May 2, 2024 • 31 mins
In this captivating episode of the Force on Force podcast, we explore the intriguing realm of outdoor military adventures and the exceptional individuals who make these experiences possible. Updated insights from the hunting and fishing terrain are unveiled, plus in-depth tactical operations center discussions originating from the core of America’s mightiest and most influential military entity.
Shaping the Fisher’s World: The Journey of Skeeter Boats
Get a unique and personal look into Skeeter Boats, one of the oldest and highly prestigious partners of the show. You'll hear about the brand's evolution and heritage from its dynamic Brand Manager, Chris Brown. Learn about Chris's vast knowledge and experience in the fishing industry, along with a captivating conversation he had with professional bass angler, Brandon Palahniuk.
A Familial Bond: Diving into the World of Skeeter Boats
Get a glimpse into Skeeter Boats' tight-knit family-like community, known for its continuous dedication to top quality and camaraderie. Through the candid and exciting stories shared by our guest, Chris Brown, walk through the remarkable journey of the brand, and experience its evolution over the years. Feel the community spirit and the sense of unity while exploring the past, present, and future aspirations of Skeeter Boats.
United by a Shared Passion: The Skeeter Boats Owner’s Tournament
Join us as we delve into the journey of the Skeeter Boats Owner's Tournament, a gathering that signifies the importance of fellowship, family, and a mutual love for fishing. Listen to the story of the preparation for the 30th-anniversary tournament, an event promising a thrilling gathering of more than 2000 fervent fishers from across the globe, marking the joy of casting a line, anticipating a bite, and exchanging memorable experiences. Have a look at Boat number eight. You'll gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the creativity, commitment, and craftsmanship that defines the reputation of Skeeter Boats.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Force on Force features the largest and strongest outdoor military organization in the country.
These are the men and women who make it possible to enjoy the freedom to hunt and fish.
It is with great pride that we bring you Force on Force podcast,
coming to you from the Force on Force talk.
Hey, welcome to the Force on Force podcast. We're here in the Force on Force talk.
(00:22):
All our shows start in the talk, the Tactical Operations Center,
and we start a podcast here.
This is an awesome exciting thing we're doing
with uh force on force brand with army buck bass
and hog going with the podcast this year
we're really enjoying talking a lot of things from our partners to what's happening
on the tv show it's been a lot of fun uh this week's gonna be really cool we'll
(00:43):
talk a little bit about it here in a minute uh recapping kind of where we're
at force on force going on right now on the sportsman channel and then the world
fishing network we got the semi
-final round this week you know we got how that's
going to roll out it's airing today on a sports channel if
you miss it you can catch it 11 a.m on saturday morning and
(01:03):
guys last week got to meet our new pro staff members craig
ty and rick bradley so a lot of good stuff
going on i think this is probably a real
exciting show for us because i get to bring on one of our longest
and oldest partners skeeter boats we're going to bring on the brand manager
from Skeeter Chris Brown and it's very exciting to have Chris on hey how you
(01:26):
doing Chris I'm good good so how are you bud good good so Chris has got a lot
of history in the fishing industry.
If you don't know Chris you you've probably seen him his work in some shape
or form or fashion passion, you know, whether it's been with Rigid Industries to,
(01:48):
I met Chris really firstly on the Alabama Bass Trail when he was doing the stuff
on the production side behind the scenes.
And then I was so excited when he came to be part of.
Back to Skeeter family is kind of this past year and a half,
and so it's kind of awesome to see him.
And I think I read somewhere where you shared – I think one of my funniest things
(02:11):
that I've read about you is that you're the guy that told Brandon Palahniuk, no.
That's going to come back and haunt me forever. I am. I'm the guy that told
– that declined on Brandon.
I started my career back in 2002 at Strike King Lure Company and worked my way
up to marketing director there. And it's probably, gosh, I don't even remember
(02:31):
what year it was, 2010, 2011.
I got an email from this kid from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho that wanted to be on
Pro Staff. And I'm like, I don't even know where Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is.
You know, I look at a map and so I find, I'm like, what am I going to do with
a kid in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho?
Especially a kid, I can't even pronounce his last name, right?
I mean, so I knew he was fishing the Bass Nation, doing some things.
(02:51):
And so I just wrote him back and I said, dude, look, I would love to do something
with you, but we're just, we're full right now.
Stay in touch and if you need anything i can send you some
baits but right now we're just kind of at capacity and
so he always reminds me of that because while that
didn't work out when i was at striking he was we were very quick to i remember
going to the classic the next year and he finished like fourth i think in that
(03:15):
one in new orleans and van damme won it and he was fishing the same area van
damme was and i remember seeing this kid at takeoff going gosh i recognize that
name I hear from somewhere, where do I know that name?
And then I'm like, oh, crap. And it hit me. It's like, that's the kid, right?
So here I am. I'm the guy that passed on Brandon Palahniuk.
And yet he and I are very good friends. We talk all the time.
(03:38):
And I've been blessed to work with him through RIDGID and my little time at
Bass and now with Skeeter.
And, of course, when I was doing the media thing, when you and I met the last,
you know, up until I came to Skeeter, worked with Brandon a lot there.
He was kind of a go-to for us.
So yeah, it's been a, that, that one, that's, that's going to be my legacy.
(03:58):
I think in this industry, Sean is, is telling Brandon, no, I think that that'll be it.
But, but now I control this contract at Skeeter. So it's, it's kind of,
it's kind of come full circle for me, I think. So it's been pretty good.
Yeah, so Skeeter is one of our longest partners at Army Bass Anglers and what
we kind of do and kind of where we, where this whole thing kind of started and gone a long way.
(04:23):
And so I think that's why it's kind of special to bring you guys on as kind
of the first partner to kind of, as we talked, the podcast piece and kind of
the background and everything.
But as this thing started, you know, from the force on force brand on TV 13
years ago and the impact it's made to service members.
