Capt. Rich Tudor grew up living and fishing in south Florida and the Florida Keys. He and his family lived and worked in Homestead, Florida, but they spent every free moment at their weekend home on Long Key. Fishing was a way of life in the Tudor home. Rich’s fondest memories are of spending time on the water with his mother and father.
After Rich graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High, the Tudors sold the house in Miami and moved to the Keys full time.The next four years, Rich attended Marshall University where he met Carrie, his soon to be bride. Besides going to school and spending almost every moment in the woods (his passion as a hunter), he also longed to be back in the Keys. During summer, spring and Christmas vacations, he worked as a mate on the top Islamorada charter boats. This is when he first realized he could make a living doing what he loved. Rich quickly earned his captain’s license and started chartering offshore boats as well as guiding inshore. Capt. Tudor quickly decided to put all his efforts into the inshore side. He enjoyed guiding clients to the challenging inshore species. Soon Tudor’s reputation grew as a well mannered professional with incredible fish instincts. After a couple of seasons of guiding over 400 trips in a single year, Tudor realized he needed to shift gears. Guiding could only take his career so far. Tudor saw tournaments as a great way to promote his career. The 2001 Redbone Celebrity Tarpon Tournament was the first tournament that he fished. He won 1st place team and was on his way. In the next three years he has dominated the top tournaments in the Florida Keys, with over
50 tournament wins! Including a top ten finish in his first IFA Mercury Ranger Redfish Tournament. He has now teamed up with his top tournament rival, Capt. Tom Rowland. Together they have become one of top teams in the world of competitive inshore saltwater fishing. On January 2003, in there first IFA Mercury Ranger Redfish tournament together, they finished 2nd out of 125 professional teams. Their combination of professionalism and performance has made the one of most highly sponsored teams on the redfish tour.