I have been fortunate to work with Yamaha Outboards for most of my professional career. I joined the Yamaha and Skeeter team at the same time, and while the boats and motors are the main reason I signed on with them, I get to be a part of something bigger with Yamaha. I’m also very fortunate to have begun working with AFTCO several years ago, because their commitment to the future of fishing is just as strong
Yamaha has a program called Yamaha Rightwaters. It is part of Yamaha’s commitment to protecting the natural resources we have, and some of us are fortunate enough to make our living using them. Yamaha Rightwaters is about ethical and responsible use as well as manufacturing that helps provide sustainability. It also gets takes on projects that involve situations surrounding our fisheries.
While working with and on behalf of Yamaha Rightwaters, I have been fortunate to be involved in several high-level meetings and projects throughout the country regarding the Asian Carp invasion of the Tennessee River. I’ve been to Washington D.C. and met with 60% of the U.S. Congress and many U.S. Senators at The Sportsman’s Summit to discuss our fisheries and hunting grounds. While there, I met then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky and we discussed opportunities for Kentucky Lake and our home state of Kentucky.
I was also a part of a project that helped plant Cypress trees on Kentucky Lake that was a result of AFTCO and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s desires to impact our fisheries.
My involvement in all of these areas, along with some of the work I’ve done in and around the state of Kentucky, have enabled me to meet a lot of people who are influential and are working to have an impact on our outdoor opportunities.
Recently, I received an invitation to attend an event called the Kentucky Black Bass Management Summit in Frankfort at the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Headquarters. The purpose of the event is to give the agency and lawmakers a chance to meet with the public and hear their concerns and help us to understand how the process of managing black bass populations happens. The goal is to create an understanding and a partnership that will benefit future generations of anglers.
I feel very fortunate to be invited to events like this and to work with these great companies. These events give me a chance to use my fisheries biology degree from Murray State University, and it helps me use my decades of experience as a professional angler to share experiences and help build a bridge of communication between anglers and agencies.
Ultimately, I want to be able to be a part of leaving our sport better whenever I decide to retire from competition. I want to be a part of leaving a great future for generations to come
To read more about Yamaha Rightwaters, visit www.yamahaboats.com/yamaha-rightwaters.
