In Business: LakeLady Custom Fishing Rods Tailors the Tool to the Angler

This Saturday, May 11 marks the opening of the fishing season, where half a million Minnesotans are expected to take to their favorite fishing spots. And where would an angler be without a fishing rod? For this week’s In Business, we spoke with the owner of LakeLady Custom Fishing Rods in Breezy Point to learn how a unique fishing rod can elevate the experience of one of Minnesota’s favorite activities.

Kris Kristufek’s journey into rod building began after he entered retirement, and that hobby became his art and quickly became a passion of his. Kristufek’s mission with LakeLady is to create rods that are not just a tool, but an extension of the angler’s body.

“We measure hands and arms, so we get diameters and lengths of the handle correct so that it fits properly,” explained Kristufek. “We want to balance the rod to the reel that you’re going to use so it will feel weightless in your hand as you’re fishing, but yet have the strength and the power to attack the species that we’re after.”

Kristufek’s philosophy is that people come in all shapes and sizes. A mass-produced piece of equipment that is not tailored to anyone specifically will not be as comfortable or effective as something that fits your body.

“A true custom sporting equipment, I don’t care what it is. It could be a golf club, baseball bat, fishing rod, tennis racket, whatever,” he said. “If it’s custom-made and it’s fitted to you, it’s just a lot more comfortable and you’re going to use it more efficiently.”

Over the 25 years, Kristufek has built rods for quite a few people all around the nation and world. One of the most notable was former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and a few members of his family.

“That was a hoot,” said Kristufek with a laugh. “I got asked by the Governor’s fishing opener committee if I would like to build a rod for the governor. And of course, I, without even thinking, said, ‘of course.’ And then they assured me that that was probably more than just one rod that I was going to have to build, and it ended up being seven.”

Kristufek is an avid angler himself, a passion that led to his journey as a master rod builder. Now, being able to craft rods and help others fall deeper in love with fishing as he has is something that he is thankful for.

“It’s very gratifying to be able to build something for somebody that doesn’t have a custom fishing or sporting tool and then do this interview kind of thing that find out what and how they want to use this rod for, and then build it for them, and then when I deliver it, watch the expression on their face,” he added. “[It] is exceedingly gratifying and it happens every time.”

Kristufek has not kept an exact count of the number of rods he has built over the years, but estimates he has constructed over 2,500.