Tom Zimmerman

I’m Tom, founder of Blue Heron Rods, and at 83 years old, I’m still driven by a passion for inventing and creating. My journey began in commercial art and sportfishing video production, where I noticed a gap in the market—there were no rod grips that truly fit your hand or fishing style. With decades of experience as a master woodworker, model maker, and industrial designer, including years at Boeing and RCA, I set out to solve this problem nearly 20 years ago. After years of prototyping and refining, I’ve developed custom 3D-printed rod grips that let any angler or rod builder create a perfectly personalized grip. These grips are already being used by fishermen and offer something the industry has never seen: fully customizable lengths, a standard 1.04” reel seat diameter, and raw 3D-printed blanks you can finish your own way—with carbon fiber, Kevlar, or endless creative options. This innovation is real, proven, and already helping builders create better rods. Now, to meet growing demand and keep this invention alive for future anglers and builders, I need your help. Your support will help me expand production, buy materials, and upgrade equipment so I can take this idea from my small workshop to a worldwide market. By contributing, you’re helping a lifelong craftsman continue pushing boundaries, empowering the rod-building community, and bringing groundbreaking technology to anglers everywhere. Thank you for believing in innovation at any age and for helping me share this breakthrough with the world.