Elite Series angler Brandon Palaniuk has announced he has joined forces with Alpha Angler Rods, a custom rod-building company based close to his home in the Pacific Northwest.
Palaniuk and Alpha Angler Rods founder Jake Boomer have known each other for more than 10 years through local tournament trails. Boomer, who hails from Spokane, Wash., started building custom rods in 2010, but as demand grew he decided to launch Alpha Angler Rods.
Boomer employs a direct-to-consumer business model, which allows for customization right down to using line guides from different manufacturers on the same rod in order to achieve maximum performance.
“He believes in what we are making,” Boomer said of Palaniuk. “He’s had a lot of input and has been around a lot when we’re making them. Brandon is going to be a catalyst to a larger market. We are already growing fast in the northwest so it’s a good validation to have someone like Brandon not only wanting to get on board, but pushing us to do more. He was encouraging us knowing he could fish with anybody.”
Palaniuk says it’s refreshing to partner with a small company.
“For me, I made a promise to myself when I got started that I wanted to align myself with the best products available in their respective categories,” Palaniuk said. “Part of my job is to promote products so when I tell somebody this is the best rod for this I want to mean it and be confident that when they pick it up, they agree with me. Doing that was important for me.
“Part of me likes to be unconventional or different. Whether that means running 120 miles away to catch smallmouth or putting two different guide brands on a rod, it’s all about trying to be the best, regardless of what the market says or conventional wisdom.”
He values having an open line of communication with Boomer so the two can continue to refine existing rods and develop new actions.
“Being a local company and having that friendship and not worrying about stepping on toes if he builds something that I don’t think is good, I can tell him that and not worry about the repercussions,” he said.
