Meet Our Pros

We’ve partnered with some of the best anglers in the country to help us design and develop our rods.

Dawson Bastian

Campbellsport, WI

Two rods of choice would be the 7’3” ml xf and the 6’9” mxf. Favorite tactic is casting hyper rattles with the 6’9”. My favorite type of fishing is exploring and learning new waters, but Green Bay is my home.

Marc Brook

Green Bay, WI

I love spring and fall river walleye fishing. The tactics I enjoy the most are jig and minnow on a 5’9” MXF or a 7’2” with blade baits.

I’ve been fishing walleye for about 15 years and 12 years tournament fishing; Walleye weekend, MWC, and Green Bay Walleye Series. I am an active member of the Sheboygan walleye club. Six time NTC qualifier, All American in 2017, six year, tournament director for the Sheboygan walleye club battle on the bay. Kids fishing events are also something I enjoy being involved in.

Cody Cerkoney

Belfield, ND

My name is Cody Cerkoney and I am 37 years old. As a kid I was very fortunate that my parents had a family cabin on Lake Sakakawea near the Little Missouri Arm. I grew up on a cattle ranch and we worked very hard but on the weekends my parents always made sure we could go there and unwind from the day to day worries and work at the ranch. As a young kid, I probably started fishing when I was old enough to hold a pole. I started fishing from the dock (while the grown ups went out on the boat), graduated to a paddle boat (where I had to stay in the bay), then a 14 foot aluminum boat which one of my cabin neighbors gave me with a 9.9 kicker.

That’s where my passion started, when my dad and relatives came back from the lake they would look at my stringer of fish and be in awe of what I caught just around the bay.

I also started tournament fishing when I was about 12 or 13 with my dad and it didn’t take long and I was hooked (no pun intended). We fished a lot of local arm tournaments and did well, but as the years went on things got busy with college and experiencing my early 20’s. Where I fished some but not a lot. You could say I lost my passion for awhile until in 2013 when I married my wife Rozlyn and bought my grandparents farm.

Introduced my wife to fishing when we were dating and found 2 passions in my life. As we fished on the weekends and spent time at the cabin together, she started asking questions on why we were fishing in certain spots, depths, and using certain lures, while answering her it dawned on me the knowledge I had acquired through the years of time spent on the water.

This made me wonder after watching tournaments on social media if I had what it took to compete in the other tournament singers. It didn’t take too much convincing and a lot of encouragement from my wife and I started my tournament career up again and never looked back.

Hunter Hirvela

Bismarck, ND

My home body of water is the Missouri River system. I’ve been fishing with my dad sense I was 3 years old and that’s what started my passion for fishing. When I was 15 years old I started fishing all the local tournaments in North Dakota and a couple NWT tournaments as a co angler. I love to spend time on the water using my FFS and learning new techniques and how fish act. My favorite HDS rod has to be the 6”10 mag lite tossing a light jig and plastic.

Kris Keller

Wolf Point, MT

My home water is Fort Peck Lake. Fishing with my rod in hand is my favorite. I like to fish jigs on a 6’6” Medium Lite XFast and glide baits on a 6’6” Medium XFast. Fishing anywhere on the Missouri River system is my favorite water.

Josh Lewis

Jefferson, OH

My love for fishing began at a very young age taking annual fishing trips to Canada with my grandfather, as well as growing up on my fathers boat that was docked in Conneaut, Oh.

My job requires that I travel the good part of the year. I have taken advantage of that opportunity to fish in almost every state, targeting every species of fish that I can. However, my passion still remains targeting huge Lake Erie walleye.

In 2022 I decided to give tournament fishing a try, and also studied to get my captain license for something to do on the side, and when I retire. Since that time I’ve met so many great friends in the industry, and tournament fish every chance I get. I am truly having the time of my life on the water, and there’s no turning back!

Favorite rods : HDS 7’-9” MH trolling, HDS 7’-2” ML spinning Platinum series.

Bill Limage

London, Ontario

Bill began fishing at a young age and by the time he was 22 he was operating a charter boat on Lake Ontario. These days Bill’s main focus is tournament walleye fishing in the Northern Ontario Walleye Tour (NOWT). As a self employed general contractor, Bill is able to meet the heavy demands of a full tournament schedule. When not on the road tournament fishing Bill’s favourite fishing is jigging the Detroit river spring and fall with his son Zach. “Working with a great company like HDS rods is a real privilege. The passion and detail that Heide and Daren put into each and every HDS rod is incredible.”

Zach Limage

London, Ontario

Zach Limage is from London, Ontario. Zach became hooked on fishing at a young age when his dad, Bill Limage, introduced him to the sport. Zach spent many hours in the boat with Bill learning as much as he could. Over time, he entered into the tournament level of Walleye fishing not only with his dad but Also fishing as a co-angler in NWT and FLW events. Even though Zach was heavily influenced to fish and learn the world of Walleye, eventually his passion turned to Bass fishing. Zach spends most of his time chasing world class smallmouth bass on his favourite lake, Lake St. Clair. Zach has also become very invested in ice fishing, he plans to enhance his skills focusing from Lake St. Clair on Jumbo Perch to anywhere North searching for trophy Walleye. He is eager to continue developing his skill and knowledge and growing in the Bass industry. Zach has competed in various tournament circuits, including the TBBA, Bluewater Bass Club, and the CSFL Quinte Cup on the Bay of Quinte. Zach plans on expanding in 2023 entering more tournaments and expanding in the tournament world of Bass fishing.

