By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan

Tournament anglers know what they want in their tackle, but sometimes that passion for perfection melds with a penchant for purpose and something cool is spawned.

Take, for example, western angler Matt Newman – founder and president of iRod. Founded in 2010, the company based in Agoura Hills, Calif. has quickly gained a loyal following among anglers such as Fred Roumbanis, Kevin Hawk, Bub Tosh and Marty Stone, who've provided design input for signature series rods.

Here's a little background on Newman.

Born: London, England; moved to the U.S. at age 9.

Industry Background: One of Newman’s first real jobs was working for a tackle shop. He worked at several shops during his late teens and early 20s. Later, he did some rep work for bait companies he got involved with while working in the tackle shops.

After that, he started fishing full-time as a tournament angler and a guide. About the same time, he started working for BassWest, selling ads for the magazine.

Newman has also had a big hand in designing lures for his sponsors. One of his biggest hits was the Tru-Tungsten swimbait series he helped design with two-tour pro Ish Monroe.

Tournament Career: Newman started fishing tournaments in 1990 after joining the Conejo Valley Bassmasters and quickly made the jump to team tournaments. He currently competes in FLW, WON Bass, ABA and National Bass West events.

Newman said his biggest tournament accomplishment was when he broke a Southern California record for the heaviest limit in a WON Bass team tournament. His sack, caught on Lake Casitas, was just under 37 pounds.

“That record has been broken since, but what a great day – all on Huddlestons in 11 straight casts,” Newman recalled. "This year I am up for three or four Angler of the Year awards in different divisions. If I pull that off it might be a bit bigger than the SoCal record. I don't think I will ever be satisfied until I win a big pro tournament, though.”

Educational Media: Newman said he jumped into the swimbait world “head first” in the early '90s. His obsession prompted some early, pre-GoPro video efforts that inspired an ambitious idea.

“After I got a few good clips I showed it to my friend Shaun Bailey,” Newman said. “He loved the idea, so it motivated our little group of swimbait addicts to start filming. Within a year or so we had so much good footage we had it produced and came up with the ‘Big Bait Posse.’

“It wasn't so much an instructional video; rather, it was more like a skate- or surf-movie style. It was hip and fun. That video kick-started a lot of our fishing careers and we all have gone on to do some other videos and TV shows with more instruction.

“I feel a Big Bait Posse II coming soon.”

Rod Rap

Now, a quick Q&A on Newman’s company.

Q: What’s the meaning of the name iRod?

A: The name was the last part to be developed. I had everything ready to go but couldn't figure out a good name. I wanted something techie, and since Apple is the most cutting-edge company I could think of, iRod just made sense.

Q: Where does iRod have its roots?

A: My rod sponsor at the time of conception was Fig Rig, run by Kevin Figgens. I had helped him design a few signature swimbait rods that did very well. After a few years, he approached me about started my own rod company. At first I thought, no way I could handle that, but he walked me through all the beginning steps. After a few factory moves, I ended up with a really good facility and it has flowed ever since.

Q: What’s the iRod mission statement?

A: I've always been a rod nerd. I loved getting new rods and trying them out with different baits. Getting to make my own rods and making a living at the same time was a dream come true. To properly answer this question, I would say my mission statement is to produce a great product at a good market price with great value. I would love to eventually be a top-5 company in this industry.

Q: What's the best lesson you've learned?

A: To be patient and resilient. I have had so many ups and downs and I am sure there will be more. I also really think that good customer service, along with a good product, has gotten me this far.

Q: What keeps you active in the fishing industry?

A: Fishing! I love catching fish and I love talking fish; plus, staying in the industry gives me an excuse to keep fishing as much as possible. I have so many friends in the industry that I get to talk to everyday and call it work.