Throughout his formative years, one part of Kuphall’s fishing remained consistent. “Living in Wisconsin, I have always used St. Croix rods. The fact that they are handcrafted in my home state has always been really important to me and I’ve been happy to support the local brand,” Kuphall says. “But aside from that local connection, there are no rods on the market I would rather use. They simply make a superior product that helps make me a better and more consistent angler. I recently toured the factory in Park Falls and got to see the operation up close and personal. I was very impressed with what I saw – from how each blank is individually designed and rolled, to the extreme amount of care and pride each set of hands puts into every rod they touch. After using and appreciating St. Croix rods my entire life, I couldn’t be happier to be officially representing the Best Rods on Earth® as a member of their Elite Staff. My success as a tournament angler comes from my dedication to the sport and the time I put in on the water. There’s no substitute for time on the water; perfecting a craft and putting yourself in as many different situations as possible so you come out better than you were yesterday. That’s the same thing St. Croix believes and has done every day for the benefit of anglers for over 70 years now.”
Kuphall strives to be a complete bass angler but admits jig fishing is his number-one confidence presentation. “All styles of jigs, but a flipping jig would be my confidence bait,” he says. “Number two would be heavy flipping, especially in submerged milfoil. I learned to do a lot of this around the house growing up and love every aspect of it.” He says his favorite rods have changed over the years. “The 7′ Avid and Avid X MHFs were my stand-by jig rods for many years. These were incredible rods, but the equivalent Legend X, Victory, and Legend Xtreme versions St. Croix is crafting now are even better, which seems hard to believe at first, but not after you consider we’re talking about St. Croix. They are constantly listening to anglers and giving them new tools to heighten their performance. No matter what you can afford to spend on a rod for a certain presentation, St. Croix has anglers covered.”
Self-described as “super competitive”, Kuphall says his goal is to have a long and consistent career in the Bassmaster Elite Series. “I’ve always played a lot of sports… hockey, baseball, and I still enjoy playing league softball in the summertime… so I guess that’s where it comes from. I always want to beat the next guy, but I also want to be known and viewed as a good person. I’m always there to help if someone needs it, but I also like the thought of being feared on the water.” Kuphall also does a lot of bait tinkering. “I like to design baits and I make a lot of my own jigs, spinnerbaits, heads and pour my own soft plastics, too.”