Capt. Jeff Nuechterlein

Appleton, WI

Walleye & Bass Tournament Pro 16 years

Favorite walleye rods: 7’3” MLS for shivering and blade baits, 7’10” trolling rods, 6’9” Platinum Series MXF for tubes & soft plastics, 7’3” MHF casting for A rigs & frogging.

Ronnie Rhodes

Lorain, OH

Ronnie’s passion for fishing began at the age of 6. He and his father fished the waters of Lake Erie in Ohio for walleye, perch, bass and catfish.

When his father became a U.S.C.G Captain on Lake Erie, Ronnie began his career as a first mate. Over the next 30 years Ronnie honed his fishing skills and began to target his favorite species “Walleye.”

1995 began Ronnie’s career as a tournament angler. Fishing the PWT, RCL, MWC as well as local circuits, Ron quickly established his name in the walleye world.

Career highlights include: 2001 2^nd place pro RCL Lake Erie, four top 10 finishes in the MWC from 2006-2008, 2014 2^nd place pro NWT Trenton, MI, 2014 LEWT 1^st place Lakeview and 1^st place championship Huron, OH.

During this time, Ronnie was been a full-time employee of Ford Motor Company in Avon Lake, OH. For the last 25 years Ron has been a U.S.C.G licensed captain on Lake Erie. He follows the walleye migration on Lake Erie in Ohio. Ron provides instructional charters for the beginner all the way through to the more advanced techniques employed for the competitive tournament angler.

Ronnie can be found on the ice guiding in the winter when conditions allow as well as speaking throughout the Midwest including Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Novi boat show, Michigan-Ohio Expo, fishing and outdoor shows as well as local fishing clubs.

“Over the years as my career has progressed, I have been blessed with so many wonderful opportunities to work with great companies as well as meet wonderful people all over the country. I enjoy passing along my love of fishing as well as the knowledge and experience I have gained to anglers of all experience levels.”

Recently retired, Ronnie now operates Wide Open Waters Walleye Charters in Ohio full time. For more information on guide trips, appearances and seminars please visit www.wideopenwaters.com, email Ron at wideopenwaters2@gmail.com.

Phil Saro

Rochester, MN

I am Phil , from a young age fishing has been a passion. Growing up in Southeastern Minnesota I cut my teeth in the cold trout streams in the driftless area. Learning from the ground up honing skills needed to chase pressured finicky fish. The Brown trout will forever be one of my favorites and will never turn down an offer to throw on the waders and go for a walk in the stream. After the military, fishing and hunting became even more important to me. I was the former Assistant State Lead for a veteran organization committed to helping Veterans get into the outdoors. Since then, I have worked independently helping veterans find comradery in the outdoors.

When I got older, I started the journey on the Mighty Mississippi on pools 3 and 4 in Minnesota from vertical jigging to casting wing dams and lead core techniques have been some of my favorite to catch some great Walleyes the fishery has to offer. Being on the Mississippi you see some techniques not used in other bodies of water. My favorite walleye lake is Leech Lake. Of course in the wintertime you will find me on hard water chasing Walleye, Perch and Lakers and Browns.

After a few years of being a go to for some ideas and showing techniques, I decided with some push of a good friend to kickstart my tournament career fishing the Minnesota AIM Walleye series.

The last couple of years I have been chasing large King Salmon and Coho Salmon on Lake Michigan and it has been an incredible experience, from seeing how different and common fishing styles transfer from one species and body of water to another is fascinating to me not to mention a 30lb fish peeling line like its nothing.

In the fall you’ll find me up north Guiding for Black bears for Minnesota’s premier outfitter, 4-T Outfitting. If you ever want to talk fishing or Bears check us out on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TTTTOutitting/

Working with HDS Rods has been a remarkable experience, making sure I have the right rod in the boat or on the stream. The quality and craftsmanship in each rod truly takes the fishing experience to the next level. Once you put one of these rods in your hands you won’t go back to anything else.

Scott Schuchard

Hunter, ND

Currently live in Hunter, ND with my Wife, Daughter, Lab and Great Dane. Tournament angler for the last 6 years with a few Top 5 finishes. Biggest walleye open water 29.75” (Devils Lake) hard water 30.25” 13.06# (Lake Winnipeg)

Favorite rod: 6’9” MXF pitching plastics and lipless or 7’ MF power corking favorite body of Water: Devils Lake.

Chris Wanner

Townsend, MT

Montana native extremely passionate about walleye fishing, and the outdoors! When I’m not fixing boats or installing AquaTraction Advanced Marine flooring, I’m in my boat with a jigging rod in my hand chasing big walleyes.

Pitching jigs or throwing glide baits is my favorite techniques. Honored to be given the opportunity to be on the HDS Team!