Coming from a family of outdoorsmen, I was introduced to fishing at a very young age. I can vaguely remember being around four years old, fishing with my dad, but it wasn’t until a couple years later that I really caught the itch for the sport. I spent many days playing hooky with my Dad and Great Grandpa out on Lake Conroe. Springtime was always the best, and about once a week, I’d get to join them in the boat, and we’d fill a cooler with channel cats.
Fast forward to my early teens — that’s when I discovered my love for bass fishing. Like many young men, I dreamed of fishing professionally. I joined my local high school fishing team, but shortly after, I realized those cards probably weren’t in my favor. Even so, my passion for fishing never faded and I continued bass fishing throughout high school, fishing local weekend tournaments and eventually took it with me into college.
I attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where I had the opportunity to travel the country and fish collegiately alongside my best friend. It was during college that I truly fell in love with crappie fishing and started experimenting with tying my own jigs. My family and I spend a lot of time on Lake Sam Rayburn, and that’s where I really got to put my jig-tying skills to the test for the first time. I quickly learned that there’s no better feeling than catching a limit of fish on something you created yourself. What started as tying jigs for me and my family eventually turned into an opportunity to make a little extra money while working my way through college. A few close friends bought some of my jigs, and through word of mouth, I was able to sell some to the fishing community.
Like I mentioned before, it’s an incredible feeling catching fish on something I created — but it’s even better seeing someone else do the same.
Rod building started much the same way as jig tying. After buying countless rods over the years, I remember picking one up and thinking, “How hard would it be to make one of these?” From there, I went straight down the rabbit hole.
I quickly realized I wasn’t just limited to what was sitting on the shelves at my local sporting goods store. I could build a rod with higher-quality materials, customized exactly the way I wanted, for about the same price as a "production" built rod. The first rod I ever built was for bass fishing, using a free, no-name blank from a buddy and the cheapest components I could find. From there, I started planning builds with better blanks and higher-end components. Before long, family members and close friends wanted custom rods of their own — and I was more than happy to oblige.
By combining my passion for jig tying and rod building, Harp Crappie Co. was born.
My goal is simple: to put proven products into the hands of as many crappie fishermen as possible while hopefully becoming a small part of your next unforgettable “on-the-water” memory with family and friends.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my story! Pick up some jigs, a rod, or maybe even both, and put them to work. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for stopping by, and as always — tight lines!
-Taylor Harp
Owner & Founder
Harp Crappie Co.
