In 2018 my dad approached me and said, "Son, I think I have a way to stop our fishing rods from always getting tangled and broken in transit." He showed me the very first prototype of his idea that consisted of materials that he gathered from far and wide, including the depths of his garage. I suggested that we added a strap for tension, allowing anglers to go hands-free, and voila, the Rod Caddy was born.

We then sent off a crude video that we created to demonstrate how the Rod Caddy works to one of the biggest fishing rod manufacturers in the world, and quickly got a response back telling us that they were interested. This small-town father and son team negotiated a licensing agreement, and The Rod Caddy was slated to be sold internationally!

Shortly after celebrating this incredible achievement, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We were lucky enough to get the production model sent to us so that he could see it from his hospital bed. He was so proud. The creator, inventor, and loving husband and father, passed away only a few short weeks after that, never getting to see his invention go to market. We sold Rod Caddies around the world and were in numerous big box retail stores, but wanted to market the product our way, and tell the story of a great product and even better man.

After our contract with the manufacturer expired, I was hungry to market the product with an approach I believed was best, and decided to go it alone. I chose to swallow my fears and apply to the television show Dragon’s Den in search of a new partner. I was thrilled and horrified when they called to inform me that I was going to appear on the show.

I went fishing for a deal, but didn’t reel in any Dragons. This is where things took a very unexpected turn for the better! I went on national television looking for a business partner, and he ended up being right here in my very own backyard. To be more specific, he was my dad’s neighbor, and had been a huge fan of the product.

My new partner and I have decided to take on a personal and professional mission to make the Rod Caddy a household name, and solve a very real problem that millions of anglers face each day. We will carry on my dad’s dream, long term vision, and legacy! With every one sold, it is like a piece of him survives.