It's just been really cool you know
(04:43):
you're seeing you come back because there
was i was kind of worried you
know all the changes are going to happen you know a year
and a half ago and i was taking over ownership from army bass
and and i'm like all of a sudden i find out chris brown
is going to be the brand manager at skeeter and and and
it's funny saying chris and i live like you know not even
(05:05):
like a couple miles from each other while i was in
humpsville station back there at redstone and so
i'm like you know things have a way of working them out and i think i
think that's what's really cool about the fishing
industry and just about man i've
been i've been very blessed in this industry to meet a lot of very good people
(05:27):
in here and skeeter makes it feel like a family ordeal and i think as we talk
about the relationship with skeeter and is It's just very family atmosphere.
And I think you guys do a really good job of that.
Well, you know, Sean, you and I have met when I lived in Huntsville.
And so we lived there for 13 years, my wife and I.
And so for me to pack up, right, a year and a half ago, pack up my family.
(05:52):
I've got a kid at Auburn, two kids at Auburn, actually.
And so for me to leave 600 miles away from them and come to Texas,
the only reason I did it was because of Skeeter and the family that's here.
And it's a, I have run skiers and Yamahas in the past and been associated with
these guys and knew a lot of these folks.
So when they called and said, Hey, we've got an opportunity for a job.
(06:14):
Would you be interested?
I jumped at the chance. I think I drove most of the night, one night to get
here for a job interview.
And it was very excited to get here. And I'm still excited to be here.
Of course, you know, I came in under Joanne O'Brien who is, who has since retired
hired and gone to be a grandmother.
And I see her on Facebook. She's traveling all over the place.
(06:34):
And so I had a pretty good mentor in Joanne for a number of years prior to coming to Skeeter.
And so now that I'm here, it's been everything I'd hoped for and more. So it's very exciting.
And it's a great time to be part of Skeeter Boats, that's for sure.
And then we kind of talk about family. I think that kind of segues in.
We kind of want to talk about the owner's tournament.
(06:57):
That's a lot of fun. I think when I first came to Army Bass,
one of my first big deals that I ever did coming in was coming to the owner's tournament.
And that's what kind of made it feel. And that's why I use the term family,
made it feel like a big family deal.
And I think that's what is so fun. on
and and this is this one's going to be no different than
(07:19):
than you know anything we we've
had because this is the 30th annual if i'm correct 30th annual
skier owners tournament my first one was in 2013 when i worked for rigid and
when i worked for striking i always sent mates always sent stuff for giveaways
i never ever got never got to come to one and in 2013 when i worked for For
(07:43):
RIDGID, we actually bought a Skeeter boat.
If you've ever been to the factory here in our main office, we used to have
boats kind of on display here in our main foyer.
And when I worked for RIDGID, we became a bass sponsor, and we bought a boat
off the showroom here at Skeeter, which you can't do, mostly the other day.
(08:03):
But for some odd reason, Joanne sold us one at that time.
So we bought it, right? And so we got to come to the owner's tournament.
And i just remember walking into that
big tent and thinking this is going to be a circus and it is the biggest family
reunion that you've ever seen and i will tell you what we build a lot of really
pretty i'll go i'll go as far as we say we build some really sexy boats right if you're ever.
(08:30):
Wondering what color to make your skeeter come to an owner's event and just
sit there and walk Walk the bank and look because, by God, there is every shape, color.
I mean, you name it. If you want one that's yellow, there's going to be one
that's yellow there. If you want a purple one, it's going to be so important. They're everywhere.
So you're in for a real treat if you've never been to one.
(08:51):
But the 30th annual, and we've got a number of folks that have fished every
single one of these, and they're very quick to remind me, hey,
I've been to 29 of these now. I'm going on 30.
So these folks are committed to this deal. Our registration numbers to date
are on point with last year.
So we're fully expecting over 2,000 Skeeter family members there and,
(09:12):
you know, over 1,100 boats for this event.
That first full weekend in June, the, well, I guess the second weekend in June,
the 6th through the 9th, they're at Lake Fork Marina.
So we're excited about it. My team has been working on this since January,
trying to get everything put together amidst boat show season and everything
else. So we're very excited about it and ready to get this one going for sure.
(09:36):
So ready to see everybody.
I know it's, I would say seeing all the different boats is really cool.
One of the coolest things was last year and being the 75th anniversary of Skeeter
is getting to see that, was it the original?
Yeah. So we have boat number eight here in our lobby. Boat number eight.
(09:57):
And it's actually owned by a gentleman here in Longview and his son or grandson
owns a 2022 FXR 21. So we had them side by side out here at the plant one day
for a meet and greet with some media.
But we take that with us to a number of shows. It'll be out there again this year.
We'll boat number eight. So you look at, if you ever wonder why a Skeeter is
(10:18):
called a Skeeter, that right there will explain it to you really fast.
Because that thing looks like the nose of a mosquito.
And so it's, but that's what it was built to do. It was built to go in through
the cypress trees and all that stuff in Louisiana and all the swamps.
And the cool thing is, is there's a lot of processes that was back then that
we've enhanced and put into the boats we build now. And so it's a pretty impressive deal.
(10:41):
Yeah. So my first owner's tournament was they actually brought me,
the dealer brought me my Skeeter to the owner's tournament. My very first Skeeter.
So I actually, that's where I got my Skeeter was at the owner's tournament.
Wow and so they actually delivered it to
me brought it to me at the owners tournament and so
(11:02):
it was a lot of fun so i always have a lot of fun memories about getting getting
that first skeeter right there at the owners tournament so there's a lot of
fun a lot of cool stuff memories that go on there i'm at lake fork and so i
think that's really a cool event that's looked forward to by everybody that's involved i know,
We enjoy it from everything, from filling the bags.
(11:27):
Everybody doesn't know how all those bags get filled. That's always been a big
part of what we help with the Army Bass English.
