It’s hard to believe, but 2026 marks 50 years of Mud Hole Custom Tackle sharing the very best of custom rod building with anglers around the world. What began in 1976 as a small New Jersey tackle shop with a passion for rod building has grown into the world’s largest provider of custom rod building products and education.
As an angler for nearly 40 years and a rod builder for the last 15, hearing the stories and seeing even a small glimpse of Mud Hole’s transformation over the decades has been remarkable. I write this as a proud member of the current Mud Hole team over the past 12 years.
Check out the Mud Hole 50 Year Timeline
The name Mud Hole itself comes from a well-known fishing location off the New Jersey coast in the New York Bight, fed by an outflow trench of the Hudson River. To this day, the Mud Hole remains a productive fishery for pelagic species like tuna and mahi, especially during the summer months when northern water temperatures rise. That deep connection to fishing, and to the places anglers care about most, has always been part of our identity.
Our New Home
In 1999, the business relocated to Oviedo, Florida, with a clear vision of bringing rod building to the masses. As the internet and e-commerce began opening new doors, Mud Hole entered a new phase of growth with the launch of MudHole.com. Since then, we have been able to share the craft of custom rod building with customers across the United States and in more than 100 countries, helping anglers everywhere build rods that are truly their own.
The last 25 years have seen the most significant growth not only for Mud Hole, but for rod building as a whole. That success was driven by more than simply selling products. From the beginning, Mud Hole set out to teach rod building. What started as a mission to serve the rod building community quickly revealed something bigger. Many anglers and DIY enthusiasts did not even know rod building existed. It did not take long to recognize the opportunity, and platforms like YouTube became the perfect way to reach the masses.
Rod Building Going Social
In 2007, the Mud Hole Custom Tackle YouTube channel was launched. Nineteen years later, we are approaching 700 videos, 71,000 subscribers, and more than 25 million views. That represents a tremendous amount of education and hands-on instruction shared with the rod building community.
Education Focused
Education continued to expand in 2008 with the launch of the Mud Hole education program. As more newcomers entered rod building, it became clear that family involvement played a major role. Parent and child teams, as well as grandparents working alongside grandchildren, showed us there was a real opportunity to reach youth. With traditional vocational programs disappearing from schools, educators were looking for engaging, skill-based learning that could extend beyond the classroom. Today, Mud Hole’s education program has reached more than 1,000 schools, making a meaningful impact through classrooms and organizations like the Future Farmers of America.
Business to Business
As our customer base grew and education programs expanded, many builders began turning their passion into businesses. That created a need for trusted, purpose-driven products that customers could build their livelihoods around. This led to the launch of CRB Products, Pro Products, and MHX Rod Blanks, along with the Mud Hole Wholesale Program. Builders could now confidently stock their tackle shops, rod repair services, and custom rod businesses with products developed by Mud Hole, allowing everyone to grow together.
Mud Hole On The Road
With the popularity of the YouTube channel and constant requests for hands-on instruction, Mud Hole hit the road in 2012, launching rod building classes across the United States. From Boston to Atlanta and Wilmington to Washington State, builders could learn directly from the Mud Hole team in their own hometowns. After just two days of instruction, students left with a custom rod they built themselves and were ready to fish.
Big Win for Rod Building
In 2016, amid nonstop work, travel, and growth, the team had a moment to celebrate when Pro Team member John Cox won the Forrest Wood Cup. He became the first professional angler to win a major bass fishing event using rods he built himself, a milestone moment for custom rod building.
Mud Hole Goes LIVE
That same year, the rise of live streaming sparked another idea. Why not build rods live? Mud Hole Live was born as a way to demonstrate techniques, answer questions, host guests, and give products away in real time. Ten years and 128 live episodes later, we are still going strong. Hunter and I might have a few gray hairs now but the bright studio lights can do that to you, right?
More Space
Exactly 20 years after moving to Florida, Mud Hole outgrew its space and needed room to continue evolving. Staying rooted in the Oviedo community that had embraced us from the start, we expanded into a new facility designed to support every aspect of the business. From a state-of-the-art warehouse and dedicated education center to a fully equipped video studio, the new space gave Mud Hole everything needed to continue leading the industry.
Back To Tackle
Not long after settling in, the next goal was to bring back a piece of Mud Hole’s history by creating a full tackle center within the heart of the rod building operation. With the space, knowledge, and team in place, that vision became reality. Nearly five years to the day after Mud Hole’s original grand opening, we welcomed the community, fishing guides, food trucks, and top fishing brands for a massive fishing block party celebrating the opening of our full-service tackle center.
One Team One Dream
At the core of Mud Hole’s success is our incredible team. From product development and marketing to website management, human resources, accounting, warehouse operations, and customer service, these are some of the best people in the business. I am proud to work alongside them every day. They are not only dedicated to our customers, but they are also passionate anglers and custom rod builders themselves. When you try our latest products or reach out for help on your next build, know that you are working with people who spend their off hours on the water and in the workshop, ready to support you with unmatched knowledge, experience, and a shared love for fishing and rod building.
Cheers to Mud Hole, and heartfelt thanks to the incredible team members, past and present, who helped shape this company into what it is today. Here’s to the next fifty years.
