When I was eight years old, my dad took me to the Bassmaster Classic at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers. I watched the best anglers in the world compete in my hometown and decided that I wanted to fish professionally.

That goal shaped the rest of my life—from college fishing to building Nathan Quince Fishing and creating social media channels that help more people learn how to fish and get into the sport.

But every winter in Pittsburgh brought me back to something simple: making jigs at home. I tested different hooks, heads, skirts and designs, learning what actually worked and what didn't.