We show up and help you guys fill those bags the day before registration starts
and getting all that going.
Yeah, so it's neat how all that stuff kind of gets worked out.
We get all that done in one morning and get it knocked out, and it gets going. So it's a lot of fun.
(11:51):
Last year was my first year to really be on the setup side of things.
And I remember we made two trips with three trucks from Kilgore to Lake Forth Marina.
And it's about an hour drive one way from my office to the marina.
And we made two trips each with three trucks pulling trailers and boats and
(12:12):
still had more stuff coming throughout the week.
And I thought to myself on Tuesday morning, we got up and it was,
you know, already 932 degrees. And I thought we are never going to get this thing put together.
But with, you know, help from you guys and your staff and, of course,
the Bass Champ guys and so many others, this thing comes together and it happens.
And it is a it is a crazy, crazy deal.
(12:35):
And what's funny is, is it takes us three days to put it up and three hours to tear it down.
So it comes down a whole lot faster than it ever went up. But but it's a lot of fun.
And, you know, we have a lot of pride in this event.
Obviously, 30 years work. and you know
the the owners that come to this seeing new
owners past owners owners that are
(12:57):
you know some are still running early 2000
or late 90s model skeeters and they come to this event we've got people that
have just bought a new skeeter going on on our sales promotions going on right
now and just bought one and we give them you know invitations this thing and
they show up and they're going to be blown away that's the cool part is there's
no other boat coming that It doesn't quite like we do.
(13:19):
And especially on the banks of Lake Fork where, you know, any cast could be
a double digit fish, you know, on Fork. I mean, things change.
I mean, you look at what the elites did here back in May and things can change so fast.
And, you know, it's been historically known that, you know, the winner of this
deal or that big fish is caught usually in that first half of the first day on Saturday morning.
(13:42):
And I hate to be that poor soul that has to sit on that fish all weekend long
praying it doesn't get beat and I think the gentleman that won it last year,
he come real close to getting beat in that last hour.
I don't remember that or not but really close to getting beat in that last hour
but it was cool and then the young man that won the under championship.
Last year the underslot fish that fish
(14:03):
should have been a slot fish but it hadn't the tail had
been bitten off of that fish so he got he got lucky
in that one and a lot of not drama but a lot of
am i gonna get a ticket on this or am i gonna get a i'm gonna get a boat out
of this deal what's he gonna be he was a little stressed i do i do i always
found that funny because the texas game wards are always standing right there
(14:25):
at the bump board station i mean well you know we laughed we We had a meeting a couple weeks ago,
and something was said about security and what was our plan for crowd control.
And I laughed. I said, look, we're on like four. There are 15 game wardens standing
behind the stage at any one time.
I am not worried about crowd control or security. Those guys will handle it for us. It'll be good.
(14:49):
And, yeah, that poor kid, he called game warden and said, look,
here's what I got. Send them a picture.
And they said, bring it in. And he was quick to say, I'm not going to get a ticket.
Them and they're like no bring it in and we'll we'll take care of
it and i just remember when he came in everybody kind of
rushed the bump tank at one time just to see what
was going on i thought god this better be a big fish and
it turned out to be like a 302 you know under the
(15:11):
slot fish and it's like you know but at
the same time that lake little you know it can
it can make you a hero or it can really hurt your feelings pretty
fast and so it's it's always a
great event it's a fun event you know for
us it's about our owners and that's really
what it's all about is that experience for our owners the
(15:32):
the prizes the duck prizes are back we'll have 30 ducks i think or 50 duck i'm
gonna 30 ducks across the across the lake this year we've gone as far as even
getting duck t-shirts for our duck staff to get out ducks this year so it's
we're all in dude we're we're We're excited and ready to give away some money and a brand new boat.
We've got a 2024 FXR 20, the Apex that'll be given away to the over-the-slot winner.
(15:58):
The under-slot winner will get a new Yamaha side-by-side this year.
And of course, we got our boatload of toys that we do every year.
And we made, I don't know how many kids, but there was a bunch.
I had to bag all them toys up myself out of that big saltwater boat last year.
We made a bunch of kids happy last year for Christmas. So thanks to our owners.
So, yeah, a lot of cool stuff that goes on, a lot of good food,
(16:21):
a lot of good times, a lot of good vendors. You guys are out there.
I've got a whole host of vendors that will be out there on site this year.
So really, really excited about the event this year.
Yeah, so it's a lot of fun. You know, just I always look forward to being part
of what we look forward to coming and being a part of every year because of
the big family atmosphere and enjoying it.
(16:42):
Just an awesome experience to be out there. I know if you don't have a scooter
boat right now, I know you guys are running some awesome rebate programs going on right now.
I know that I think this is like.
I mean, I haven't seen any type of rebate since I came back from deployment
since like 2008 time frame, you know, you know, up to six thousand dollar rebates
(17:06):
that you guys are running right now.
You know, so some good times all the way through the end of May to get good
opportunity. If you don't need a new boat to go out there and take advantage of it.
You know, we just we just picked up a new FXR two days ago.
Go brent just sent me pictures pictures of came with
the blackbeard marine there in oklahoma he
(17:27):
picked it up two days ago you know it's
good time to be taking advantage of getting a new new boat
out there with the deals they got going on out there and
it's a it's a really cool cool deal so
you know for us you know that week
that time frame is always a little bit busy because the week just prior
to it we had the patient sporting challenge which you guys are always a big
(17:50):
part of that you guys give us side by side to help sponsor that event and that
goes to support folds of honor and and if you're at the bass master classic
and part of that they did a big deal with folds of honor at the bass master
classic and just just how that goes to support.
