20 years ago today this forum appeared online. In the ensuing years it has continued to grow and improve. As of today, there are 13,143 registered users, over 8,200 of which have been active (logged in) within the past 3 months. The forum contains 514,774 posts, all of which remain archived and can be accessed with the search feature.

The Photo Page followed shortly afterward and remains the largest repository of custom rod photos anywhere in the world. There are 19,814 photos in the database. The photo page has received just over 51 MILLION views to date.

Hard to say that it'll last another 20 years but for now, it's as strong as ever.

............

Congratulations!
Norm

Happy 20th Anniversary hoping for another long stretch.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

It's an amazing accomplishment and an incredible amount of work and dedication is what it takes to have a thriving forum that lasts as long as this one has . One of the most impressive things about it is Tom is busy with many other things outside this forum like his magazine and writing/ updating books . Can't believe he actually has time to fish .

Two decades of success is a @#$%& of an accomplishment. Congrats.

I love this site. So much information and everyone is willing to share their helpful tips and tricks!
Thanks,
Dave

Well done Tom.

Tom,
Congratulations and commandments plus a simple yet huge THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Thank you for this valuable site and for administering to it.

Good Job

Tom,
Excuse me, that should have been “commendments”, “not commandments”. Dang spell check. lol

This site has been a constant source of enjoyment for me since I found it. I have friends now I would never have had otherwise, even if I've never met most of them in person. I can always find an answer to my questions, whether by asking, or looking back thru past posts. Tom, I'm in your debt. Thank you.

Great Job Tom , wish you another 20 tears, at lots of good information here

William Sidney
AK

I have been posting here for all these twenty years. There have been some regional message boards over the years that I think were almost as popular but most did not last very long. Facebook seems to have done most of the forum type sites in lately but this one just seems to keep going and going and going. Good people, good information and none of the personal stuff that did in so many forums over the years. This one always had the right recipe for success.

Congratulations Tom and rodbuilding.org,

And as busy as Tom is, he makes sure everybody on this site is courteous, respectful, and civil to each other.
In this day and age, that is an accomplishment above all others. Mac.

Appreciation from American Tackle for allowing businesses a place to connect with enthusiasts....

In my opinion, it is difficult for a small business to effectively reach unique niche interest groups. Likewise, I think it equally important for enthusiasts to have a location to learn, share, and interact with businesses directly associated their interests. While other social media sources can provide similar services, they offer too little structure by the way of rules and guidelines so along with other associated distractions, there’s a loss of focus on rod building specifics. This forum has definitely stood the test of time and continues to be a valuable resource for both builders and rod building businesses.

Thank you Tom Kirkman!

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

Thank you for allowing a beginner like me to enlarge his knowledge throught personal experiences!!!

Sure appreciate all the time and effort. Hope it was and continues to be rewarding and enjoyable for you, Tom.
Gary

Dang! Awesome mag from a great guy, and RBO just might outlast me if it lasts another 20 years - we'll see...