As the fishing industry continues to mature it is fact that leadership in the fishing industry continues to overcome down times, change and constant attack on its existence. We as most spectators do, look at the industry as a booming money making empire that profits all that enter it; unfortunately the outside few is different from reality, as most struggle and claw their way into profitability. 

The reality is that the fishing industry is full of mainly small companies that have to make decisions everyday that could change their business for better or worse every day. Some of them are lucky and have become the solution and many of them are not and become the problem; but there are many of them that have become heroes and taken the bad and turned into the good. Yes! Hero’s of the industry and here are my few. 

To me it is leadership that separates the great from the not so great; leaders like Boyd Duckett that grew a trucking industry from the ground up and then totally changed his life and sold everything he loved and understood to take on a fishing industry with new ideas on rod designs that could have very well failed but hasn’t and is changing the fishing industry and rod designs that will become ”it” for a long time to come. Leadership like Syd Rives the North American manager for SPRO corporation his leadership and command of untouched markets has turned SPRO from a small regional fishing company into a North American brand for fishing products that are full of quality and fish catching designs second to no one. His love of the industry, his people skills and willingness to reach out to the right people has branded the SPRO brand like no other out there. 

There are also many trend setters in small companies that have made the fishing industries biggest and best change their direction because their creativity, honesty and integrity are second to none. Leaders of the fishing world like Joe Haubenreich and Stephen Headrick of Secret Weapons and Punisher Lures respectively. My many years in the fishing industry has seen many leaders but none as honest and committed to doing the right thing and put old time values in-front of everything, where friends were friends, what was right yesterday didn’t change when the next guy up had a different opinion. True leaders and creators of the fishing world!

To Fish with Captain Mike Gerry on Lake Guntersville Visit: fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com