Veterans and and deceased veterans kids give them
scholarships and stuff to go to college and so it's really appreciative what
(18:13):
you guys kind of do with that to help kind of make that happen and
and that that's a lot of fun that event is is is
a great event if if you if you're coming in
you want to come in a week early we get thrown out
about the Patriot Sporting Challenge that's also an awesome time to do just take
advantage of the weekend prior to the owner's tournament it's a golf and fishing
(18:34):
event that takes place and that's always been kind of a fun a fun so I always
have an action-packed week but probably the time that I have the most fun out
of my My scooter boat, Chris,
is a week and a half prior to that.
We get to bring in the West Point Bass Fishing Team from the cadets from West
(18:59):
Point for the college national championship.
And I've had to deal with them for the last six or seven years for every time
they fish the national championship.
I provide the boat for them to come in and fish.
And so i don't know many college kids
that i would give a brand new skeeter boat
(19:21):
to turn the keys over to and just
say uh you know here you go and and that's not just me but you know sergeant
major tagger we just got through setting up aba7 that's the boat we're going
to use this year and with his fxr21 i mean i think it's probably going to have
about seven hours on it when we give them the keys to this boat.
(19:45):
But it's a fun time. I mean, you're taking the future officers,
leaders of the United States Army,
and it's a time that we use the boat as a teaching tool to teach outside the
classroom lessons that they'll never forget.
And I think that's what's really cool. A lot of people don't understand whether
(20:05):
you're loading a helicopter, a gun truck, a tank, or a bass boat.
Low plans are always to see right and
so we take that and so it's been
a fun i think my favorite story was last year
we were in south carolina at lake hartwell and i had my you know brand new fxr
(20:27):
21 and it had had barely had 10 hours on it and and i'm walking the two cadets
around the boat giving them lay down how everything works what to do and everything
else and they got the big the wide-eyed.
You know and so i asked him i said are you okay and he's like sir i i'm just
so nervous i don't want to mess up your boat man i said i asked him and i'd
(20:49):
like to put this into perspective for the listeners all the time i asked him
i said i said i said son what are you going to do for the army,
and he said i'm going to fly helicopters.
And i said all right man let's get
this figure this out i said we're going to give you a 10 billion
airframe i said you'll be
(21:12):
okay i said i said take
it and i said i said enjoy yourself and
i said use this as a teaching tool to what it's going to feel like that time
the first time you step in that airframe and i said so that to me is what it's
worth and that's why i say this whole three weeks from from west point to pager
(21:34):
sporting challenge to the owners tournament that really week.
And a half to two weeks it's just an awesome time that i get to really
spend time and and it's all revolves around my
the skier boat and just what i kind of do with it
and it's a lot of fun so it's that that's really
really a cool deal with those guys to kind
of see them and and oh yeah and they get to do
(21:55):
that so i think it's it's a fun fun experience
with those guys so i'm excited you know
for me this week i'm actually in shepherd field kentucky and
so what that's let's the listener know that's in the
shadows of churchill downs louisville kentucky
i'm getting ready for kentucky derby and you
say what does that have to do talking so weird or
(22:17):
not you know my brother-in-law is actually one of the big horse trainers he
has horse in the oaks in the derby but last year when i actually picked up my
skeeter i actually went to stayed in arkansas saw in at hot springs right there
in the scooter dealership was literally like it's like.
It's like in his house is right there at the racetrack is like two miles from
(22:42):
Oaklawn Racetrack, which is where the qualifying race is for the Derby.
And so I was going to tell Chris, I'd tell the story since we are Derby week
and everybody you'll see on NBC and everything like that this week.
I got to take my first trip since I retired from the Army, go north.
And I talk a lot about going smallmouth fishing. I had the best time of my life.
(23:03):
So i go they invite me
up to saratoga springs if you don't know anything about
horse racing but saratoga springs used to be where all
the horse sales in the country were mainly done in the summertime until kingland
was open and now it becomes kingland has now become the biggest in the world
here in kentucky so but in the summertime everybody goes to saratoga springs
(23:25):
and they race up there so he has a house up there and so i'm just a good old retired lieutenant.
Boy country boy from alabama so i
go i go to saratoga springs
with my skeeter boat all wrapped up in
army bass anglers and and the funniest thing
was i can't tell you how many of these million dollar racehorse
(23:48):
people wanted to take pictures with me
and i got up there it
was the best thing i'd ever
seen you get to new
york and that's not what you think about right right right it was it was it
was it was hilarious the number the number of people that came to the house
(24:10):
that had meetings with my brother-in-law that all they want to do was ask me
about that boat and is to talk about horse racing and i thought this is the
last place i thought that
conversation would never ever be so that
is cool so yeah
very cool uh it my scooter has
got me to take and have some conversations with people
(24:32):
i never thought i would get to have have conversations with
along the way and uh you know you never realize it um it's a great product a
great boat i know uh i'm always impressed with the way it rides yeah i've always
been with that you know yamaha on the back of it it's been phenomenal i mean i i told the story so.
(24:54):
I i grew up i had another brand engine growing up that's just the way it was
with my dad and everything else growing up and i'll never forget till i got
that first yamaha on the back of that skeeter and i get asked all the time these
days i'm like you know what's it like i'm like okay The truth is,
it's the easiest planing out boater moat package ever.
(25:20):
I've ever ridden it in my life just something about how smooth it rolls and i just feel like.
I'm not like pulling g's like well
oh you're right you're right and
it's that rapid planning system technology that you
guys put into it in the back end and it just roll
it it's up quick but it doesn't even feel like it's a it doesn't
(25:42):
feel like that pressure to put you up quick and i think you guys build
a great boat and it's it's a quality product and
i think everything that you guys do we from the
technology to to that to making it
feel like a family atmosphere is what makes skeeter a great company
out there and i think that's very important to the
consumer out there yeah i i'm like
(26:03):
you i won't lie right i grew up in another
brand of boat i grew up in another another brand
of engine and in 2013 i
got my first skier and it was a 20i and
like i said earlier bought it here off the showroom floor i was a rigid and
i'm like you know i don't know about this yamaha stuff i don't i've heard a
(26:27):
lot of great things right i don't know don't know much about it i had known
the folks at skier but they'd never been in one of the boats and so i'm like
i I can get in this boat and I,
you know, had to, it was already broken in when we picked it up.
