Let's get the headline out of the way. 2K isn't going anywhere. But from October 30 to November 16, I'm out of the shop hunting the rut, and when I'm out, the shop goes quiet with me.
That's the trade-off of being a small shop. Every jig we sell is hand-tied by me, and there's no crew that keeps things running when I'm not at the bench. So once a year, right when the leaves are down and the deer are moving, I step away, and your orders wait for me to get back.
A lot of you know exactly what this time of year looks like. Half the String Team is on the water, half is in a tree stand, and plenty of you are trying to do both. This post is for both crowds: here's when to order, and here's what I'd grab before I'm gone.
The Dates That Matter
- Order by Thursday, October 29th, 2026: your order ships before the break.
- October 30 to November 15: the store stays open and you can still order, but nothing ships.
- Week of November 16: I'm back in the shop, working through orders in the order they came in.
If you're planning to fish through the first half of November, the simplest move is to stock up now.
Why I Put Together the Rut Run Collection
I didn't want this to be a "the shop is closed" email and nothing else. So I pulled together the Rut Run Collection, my last run before the break. This year it's all Urchin: the bait, our newest hooks, the full-size Battle Axe, and a box to carry it all, ready to go out the door before I head out.
The Urchin has been the story of 2026, and it isn't slowing down just because the water's cooling off. If you've been meaning to get set up, or you need to restock before the rest of the fall, this is the time.
Start With the Bait
2K Urchin Star The bait that started all of this. TPE elastomer construction, super buoyancy, and maximum tentacle action. Every hook in this collection was built around it, so if you're stocking up on anything, start here.
New Urchin Hooks
This has been a big month for the Urchin lineup, and these are the newest pieces.
2K Urchin Star Battle Axe Jr. Hook The Battle Axe double hook scaled down to light tackle: 1/16oz on a #1 light wire O'Shaughnessy hook, made to our spec in Japan, for 10mm to 15mm Urchins. The first run is very limited, so if you fish small Urchins, this is the one not to wait on.
2K Urchin Star Vampire Hook An all-in-one weighted Urchin hook. The weight is cast right onto the shank of a BKK Double 21, so there are no split rings and no added weights. Rig it, tie it on, and fish. It comes in 1/8oz with a 3/0 hook or 1/4oz with a 4/0.
2K Urchin Star Quad Hook A carbon steel needle-point quad hook for anglers who keep their hook on the top side of the Urchin. Pair it with our Tungsten Nail Weights for feel and drop speed.
I wrote up the full story on the Battle Axe Jr. and the Vampire Hook earlier this week: Small Urchins, Giant Bass.
2K Urchin Star Root Beer Vampire Hook Rig. Bait and hook sold separately.
The Proven Hooks
2K Urchin Star Battle Axe Round Bend Hook The full-size Battle Axe. The double hook design gives you a wider footprint and a better hook-up ratio than a standard double hook. It comes in 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 for 10mm to 20mm Urchins, from 1/8oz to 3/8oz. If you fish bigger Urchins, the Viper Lok version covers up to 25mm.
2K Urchin Star Fakie Hook The Fakie flips the usual setup. The weight and wire keeper pin sit toward the back of the shank instead of up front, which holds the bait in place and gives you a different fall rate and action than a weight-forward hook. The extra wide gap Mustad Ultra Point hook leaves room for the bait while keeping the point free to drive home on the hookset. It comes in a 4/0 for 17mm to 20mm Urchins and a 2/0 for 13mm to 15mm, in 1/16oz, 1/8oz, and 3/16oz.
The Finesse Setup
2K Urchin Star Worm When a cold front shuts the bite down, this is my answer. The Urchin Star Worm gives you the same TPE construction and tentacle action as the full-size Urchin in a 3.75" finesse worm. Wacky rig it on our Tungsten Weedless Wacky Jig Head and let both ends flutter on the fall.
2K Urchin Star Worm Pink Pearl Wacky Rig. Bait and hook sold separately.
Keep It All Rigged
2K Urchin Star Storage Box If you're stocking up on Urchins before the break, you need somewhere to put them. The Storage Box holds 20+ Urchin baits on a patent-pending adjustable rail insert, takes a beating on rough boat rides, and still fits most boat tackle storage.
See You on the Other Side
This is the first year we're doing it this way, and it won't be the last. Every fall, the shop will take a short break for the rut, and every fall, you'll get a heads-up and a Rut Run before it happens.
Get your order in by October 29, get it on the water, and if you're heading to the woods too, good luck out there. I'll be back in the shop the week of November 16.
When an ounce counts.
Dan, 2K Jigs Founder