Veterans Day, observed on November 11th , is a day to honor and express gratitude to all the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, past and present. It is a day to recognize their selfless dedication, sacrifices, and the invaluable contributions they have made to protect our nation's freedom and security.
In honor of Veterans Day, we decided to get all our team members who served and ask, “What type of rod would you build to represent your branch of service?”
Flippin' Stick - ARMY
We lead off with our Army Veterans. This is the oldest branch of the US Military, and its motto reads, “This We’ll Defend.”
We wanted to build a rod that was tough and heavy-duty. A bass flippin’ stick seemed to fit the bill perfectly. We scoured the warehouse looking for the perfect blank and components. The blank is the ever-popular FP936 from MHX and pairs incredibly well with the sleek and lightweight American Tackle P-Seat made from carbon fiber. A weighted butt creates the perfect balance for long days on the water and the American Tackle Tiforged guides are perfect for braided line when pulling big fish from heavy cover. No custom rod would be complete without thread to match the Army’s colors: green, black, white, and metallic gold.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Army build.
Thank you to our team members who served in the US Army.
Jorge Gonzalez- Director of Operations- Served in the US Army
Kevin Landers-Marketing Manager- Served in the US Army
Chris Maxwell- Assistant Warehouse Manager - Served in the US Army
Offshore Bottom Rod - NAVY
Next, we head offshore for our US Navy rod build. Although there are discrepancies in terms of a motto for the US Navy, the somewhat unofficial motto can be traced to an inscription above the chapel doors at the US Naval Academy that reads “Non sibi sed patriae,” which means “Not self, but country.”
Our members of the Navy agreed an offshore build would be best, but more specifically, something capable of great depths and fighting powerful fish.
The blank is an American Tackle AX670 used for live bait and West Coast-style jigs. This blank can handle up to 50lb class, and we match the AT all-aluminum reel seat to match, with blue hoods, of course. The guides are heavy-duty turbo style and comfortable EVA foregrip for the long battle ahead. As with all of our Veterans Day builds, we have threads to match Navy’s blue and gold colors.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Navy build.
Thank you to our team members who served in the US Navy.
Todd Vivian- Product Development & Lead Instructor- Served in the US Navy
John Graves- Wholesale Account Specialist- Served in the US Navy
Francis Citron-Diaz- Warehouse Associate -Served in the US Navy
Inshore All-Around Rod - MARINES
Now, lets build our rod for the US Marine Corps. Their motto of “Semper Fidelis” is often thought of much more than just a motto, but a way of life. With the meaning “Always Faithful” it stands as an unshakeable loyalty to one another. We wanted to show the versatility of the Marines by building an inshore rod.
Our Marine Corps rod build is a favorite of our rod-building instructor and Marine Corps Veteran, Jesus Pena. The SJ842 from MHX is an incredible, all-around build for those wanting to fish inshore but can also venture into freshwater as well. We decided to use the metallic red blank to represent the scarlet color seen in the Marines. Both American Tackle aero reel seat and the Microwave guide system provide comfortable handling and peak performance on the water.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Marines build.
Thank you to our team member who served in the US Marine Corps.
Jesus Pena- Rod Building Instructor- Served in the US Marines
Offshore Trolling Rod - COAST GUARD
Staying out on the water, we will move back offshore for our US Coast Guard build. With the motto of “Semper Paratus,” that is, “Always Ready,” we decided to build a trolling rod to represent the constant patrolling of our coast.
We pulled the MHX X-Fighter XF755H, which allows anglers to fish in the 40-80lb class that covers dolphin, wahoo, and billfish. The 5’6” heavy power blank works great with the American Tackle complete all aluminum butt and the AFTCO wind-on roller guide set. The thread colors, red, blue and white round out this beautiful build ready to tackle any pelagic in the ocean.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Coast Guard build.
Thank you to our team member who served in the US Coast Guard.
Samuel Schult- Warehouse Associate- Served in the US Coast Guard
Fly Rod - AIR FORCE
Now it is time to build a fly rod inspired by our US Air Force. We decided to “Aim High,” as their motto states, and build something that is as high-performance and looks as cool as it casts.
We chose the CRB Color Series fly rod blank in Cool Gray and paired it with an all-black aluminum reel seat and a classic cork handle. The guides are a double-foot snake guide set from CRB coupled with the blue and gold thread to match the Air Force colors. This 5wt build can take you anywhere in freshwater; it can do it all from high mountain trout streams to calm farm ponds teaming with bass.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Air Force build.
Thank you to our team member who served in the US Air Force.
Megan Dambro- Operations Team- Served in the US Air Force
Finesse - SPACE FORCE
Finally, we have the US Space Force. Although we do not have any team members who have served in the Space Force, we had to include it. With their motto being “Semper Supra” which means “Always Above” we chose a build that would look and feel out of this world.
For our Space Force rod, we chose the NSJ8225 from MHX, which features the pinnacle in rod building technology and a beautiful platinum gray finish. We chose the American Tackle Dagger reel seat for its look and carbon fiber makeup. Both the seat hood and the fighting butt feature a matte finish carbon fiber material to maintain light weight with maximum sensitivity. Rounding out the build we have included a set of CRB SSR guides. These guides are ultra-light and ultra-durable that are at home in freshwater and saltwater alike. We have included two blue threads and a silver metallic to represent the colors of the Space Force.
Want to build one just like this? We have all the parts in a saved cart.
Link to saved cart for the Space Force build.
We greatly appreciate all our team members, customers and fellow Americans who proudly serve in our United States Military.
The dedication and sacrifice of the United States military personnel are an enduring testament to their unwavering commitment to safeguarding freedom and defending the nation. Their valor, resilience, and selflessness in the face of adversity are a source of inspiration for us all.
We salute the men and women of the U.S. military for their bravery and service in protecting our nation and upholding the values of liberty and democracy.