And so I get to take it home and go fishing and took it back to Scottsboro,
Alabama and took it out on Lake Guntersville one day.
And I'll never forget coming out of the back of a Roseberry Creek.
(26:50):
You've been there. Oh yeah.
You come out of the back of Roseberry and you have to run the buoys out.
Yeah. And it's not a straight line. It's got a little, it's got a little curve to it.
And I remember thinking, okay, it's running pretty good.
It sounds good. it feels good and i didn't
even check up i mean i wasn't running fast but i never checked up
and went through those buoys and i'm like i made a harder right hand turn to
(27:13):
run back up the river toward you know toward goose pond and
i thought i mean like when i made the turn in the in the
river channel right there at that big telephone pole you know i'm talking about
yeah and that thing hooked and took off i thought oh
wow okay i got a little racehorse in me right here and so
i remember putting the foot to the pedal or put my foot down and
and kind of just playing with the trim a little bit kind of getting used
(27:33):
to it next thing you know is you're running 70 and
you're not even thinking about it and you don't even realize what you're
doing and every little thing you do in the wheel is very
responsive and so the the longer i
spent in in the skeeter with the yamaha and then when i left rigid and i actually
went to another company and we were sponsored by another boat motor brand and
(27:55):
and i like you i'm sure i've ridden and probably everything out there but maybe
one or two new ones, right?
Written in a bunch, been in a bunch, experienced a bunch. And...
It never fails. When I got back into Skeeter a year and a half ago,
and I borrowed a boat out of our loaner pool, and I remember putting it on Lake
(28:17):
of the Pines and getting behind the wheel.
I mean, heck, it was from the moment I hooked it up to the trailer or hooked
it up to the truck, right? It just felt like home.
And it's like, I'll never go back to another brand or another brand of engine.
Yamaha has never let me down. Now, that's one thing about it.
When I sit down, no matter if I've fished five minutes, five hours,
(28:38):
or eight hours in one spot, when I sit down and turn the key,
it's going to crank every time. I know it.
And that boat's going to get me back. It doesn't matter. It was blowing four-footers
on Bob Sandlin two weeks ago, and we were fishing a little tournament.
Shouldn't have been out there, but we were.
And it's just, you know, I've got an FXR 21, and she eats those waves for lunch.
(28:59):
And it was just, just probably one of the, it's one of the best rides out there.
I'm not saying it because I work here. I'm saying it because it's true.
And, you know, it's a, it's a sports car field with a Cadillac ride.
And it's, it's probably, you know, once it's funny, we have a new pro on the
West coast that fishes the elites and hired him this year.
(29:20):
And he came out of another boat and motor package into a skier.
And I saw him at Lake Fork. I met him at Lake Fork for the first time for the elite.
Talked to him on the phone, but hadn't been able to meet him or meet him in person.
And I walked up to him and he saw me and I said, uh, told him who I was and
I slipped my hand out to shake his hand and he just hugged me.
I said, dude, what's this about? He goes, why didn't you tell me what I used to run road so bad?
(29:45):
And I laughed. I said, well, I can't tell you that. I said, you got to experience it yourself.
He goes, dude, I, you see, I couldn't believe it the first time out in my skier.
So if you've never been in one, take a test ride.
If you come to the owner's tournament or you're in the Lake Fork area,
you know, the weekend of June 6th through the 9th, we're doing test rides the
6th and 7th of June there at Lake Fork Marina. Just take a test ride. They're free.
(30:09):
If you're going to any of the elite series events this year,
I know there's the next one's in South Carolina. There's two coming up in Alabama.
Then they go north. But anytime you see a place for a scooter to test ride, take one.
Experience it. You won't be sorry. It'll take 30 minutes, and it'll be the best
30 minutes you've ever spent on the water. I can assure you of that.
(30:31):
If you're not anywhere close to one, call your dealer or visit your local dealer.
Ask them for a test ride, right?
And somebody there will take you out in one and show you what it's all about.
And if you're serious about buying one, now's the time to do it.
At the end of the month, we've got some great rebates going on.
Instant rebates come off the price of the boat immediately.
Immediately and you know it's a great time to be
(30:52):
in a scooter i can assure you that so well yeah
hey chris i appreciate you spending time with me i
enjoyed it i think you guys do a lot of great stuff we enjoy what you guys do
for for us and not just us but some of our partners whether it's patriot sporting
challenge you know the stuff you guys do with the toby the texas women's bass
invitational all things that we're we're part of so it's great and i appreciate
(31:14):
hey if If you guys want to know more about us,
go to forceonforcetv.com.
You can even get Skeeter Boats on our website, too, so go check them out.
We appreciate you guys listening. We'll see you next time. Cool?
Thanks for listening to the Force on Force podcast. Join us next time as we
dive into more topics from the Force on Force talk.
For more information or to learn how to join the organization,
(31:37):
visit our website at forceonforcetv.com.
Force on Force features the largest and strongest outdoor military organization in the country.
These are the men and women who make it possible to enjoy the freedom to hunt and fish.
It is with great pride that we bring you Force on Force podcast,
coming to you from the Force on Force talk.
Hey, welcome to the Force on Force podcast. We're here in the Force on Force talk.
(00:22):
All our shows start in the talk, the Tactical Operations Center,
and we start a podcast here.
