Fest for Drowning Pool and Eli Young Band. Apparently Houma decided subtlety was unnecessary this weekend.

If you want a date night that earns you points without spending a fortune, wander the Fall Arts Walk in Downtown Thibodaux. Art, music, dinner, and cocktails. You can pretend you planned the whole thing weeks ago.

If you want a girls’ night where bingo can end with a designer handbag, Purse-A-Palooza has your Saturday covered. Leave the kids home. Apparently, leave the men there too.

And if you'd rather spend Saturday watching people actually punch each other instead of arguing about what to watch on TV, grab a seat for LACE ’EM UP 2 in Berwick.

Sometimes being an adult means paying bills, cutting grass, and remembering somebody needs to buy toilet paper.

This weekend, it means calling the sitter.

We snuck a little fishing intel out of Captain Aaron Pierce of 4 Horsemen Charters, and his advice for this weekend is pretty simple:

Don’t get married to your spot.

Aaron says the trout and reds have been scattered lately. His approach is to work a point, and if the bite slows down, pick up and move to the next one. Keep covering water until you find fish.

“Fish a point. If the bite slows down, don’t be afraid to move.”

That may be the biggest takeaway this week. Instead of dropping anchor at your favorite spot and waiting for the fish to eventually cooperate, go looking for them.

The good news is that the weather appears to cooperate more as we get into the weekend.

Conditions are rougher heading into Thursday and Friday, with elevated east winds. But the current National Weather Service marine forecast has conditions settling considerably Saturday: ENE winds around 5–10 knots, sunny skies and much calmer water closer to shore. Sunday stays relatively light on the wind, although there is a chance of morning showers and thunderstorms.

Offshore conditions tell the same story: seas that could still be around 5 feet Friday are forecast to fall to roughly 2–3 feet Saturday and around 2 feet Sunday.

If you're chasing speckled trout and redfish, think mobility this weekend.

Find moving water around a point, give the fish an opportunity to show themselves, and don't spend two hours trying to prove you're right about a spot that's clearly wrong.

No bite? Move.

A couple of fish and then it dies? Move.

Find them feeding? Now you stay.

That sounds obvious, but we've all spent another 45 minutes casting at the place where they were biting because surely they're coming back.

Saturday gets our pick.

The wind is forecast to drop, the water should settle down, and Captain Aaron's report gives us a pretty straightforward strategy:

Cover water. Fish the points. Keep moving until you find them.

And if your buddy insists the fish have to be at the same spot where he caught them three weeks ago...

Maybe leave him there and pick him up on the way home.