Building a Fishing Legacy: The Story Behind CDA Custom Tackle
The Journey Behind CDA Custom Tackle
Starting a fishing tackle business is about more than designing lures and selling products. For me, building CDA Custom Tackle has been about sharing a journey with my family and teaching my kids lessons that will last a lifetime.
This business isn’t just about fishing tackle.
It’s about building something meaningful, spending time together, and showing my kids what it looks like to follow a dream.
Along the way, they’ve become part of the process in ways I never imagined.
A Family Built Around Fishing
Fishing has always been a big part of our lives. Time on the water gives us the opportunity to slow down, laugh together, and enjoy the outdoors.
When I began developing CDA Custom Tackle, it felt natural to involve my wife and kids in the process. Instead of building a business alone, it became something we could build as a family.
They don’t just watch from the sidelines—they actively help bring ideas to life, share their thoughts on hat and hoodie designs and my oldest throws baits while I am in the water filming.
From brainstorming lure colors, designs and testing baits on the water, they’ve become some of my most honest and enthusiastic product testers.
Little Hands, Big Ideas: Creating New Soft Plastic Colors
One of the most fun parts of building CDA Custom Tackle has been experimenting with new soft plastic bait colors.
Kids see things differently than adults. They notice colors, patterns, and combinations that many anglers might never think to try.
Sometimes a color idea comes from:
- A sunset over the lake
- A crawfish in the shallows
- The color of a small baitfish
- Or simply a creative spark from a kid’s imagination
Some of our most interesting bait colors started as ideas the kids shared.
Field Testing with the Best Product Team
Of course, designing a bait is only the first step. The real test happens on the water.
That’s where the kids become some of the best product testers I could ask for.
We take the baits out fishing, experimenting with different retrieves, colors, and conditions. Every trip becomes a chance to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Sometimes we celebrate a great catch.
Sometimes we laugh or share frustration about the fish that got away. Remember from Blog one... life lesson on the water...
But every outing is another memory added to the story behind CDA Custom Tackle.
Teaching the Value of Hard Work and Creativity
One of the most important reasons I involve my kids in this journey is to teach them that building something meaningful takes effort.
They get to see:
- The process of creating an idea
- The work that goes into making a product
- The challenges of building a business
- The excitement of seeing something succeed
They’re learning that dreams don’t just happen—you build them step by step.
Those lessons are just as important as anything we learn while fishing.
More Than a Business — A Legacy
For me, CDA Custom Tackle is more than a brand name or a company.
It’s a story about family, hard work, and the outdoors.
Every lure we design carries a little piece of that story. Every fishing trip becomes another chapter in a journey that I hope will continue for generations.
By involving my kids now, I’m not just teaching them about fishing or business.
I’m showing them:
- The importance of following their passions
- The value of spending time outdoors
- The reward of building something meaningful
And maybe someday, they’ll take these lessons and build something of their own.
Sharing the Journey
As CDA Custom Tackle continues to grow, I want to share more of this journey with the fishing community.
Not just the products—but the process.
The ideas, the experiments, the fishing trips, and the moments with family that make it all worthwhile.
Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to build a successful tackle company.
The goal is to build a legacy of fishing, family, and the outdoors.