This is an awesome exciting thing we're doing
with uh force on force brand with army buck bass
and hog going with the podcast this year
we're really enjoying talking a lot of things from our partners to what's happening
on the tv show it's been a lot of fun uh this week's gonna be really cool we'll
(00:43):
talk a little bit about it here in a minute uh recapping kind of where we're
at force on force going on right now on the sportsman channel and then the world
fishing network we got the semi
-final round this week you know we got how that's
going to roll out it's airing today on a sports channel if
you miss it you can catch it 11 a.m on saturday morning and
(01:03):
guys last week got to meet our new pro staff members craig
ty and rick bradley so a lot of good stuff
going on i think this is probably a real
exciting show for us because i get to bring on one of our longest
and oldest partners skeeter boats we're going to bring on the brand manager
from Skeeter Chris Brown and it's very exciting to have Chris on hey how you
(01:26):
doing Chris I'm good good so how are you bud good good so Chris has got a lot
of history in the fishing industry.
If you don't know Chris you you've probably seen him his work in some shape
or form or fashion passion, you know, whether it's been with Rigid Industries to,
(01:48):
I met Chris really firstly on the Alabama Bass Trail when he was doing the stuff
on the production side behind the scenes.
And then I was so excited when he came to be part of.
Back to Skeeter family is kind of this past year and a half,
and so it's kind of awesome to see him.
And I think I read somewhere where you shared – I think one of my funniest things
(02:11):
that I've read about you is that you're the guy that told Brandon Palahniuk, no.
That's going to come back and haunt me forever. I am. I'm the guy that told
– that declined on Brandon.
I started my career back in 2002 at Strike King Lure Company and worked my way
up to marketing director there. And it's probably, gosh, I don't even remember
(02:31):
what year it was, 2010, 2011.
I got an email from this kid from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho that wanted to be on
Pro Staff. And I'm like, I don't even know where Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is.
You know, I look at a map and so I find, I'm like, what am I going to do with
a kid in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho?
Especially a kid, I can't even pronounce his last name, right?
I mean, so I knew he was fishing the Bass Nation, doing some things.
(02:51):
And so I just wrote him back and I said, dude, look, I would love to do something
with you, but we're just, we're full right now.
Stay in touch and if you need anything i can send you some
baits but right now we're just kind of at capacity and
so he always reminds me of that because while that
didn't work out when i was at striking he was we were very quick to i remember
going to the classic the next year and he finished like fourth i think in that
(03:15):
one in new orleans and van damme won it and he was fishing the same area van
damme was and i remember seeing this kid at takeoff going gosh i recognize that
name I hear from somewhere, where do I know that name?
And then I'm like, oh, crap. And it hit me. It's like, that's the kid, right?
So here I am. I'm the guy that passed on Brandon Palahniuk.
And yet he and I are very good friends. We talk all the time.
(03:38):
And I've been blessed to work with him through RIDGID and my little time at
Bass and now with Skeeter.
And, of course, when I was doing the media thing, when you and I met the last,
you know, up until I came to Skeeter, worked with Brandon a lot there.
He was kind of a go-to for us.
So yeah, it's been a, that, that one, that's, that's going to be my legacy.
(03:58):
I think in this industry, Sean is, is telling Brandon, no, I think that that'll be it.
But, but now I control this contract at Skeeter. So it's, it's kind of,
it's kind of come full circle for me, I think. So it's been pretty good.
Yeah, so Skeeter is one of our longest partners at Army Bass Anglers and what
we kind of do and kind of where we, where this whole thing kind of started and gone a long way.
(04:23):
And so I think that's why it's kind of special to bring you guys on as kind
of the first partner to kind of, as we talked, the podcast piece and kind of
the background and everything.
But as this thing started, you know, from the force on force brand on TV 13
years ago and the impact it's made to service members.
It's just been really cool you know
(04:43):
you're seeing you come back because there
was i was kind of worried you
know all the changes are going to happen you know a year
and a half ago and i was taking over ownership from army bass
and and i'm like all of a sudden i find out chris brown
is going to be the brand manager at skeeter and and and
it's funny saying chris and i live like you know not even
(05:05):
like a couple miles from each other while i was in
humpsville station back there at redstone and so
i'm like you know things have a way of working them out and i think i
think that's what's really cool about the fishing
industry and just about man i've
been i've been very blessed in this industry to meet a lot of very good people
(05:27):
in here and skeeter makes it feel like a family ordeal and i think as we talk
about the relationship with skeeter and is It's just very family atmosphere.
And I think you guys do a really good job of that.
Well, you know, Sean, you and I have met when I lived in Huntsville.
And so we lived there for 13 years, my wife and I.
And so for me to pack up, right, a year and a half ago, pack up my family.
(05:52):
I've got a kid at Auburn, two kids at Auburn, actually.
And so for me to leave 600 miles away from them and come to Texas,
the only reason I did it was because of Skeeter and the family that's here.
And it's a, I have run skiers and Yamahas in the past and been associated with
these guys and knew a lot of these folks.
So when they called and said, Hey, we've got an opportunity for a job.
(06:14):
Would you be interested?
I jumped at the chance. I think I drove most of the night, one night to get
here for a job interview.
And it was very excited to get here. And I'm still excited to be here.
Of course, you know, I came in under Joanne O'Brien who is, who has since retired
hired and gone to be a grandmother.
And I see her on Facebook. She's traveling all over the place.
(06:34):
And so I had a pretty good mentor in Joanne for a number of years prior to coming to Skeeter.
And so now that I'm here, it's been everything I'd hoped for and more. So it's very exciting.
And it's a great time to be part of Skeeter Boats, that's for sure.
And then we kind of talk about family. I think that kind of segues in.
We kind of want to talk about the owner's tournament.
(06:57):
That's a lot of fun. I think when I first came to Army Bass,
one of my first big deals that I ever did coming in was coming to the owner's tournament.
And that's what kind of made it feel. And that's why I use the term family,
made it feel like a big family deal.
And I think that's what is so fun. on
and and this is this one's going to be no different than
(07:19):
than you know anything we we've
had because this is the 30th annual if i'm correct 30th annual
skier owners tournament my first one was in 2013 when i worked for rigid and
when i worked for striking i always sent mates always sent stuff for giveaways
i never ever got never got to come to one and in 2013 when i worked for For
(07:43):
RIDGID, we actually bought a Skeeter boat.
