Our Story
I grew up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s with plenty of woods, water, and time outdoors, but not a lot of money. My dad was a biologist and game warden over an 18,000-acre wildlife management area in Arkansas, and my grandad bought me my first “real” fishing rod. When it broke, he didn’t replace it — he showed me how to fix it. That lesson stuck.
From then on, I started picking up rods and reels other people threw away and bringing them back to life. They weren’t pretty, but they worked. Later, I chased “better” rods off the store shelves, only to realize most of them were all flash and no backbone. Eventually I decided to build my own.
After moving to Texas, a friend convinced me to take the plunge, and word spread fast. Local anglers and bass-club members wanted rods that were both sensitive and durable. To keep up, I filed for a license, partnered with Mudhole Custom Tackle, and gave my shop a name that kept me grounded in those early lessons: TrashCan Rodz.
That same drive to create eventually pushed us into pouring our own soft plastics and custom painting lures. Just like our rods, every bait is built to stand apart — functional first, but always with a streak of attitude.
Today, we build everything from crappie and catfish rods to travel and saltwater sticks. Some are simple and functional, others are one-off pieces of functional art. No matter the build, every rod or bait starts with your vision and ends with precision — one piece at a time.
Because the gear in your hands should be as unique as you are.