I appreciate the many kind comments.

Forums operate one of two ways. There are companies that exist by operating forums. You can obtain one for either a very low fee or even for free. The owner operates the software and hosts the site but you have to agree to the owner running continual advertising on his behalf. You don't really own anything concrete - you're just being given a page on somebody else's system. This is why many rod building forums are covered with advertising for gutter guards, vitamins and all sorts of things not related to custom rod building.

The other way to do it is to buy your own software and hire a hosting company to maintain and supply the site. That's how I went about it. This is an expensive way to do things but it gives you total control over what appears on your forum. You actually own the forum but you also foot the bill for updates, changes, maintenance, new servers, etc. I have always priced the sponsor fee (about a buck per day) so that as many companies as possible could afford it and yet still allow me to mostly break even each year.

Last fall I got an out-of-the-blue offer that given my age and other responsibilities just made sense for me to accept. The new owner will make an announcement regarding future plans at the end of this month or first of next month. All sponsorships are contractually obligated to be honored. I hope this forum will continue to operate much as it has over the past 20 years.

In the interim, neither RodMaker Magazine nor the Expo have been sold. They are separate entities from this forum.

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From everyone here at American Tackle Co we want to say Tom has been an outstanding partner and a great person for pushing our craft further. Without him and this forum we know that the growth of this craft would not be the same. Tom, we thank you for all that you have done and wish you the best. We will see you ICRBE in a few short weeks and look forward to even more shows!

Thanks, Tom. We have all learned a lot here.

I've learned everything I know about rod building here. I'd still be fishing factory rods if it weren't this forum and it's awesome membership. Kind of strange .... last night I didn't have a lot to do so I put my name into the search just to go back and see when I made my first post to this site.

It was January 29, 2015, I started a thread about a flipping and pitching rod I wanted to build. The first response to the thread, and the first bit of advice, which I've followed with every rod I've built, came from Tom. It was to add extra running guides to help protect the blank in bad rod handling situations.

Thank you Tom ..... for everything.

My first post was Nov.14 2003...I think.

Thanks Tom for all you have done for me and my rod building. I have learned so much from this forum! So if the new owners ruin this for us. Who here can step up and recreate what Tom has done for us for so long.

"The other way to do it is to buy your own software and hire a hosting company to maintain and supply the site. That's how I went about it. This is an expensive way to do things but it gives you total control over what appears on your forum. You actually own the forum but you also foot the bill for updates, changes, maintenance, new servers, etc. I have always priced the sponsor fee (about a buck per day) so that as many companies as possible could afford it and yet still allow me to mostly break even each year."

THIS IS WHAT MADE IT SPECIAL

I miss the days of independent forums, they are now a thing of the past cooperate run now. Also, Facebook has taken a lot of folks away from them.

Travis T

This has also been a place that was pleasant to use--- one where you did not mind your sons and even daughters reading. Most message boards were not like this one and some were downright crude and lewd. There was a forum on the west coast that got so bad at one point that it was embarrassing even for adults to read. I have done a lot more reading than posting here at RBO and check it every single morning when I get into the office. Always new posts, thoughts and ideas. It has become a morning ritual for me and I would bet the same thing for many others. I really hope it does not undergo many if any changes.

I also hope this forum doesn’t change. It is the only rod building forum In which I participate. The civility, respect, and lack of foul language on this site are quite unique. Because of this people are not afraid to ask questions or voice their opinions. The people here can disagree without being disagreeable and the information shared is almost always useful, even to veteran builders. Thanks Tom, job well done.
Norm

I have read every post, (pertinent to my interests or not) gained a huge amount of knowledge, gotten countless hours of entertainment, (thx Phil, Lol) and communicated with a few to whom I'll always be indebted. Not a day passes that I don't check in here. I also hope it doesn't change. If it ain't broke... Thx Tom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2022 08:54PM by Lynn Behler.

Hello Travis.

"THIS IS WHAT MADE IT SPECIAL"
"THIS IS WHAT MAkES IT SPECIAL"


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Hope things stay the same or nearly so. Forum reminds me early days of forums in general. Forums used to draw fully engaged people seeking knowledge advice and company of like minded folks. You had to seek things out and want to be there. You also did not hide behind the anonymity of the internet and act disrespectful.This is one of only a small handful of forums I frequent that are still like that. Most are full of potstirrers and those that don't bring much to the table. Kinda like your friendly neighborhood bar. You got the core group of genuine good people but there is always that one smartass at the end of the bar looking to cause grief. Overtime the core group shrinks and your left with a bunch of smartasses and a place void of anything useful.

As for ads bring them on. Adblocker works real good.

Finally Tom thank you. You have brought a lot of different levels of builders together through all your endeavors not just this forum. For beginner to master you have created a place and made information available that is approachable and inclusive to all.

Tom, it,s good seeing you make some time for yourself..be careful, it can become a habit..lol.

I hope it does. It occurred to me about a week ago that I have not had a single day off in 25 years now. Not a holiday or weekend. The few hours I managed to carve out here and there for personal time always had to be paid back by working into the night or starting extra early the next morning. My family members were often upset with me for not having spent Thanksgivings or Christmases with them for the last 25 years. Time has slipped by quickly.

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Compared to others I am still an infant on this forum. This forum is one I will never leave. As a millennial I have somehow manage to stay off all social media. This is the closest I will ever get and I am blessed to call myself a part of this great community. Thank you Tom for your vision, passion, and hard work to make a place like this a possibility.

Thanks Tom, you will be missed for sure and hopefully you still hang out here.
Steve

Tom, it occurs to me you will be able to say what you're really thinking on the forum now. Hmmm.

yea Jim, he,ll probably get banned in the first month..lol..i just have to ask, this being a rod building site, how much fishing did you get in Tom..that would be the only thing to keep me going for 25 years..it,s such a great tonic, even one hour a week..just to try out a new rod buildig idea..

Jim, interesting thought. Lol

Maybe 1 hour per month would be more like it. The time required to operate this forum, magazine and Expo just didn't leave much time for anything else. I was fortunate to have done a lot of fishing before this page in my life and hopefully will return to that time in the coming years.

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