SANTA ANA, California – 2018 marks the 60-year anniversary for iconic brand AFTCO, and with it a new era, as it enters into the bass fishing clothing market. Family owned and operated by three generations of the Shedd family, the American Fishing Tackle Company is a market leader in shorts, performance shirts, technical woven shirts, outerwear, fleece, hats and big game fishing tackle. AFTCO created the world’s first ever pair of fishing shorts in 1989 when they introduced the legendary M01 Original Fishing Shorts, still the world’s most popular fishing short.
The driving principle behind AFTCO’s growth has always been their passion for conservation through a 10% Pledge that gives 10% of their annual profits to conservation initiatives each year. President Bill Shedd has donated over 10,000 hours to conservation projects and leadership across the country, and continues to be a strong proponent for preservation causes.
In 2018, AFTCO will take their top selling products and conservation message into the freshwater market for the first time. Many conservation driven initiatives include AFTCO conservation-focused tournaments, conservation incentive programs, and a range of programs aimed at honoring their company heritage in the freshwater market. AFTCO also plans to support the youth fishing movement through a recently launched Bass Boot Camp YouTube Series Contest, and will host the AFTCO Collegiate Open within the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Tournament Series in Fall 2018.
Lastly, AFTCO is excited to announce the formation of the AFTCO Freshwater Pro Team that will be showcasing AFTCO products while competing on the B.A.S.S. and FLW Tours. The current group of nine top level anglers includes Jason Christie, Dustin Connell, Todd Faircloth, Shin Fukae, Anthony Gagliardi, Russ Lane, Jared Lintner, Scott Martin, Michael Neal.