If you've ever been to the factory here in our main office, we used to have
boats kind of on display here in our main foyer.
And when I worked for RIDGID, we became a bass sponsor, and we bought a boat
off the showroom here at Skeeter, which you can't do, mostly the other day.
(08:03):
But for some odd reason, Joanne sold us one at that time.
So we bought it, right? And so we got to come to the owner's tournament.
And i just remember walking into that
big tent and thinking this is going to be a circus and it is the biggest family
reunion that you've ever seen and i will tell you what we build a lot of really
pretty i'll go i'll go as far as we say we build some really sexy boats right if you're ever.
(08:30):
Wondering what color to make your skeeter come to an owner's event and just
sit there and walk Walk the bank and look because, by God, there is every shape, color.
I mean, you name it. If you want one that's yellow, there's going to be one
that's yellow there. If you want a purple one, it's going to be so important. They're everywhere.
So you're in for a real treat if you've never been to one.
(08:51):
But the 30th annual, and we've got a number of folks that have fished every
single one of these, and they're very quick to remind me, hey,
I've been to 29 of these now. I'm going on 30.
So these folks are committed to this deal. Our registration numbers to date
are on point with last year.
So we're fully expecting over 2,000 Skeeter family members there and,
(09:12):
you know, over 1,100 boats for this event.
That first full weekend in June, the, well, I guess the second weekend in June,
the 6th through the 9th, they're at Lake Fork Marina.
So we're excited about it. My team has been working on this since January,
trying to get everything put together amidst boat show season and everything
else. So we're very excited about it and ready to get this one going for sure.
(09:36):
So ready to see everybody.
I know it's, I would say seeing all the different boats is really cool.
One of the coolest things was last year and being the 75th anniversary of Skeeter
is getting to see that, was it the original?
Yeah. So we have boat number eight here in our lobby. Boat number eight.
(09:57):
And it's actually owned by a gentleman here in Longview and his son or grandson
owns a 2022 FXR 21. So we had them side by side out here at the plant one day
for a meet and greet with some media.
But we take that with us to a number of shows. It'll be out there again this year.
We'll boat number eight. So you look at, if you ever wonder why a Skeeter is
(10:18):
called a Skeeter, that right there will explain it to you really fast.
Because that thing looks like the nose of a mosquito.
And so it's, but that's what it was built to do. It was built to go in through
the cypress trees and all that stuff in Louisiana and all the swamps.
And the cool thing is, is there's a lot of processes that was back then that
we've enhanced and put into the boats we build now. And so it's a pretty impressive deal.
(10:41):
Yeah. So my first owner's tournament was they actually brought me,
the dealer brought me my Skeeter to the owner's tournament. My very first Skeeter.
So I actually, that's where I got my Skeeter was at the owner's tournament.
Wow and so they actually delivered it to
me brought it to me at the owners tournament and so
(11:02):
it was a lot of fun so i always have a lot of fun memories about getting getting
that first skeeter right there at the owners tournament so there's a lot of
fun a lot of cool stuff memories that go on there i'm at lake fork and so i
think that's really a cool event that's looked forward to by everybody that's involved i know,
We enjoy it from everything, from filling the bags.
(11:27):
Everybody doesn't know how all those bags get filled. That's always been a big
part of what we help with the Army Bass English.
We show up and help you guys fill those bags the day before registration starts
and getting all that going.
Yeah, so it's neat how all that stuff kind of gets worked out.
We get all that done in one morning and get it knocked out, and it gets going. So it's a lot of fun.
(11:51):
Last year was my first year to really be on the setup side of things.
And I remember we made two trips with three trucks from Kilgore to Lake Forth Marina.
And it's about an hour drive one way from my office to the marina.
And we made two trips each with three trucks pulling trailers and boats and
(12:12):
still had more stuff coming throughout the week.
And I thought to myself on Tuesday morning, we got up and it was,
you know, already 932 degrees. And I thought we are never going to get this thing put together.
But with, you know, help from you guys and your staff and, of course,
the Bass Champ guys and so many others, this thing comes together and it happens.
And it is a it is a crazy, crazy deal.
(12:35):
And what's funny is, is it takes us three days to put it up and three hours to tear it down.
So it comes down a whole lot faster than it ever went up. But but it's a lot of fun.
And, you know, we have a lot of pride in this event.
Obviously, 30 years work. and you know
the the owners that come to this seeing new
owners past owners owners that are
(12:57):
you know some are still running early 2000
or late 90s model skeeters and they come to this event we've got people that
have just bought a new skeeter going on on our sales promotions going on right
now and just bought one and we give them you know invitations this thing and
they show up and they're going to be blown away that's the cool part is there's
no other boat coming that It doesn't quite like we do.
(13:19):
And especially on the banks of Lake Fork where, you know, any cast could be
a double digit fish, you know, on Fork. I mean, things change.
I mean, you look at what the elites did here back in May and things can change so fast.
And, you know, it's been historically known that, you know, the winner of this
deal or that big fish is caught usually in that first half of the first day on Saturday morning.
(13:42):
And I hate to be that poor soul that has to sit on that fish all weekend long
praying it doesn't get beat and I think the gentleman that won it last year,
he come real close to getting beat in that last hour.
I don't remember that or not but really close to getting beat in that last hour
but it was cool and then the young man that won the under championship.
Last year the underslot fish that fish
(14:03):
should have been a slot fish but it hadn't the tail had
been bitten off of that fish so he got he got lucky
in that one and a lot of not drama but a lot of
am i gonna get a ticket on this or am i gonna get a i'm gonna get a boat out
of this deal what's he gonna be he was a little stressed i do i do i always
found that funny because the texas game wards are always standing right there
(14:25):
at the bump board station i mean well you know we laughed we We had a meeting a couple weeks ago,
and something was said about security and what was our plan for crowd control.
