Young artists lured toward fish-head ornament idea

There's fish soup, fish houses and fish finders -- so why not fish-head Christmas ornaments in fish-crazed Minnesota? "Everyone likes them -- they're easy to sell," said Colter Ehrmantraut, 15, a sophomore at tiny Verndale High School southeast of Wadena in north-central Minnesota.

He and his classmates are making and selling the unique ornaments as part of an applied economics class, the brainchild of instructor Matt Parker, an avid angler and lure-maker.

The six teenage boys in the class use plastic resin and silicone molds to produce the colorful fish-head ornaments, dripping with clear-coat icicles.

"They're a lot of fun to make," Ehrmantraut said. "Each is one-of-a-kind."

But it's more than fun.

"We're basically learning how to run a small business," freshman Zach Johnson, 14, said. "We're learning about marketing, manufacturing and selling. It's been exciting."

Math, physics and economics also come into play, said Parker, who instructs the kids along with social studies teacher Sam Schmitz.

The students are selling the fish ornaments for $5 apiece -- and they can't make enough.

"We've already sold 145 of them," Parker said. "We're selling them faster than we can make them. We're not taking any more orders for this season."

And the students are learning about financial rewards: Their sales will pay for a fishing trip to Lake of the Woods next year.

"We're calling it 'experiencing profit-sharing,"' Parker said.

The youths plan to make plastic lures next semester to take on their fishing trip.

"I've been making lures since I was a little kid," Dahlberg said.

Dahlberg has teamed up with the Alumilite Corp. in Michigan to promote lure-building with the company's plastic resins. Parker saw a TV show Dahlberg did on lure-making and was intrigued.

"My wife got me a kit for Christmas last year," Parker said. He immediately saw possibilities for the classroom and contacted Mike Faupel, owner of the company. Faupel has given the school discounted supplies, and Dahlberg has offered valuable advice.

The students pour in a precise mixture of liquid plastic and coloring into the molds to produce the rock-hard fish heads and lures.

"Many lures can be built for pennies on the dollar," said Dahlberg, 63. Piquing the kid's interest in manufacturing might lead to careers, he said.

Said Parker: "The students now have some real-life experience in what it takes to run a business."

Currently, school district dollars pay for the materials used in the class, but Parker is hoping to make it self-sustaining.

"We'd like to manufacture things that catch fish, so we can sell them," Parker said. And the students will ramp up production next fall of the fish ornaments. "I think we can sell as many as we can make," he said.

He said the class already has created a buzz in the small school, which will graduate 33 students next spring. He expects a larger class next year. He's also hoping he and his students can visit Dahlberg's workshop to get more tips.

Which is yet another lesson: "I tell them if you ask smart people smart things you get really good answers," Parker said.

His enthusiasm also might be a lesson.

"If you believe in what you're doing, it's easy to sell it," he said. "And I believe in what we're doing."

Doug Smith•dsmith@ startribune.com Twitter: @dougsmithstrib