Today we’d like to introduce you to Ross Kenlay Mike Toombs.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Ross Kenlay. I was born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, and from a young age, I dreamed of getting out of the Midwest and making it to California. In 2016, I joined the Navy hoping it would take me west—and in 2017, I received orders to be stationed in San Diego.
Fishing has always been big in my family, especially with my dad, but growing up I was more into skateboarding. I didn’t pay much attention to fishing back then. Over time, though, I found myself getting more and more into it—especially that in San Diego, where you can fish freshwater in the morning and hit the saltwater before lunch.
After transitioning out of the Navy, I started working at Toor Knives. The mindset I had from skateboarding—always looking for hidden spots, a lot of times were ones you weren’t supposed to be at—translated naturally into how I approached fishing.
My friend/co-owner of ShoreBombers, Mike Tombs, was born and raised in San Diego. Fishing runs deep in his family, especially with his brother being a professional fisherman. Mike spent most of his youth riding BMX and dirt bikes, Mike carried that same energy into fishing while searching for interesting spots to fish.
Mike and I both worked 2nd shift at Toor Knives. After work, we’d head out to fish—whether it’s off the side of a classy restaurant or off the coast hoping to catch a monster. We started filming just for fun and decided to post some fishing videos online. One night, one of our videos went viral. I remember the day it happened like it was yesterday, I was visiting Chicago and left on a Friday with 300 followers—by the time I came back Monday, we had over 9,000.
That moment motivated us to start posting consistently, designing shirts and stickers, and building a brand around our love for fishing, fun, and finding spots that feel like your own. Fast forward four years, and ShoreBombers has nearly 20k followers on Instagram and 11k on Facebook. It’s been awesome building a community with people of similar interests.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest obstacles has been balancing our time. After long workdays and family responsibilities, finding the energy and availability to get out and fish can be challenging. Another hurdle has been dealing with security or law enforcement personnel who may not be fully informed about the local fishing regulations. Even when we’re fishing in legal areas, we’ve occasionally been told otherwise, which creates unnecessary conflict and cuts into our time on the water. Staying informed and respectful helps, but it’s definitely been a recurring issue.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Ross is a Full-Time CNC Machinist at Toor Knives, machining knives and operating machines that turn a flat sheet of steel into a perfectly crafted blade that is widely used around the world including combat zones.
Along with that, I go to school at National University, majoring in Business Administration
I also just opened up an automotive/motorcycle DIY repair shop located in Hillcrest called DBK’s Auto Hobby Shop, in honor of my dad – His dream was for us to open up a shop together
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Mike is the manufacturing supervisor at Toor Knives, overseeing the operations throughout the process of the knife making process making sure everything is running safely and efficiently.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Ross’s favorite childhood memory is working on cars with dad. My dad grew up always working on cars with his dad. His dad – my grandpa, was a master mechanic in the local town so my dad absorbed all the things he taught him. I followed in my dad’s footsteps, whenever I saw him working in his car I would help in any way I could whether it was being a beer grabber, getting tools, or anything that would help. Now I’m doing the same thing with my daughter!
Mike’s favorite childhood memory is going Off-roading with dad.
Pricing:
- Shore Bombers Stickers – $4 each
- Dbk auto hobby shop – $35 an hour
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shorebombers?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088649285724&mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@shorebombers?si=SeQEu0FPJ4YQIVIA
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/dbks.auto.hobby.shop/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Image Credits
Ross Kenlay
