Brad Parker of Gautier, Mississippi sent in his application to become a Pro Staff member and indicated his skills for rod building were that of a beginner. But, what we saw was mad potential. Brad is an industrial engineer, but an outdoorsman at heart. He began building rods after becoming frustrated with the production rods on the market. He was in search of a lightweight, sensitive rod and decided to build his own. Brad said, “I enjoy fishing for anything that will tug on my line. My location enables me to fish many great species in one place. I live on the Mississippi gulf coast, just minutes from the Pascagoula River System, so I have the best of both worlds with fresh and saltwater fish at my doorstep.” Though he hasn’t been building rods for very long, he says, “I find rod building to be as enjoyable as actually catching the fish.”