Built from Family, Fishing and a Lasting Legacy: The Story of JB Designs Custom Rods
Every fishing rod has a purpose. For JB Designs Custom Rods, every rod also carries a story.
JB Designs began in 2018 as a way for owner and rod builder Joshua Bible to honor the memory of his late stepson, Hunter Propst, and Hunter's grandfather, Bob Propst Sr., a respected figure and legend within the walleye fishing community.
What started as a meaningful hobby rooted in family and remembrance soon became something much bigger.
Where It All Began
Fishing has a way of connecting generations. Time spent on the water creates stories, traditions and memories that stay with us long after the boat is back at the dock.
That connection is at the heart of JB Designs.
Building rods provided Joshua with a way to create something lasting while honoring two people who shared a connection to fishing. Each build represented more than another piece of fishing equipment. It represented the people, experiences and memories that inspired the business in the first place.
As other anglers began to discover his work, the hobby steadily grew. One rod led to another, word spread and eventually JB Designs was building nearly 100 handcrafted fishing rods each year.
Built One Rod at a Time
Despite that growth, the philosophy behind JB Designs has remained the same.
Every rod is approached with an emphasis on craftsmanship, performance and attention to detail. Whether Joshua is creating a completely customized, one-of-a-kind rod or developing a new production model, the goal is simple: build fishing equipment anglers can trust and enjoy for years to come.
For JB Designs, building rods isn't about simply producing another piece of equipment. It's about understanding how anglers fish and creating a rod that feels at home in their hands and performs when it matters.
The Next Chapter: The JB Designs Walleye Series
As JB Designs has grown, so has the vision for the company.
In addition to fully customized fishing rods, JB Designs is developing the JB Designs Walleye Series, a collection of technique-specific rods designed specifically for walleye anglers throughout the Midwest.
The development process goes beyond designing a rod in the shop. Each model is put into the hands of local anglers, tested in real fishing conditions and refined using their feedback.
That real-world input helps JB Designs develop rods around the techniques anglers actually use and the conditions they encounter throughout a season.
It's an approach that combines years of custom rod-building experience with something equally valuable: time on the water.
Remembering the Past While Building for the Future
A lot has changed since JB Designs began in 2018. What started as a personal project has grown into a South Dakota rod-building business with custom builds, production models and an expanding vision for the future.
But the reason behind it all hasn't changed.
JB Designs remains rooted in family, craftsmanship, innovation and a genuine love for fishing.
For Joshua, every rod that leaves the shop is another opportunity to carry that story forward — honoring where JB Designs began while helping another angler create memories of their own on the water.
JB Designs Custom Rods — built from family, inspired by fishing and crafted to carry the tradition forward.
