2020 was a year of trial and tribulation for most. Carolina Waters wasn't excluded. Although the pandemic and lockdown ultimately led to our company's birth, it also brought challenges. Trying to grow a small business in a time where folks can't leave their homes or have expendable income was not easy. The 2021 NC Fishing Expos were canceled just four weeks before their show dates. We spent a lot of time and money to be ready for such a huge opportunity. BUT...we're still here...and growing!

2021 will be a breakout year for Carolina Waters. We will keep moving forward with a lot of our original plans, which include at least two new special release softstyle tees, and new designs and colors for several of our other products. We will continue to build relationships with local retailers and tackle stores in an effort to support fellow small businesses. We will setup shop at local trade shows in central NC as governmental regulations allow. We also pride ourselves in handling our business safely and responsibly. Chris and Brad and our apparel supplier/printer wear masks when conducting business.

We will continue to continue our partnership the Central Carolina Kayak Fishing trail. CW will be the event sponsor at their "Carolina Waters Clash" on June 5 at highly acclaimed bass fishery Shearon Harris Lake. We will also continue to offer prize packs at their tournaments. A new Carolina Kayak Anglers' Podcast will be debuting in January with CW as a sponsor. It will be hosted by B.A.S.S. Magazine writer and kayak angler Christopher Decker.

The upcoming year will also be a year of giving back. We are looking to partner with local charities and nature/wildlife organizations to help celebrate and preserve North Carolina's abundant aquatic resources and other charitable opportunities. We want "Carolina Waters" to be a thing for generations to come.

We have big plans. We hope you have big plans for us, too. We wouldn't be here without you, our customer, especially during the current times we live in. We are eternally grateful for letting us follow a dream and celebrate North Carolina's amazing natural resources and the activities that can happen in them. We hope to see you on the Carolina Waters IN some Carolina Waters. Have a blessed New Year!

- Chris & Brad

Here's the backstory on how "Carolina Waters" came to be...

This spring, Brad and I had the idea of making a fishing YouTube and Instagram channel. While these are a dime-a-dozen, we wanted to make something North Carolina-centric. We invested in an off-brand GoPro and put some money into our 1970's Ted Williams Sears-Roebuck Special jon boat that we dub "Leaky Green." The boat was ready, our camera was ready, and we were ready. We filmed a few things that you'll see at the beginning of our Insta (@CarolinaWatersNC) and YouTube channels.

As time went on, we needed a true name and brand for our adventures. Carolina Waters was born. Chris came up with the initial logo on a free design program. While it looked fine, it needed some finishing touches. That's when our good friend Elgin Marsh of The EM Experience hit a home run for us. He took the vision and brought it to life with our current logo. 

The more we looked at our logo, the more we kept telling ourselves "that looks way too good not to put on something." With a ton of positive feedback from our fellow NC anglers, we decided to pursue the t-shirt design and find the right host for our needs. That's where our friends at NuThreadz stepped up and took a chance on us. They are now the one-stop-shop for all our products.

As fishermen, we wanted to design something for fellow fisherman and outdoor enthusiasts. This is why we wanted our sun shirts to be our mainstay product. The performance fabric combined with our signature logo was the perfect marriage for any NC angler or other person that wants to spend a day on the water. We added Richardson style hats that are unmatched for their comfort and durability in the outdoors. And of course we wanted to have a decal for folks to have a piece of CW to take with them everywhere they go on their car, boat, or whatever they want to stick it on. 

What we didn't anticipate was how well-liked the brand itself would become. We're in the works to add new products for casual wear as well, including a unisex cotton t-shirt and a ladies v-neck shirt. 

I said all that to say this. Brad and I had a vision of one thing, which turned into a completely different and even more amazing thing. We are proud of the brand that we've created and hope you will be too. Whether you're a fisherman in the mountain streams, coastal surf, or one of NC's many beautiful lakes, we hope your pride for "Carolina Waters" will be shown through our brand.

Thank you for your continued support of our dream project!

-Chris