A Pinellas County teen is "swimming with the big fish."


What You Need To Know

  • Jackson Moncrief starts fishing apparel company

  • He sells T-shirts and other items online and at Bayshore Breeze

  • Moncrief's teacher says the business showcases what it's trying to teach students

  • Moncrief has also started a Canadian line

Jackson Moncrieff, 18, has started a fishing apparel company.

Moncrieff said he's always loved fishing but he didn't love the price he was paying for fishing apparel, so he decided to create his own.

"I had a bunch of options but I wanted to find something that really spoke to me and something I could be passionate about," Moncrieff said.

Using skills he learned as a student at Palm Harbor University High School's Career Academy for Business Administration and Management, Moncrieff created a company logo and Release Fishing Apparel was born.

Jackson Moncrief

"Our catchy little slogan is "Find Your Release" which basically means when you release a fish, you're finding your release but you also find your release out on the water," he said.

Moncrieff sells T-shirts and other items online and at Bayshore Breeze, a store near Honeymoon Island.

He runs the business out of his house.

"Of course I want to keep it expanding, keep it going," he said.

Moncrieff's teacher, Kevin Schachter, said the business showcases what they're trying to teach students, which is to have an entrepreneurial spirit.

"Jackson is a perfect example of what we hope our end result will be with our students, which is being able to take the things he's learned in the classroom and put them to practical use to see a positive result," said Schachter.

Moncrieff hopes to keep riding his wave of success.

"The sky is the limit," he said. "To get into a big retail store, that would be awesome, something cool like that, but the sky is the limit. I'm open to new possibilities.

He's created a Canadian line, as well.