And I laughed. I said, look, we're on like four. There are 15 game wardens standing
behind the stage at any one time.
I am not worried about crowd control or security. Those guys will handle it for us. It'll be good.
(14:49):
And, yeah, that poor kid, he called game warden and said, look,
here's what I got. Send them a picture.
And they said, bring it in. And he was quick to say, I'm not going to get a ticket.
Them and they're like no bring it in and we'll we'll take care of
it and i just remember when he came in everybody kind of
rushed the bump tank at one time just to see what
was going on i thought god this better be a big fish and
it turned out to be like a 302 you know under the
(15:11):
slot fish and it's like you know but at
the same time that lake little you know it can
it can make you a hero or it can really hurt your feelings pretty
fast and so it's it's always a
great event it's a fun event you know for
us it's about our owners and that's really
what it's all about is that experience for our owners the
(15:32):
the prizes the duck prizes are back we'll have 30 ducks i think or 50 duck i'm
gonna 30 ducks across the across the lake this year we've gone as far as even
getting duck t-shirts for our duck staff to get out ducks this year so it's
we're all in dude we're we're We're excited and ready to give away some money and a brand new boat.
We've got a 2024 FXR 20, the Apex that'll be given away to the over-the-slot winner.
(15:58):
The under-slot winner will get a new Yamaha side-by-side this year.
And of course, we got our boatload of toys that we do every year.
And we made, I don't know how many kids, but there was a bunch.
I had to bag all them toys up myself out of that big saltwater boat last year.
We made a bunch of kids happy last year for Christmas. So thanks to our owners.
So, yeah, a lot of cool stuff that goes on, a lot of good food,
(16:21):
a lot of good times, a lot of good vendors. You guys are out there.
I've got a whole host of vendors that will be out there on site this year.
So really, really excited about the event this year.
Yeah, so it's a lot of fun. You know, just I always look forward to being part
of what we look forward to coming and being a part of every year because of
the big family atmosphere and enjoying it.
(16:42):
Just an awesome experience to be out there. I know if you don't have a scooter
boat right now, I know you guys are running some awesome rebate programs going on right now.
I know that I think this is like.
I mean, I haven't seen any type of rebate since I came back from deployment
since like 2008 time frame, you know, you know, up to six thousand dollar rebates
(17:06):
that you guys are running right now.
You know, so some good times all the way through the end of May to get good
opportunity. If you don't need a new boat to go out there and take advantage of it.
You know, we just we just picked up a new FXR two days ago.
Go brent just sent me pictures pictures of came with
the blackbeard marine there in oklahoma he
(17:27):
picked it up two days ago you know it's
good time to be taking advantage of getting a new new boat
out there with the deals they got going on out there and
it's a it's a really cool cool deal so
you know for us you know that week
that time frame is always a little bit busy because the week just prior
to it we had the patient sporting challenge which you guys are always a big
(17:50):
part of that you guys give us side by side to help sponsor that event and that
goes to support folds of honor and and if you're at the bass master classic
and part of that they did a big deal with folds of honor at the bass master
classic and just just how that goes to support.
Veterans and and deceased veterans kids give them
scholarships and stuff to go to college and so it's really appreciative what
(18:13):
you guys kind of do with that to help kind of make that happen and
and that that's a lot of fun that event is is is
a great event if if you if you're coming in
you want to come in a week early we get thrown out
about the Patriot Sporting Challenge that's also an awesome time to do just take
advantage of the weekend prior to the owner's tournament it's a golf and fishing
(18:34):
event that takes place and that's always been kind of a fun a fun so I always
have an action-packed week but probably the time that I have the most fun out
of my My scooter boat, Chris,
is a week and a half prior to that.
We get to bring in the West Point Bass Fishing Team from the cadets from West
(18:59):
Point for the college national championship.
And I've had to deal with them for the last six or seven years for every time
they fish the national championship.
I provide the boat for them to come in and fish.
And so i don't know many college kids
that i would give a brand new skeeter boat
(19:21):
to turn the keys over to and just
say uh you know here you go and and that's not just me but you know sergeant
major tagger we just got through setting up aba7 that's the boat we're going
to use this year and with his fxr21 i mean i think it's probably going to have
about seven hours on it when we give them the keys to this boat.
(19:45):
But it's a fun time. I mean, you're taking the future officers,
leaders of the United States Army,
and it's a time that we use the boat as a teaching tool to teach outside the
classroom lessons that they'll never forget.
And I think that's what's really cool. A lot of people don't understand whether
(20:05):
you're loading a helicopter, a gun truck, a tank, or a bass boat.
Low plans are always to see right and
so we take that and so it's been
a fun i think my favorite story was last year
we were in south carolina at lake hartwell and i had my you know brand new fxr
(20:27):
21 and it had had barely had 10 hours on it and and i'm walking the two cadets
around the boat giving them lay down how everything works what to do and everything
else and they got the big the wide-eyed.
You know and so i asked him i said are you okay and he's like sir i i'm just
so nervous i don't want to mess up your boat man i said i asked him and i'd
(20:49):
like to put this into perspective for the listeners all the time i asked him
i said i said i said son what are you going to do for the army,
and he said i'm going to fly helicopters.
And i said all right man let's get
this figure this out i said we're going to give you a 10 billion
airframe i said you'll be
(21:12):
okay i said i said take
it and i said i said enjoy yourself and
i said use this as a teaching tool to what it's going to feel like that time
the first time you step in that airframe and i said so that to me is what it's
worth and that's why i say this whole three weeks from from west point to pager
(21:34):
sporting challenge to the owners tournament that really week.
And a half to two weeks it's just an awesome time that i get to really
spend time and and it's all revolves around my
the skier boat and just what i kind of do with it
and it's a lot of fun so it's that that's really
really a cool deal with those guys to kind
of see them and and oh yeah and they get to do
(21:55):
that so i think it's it's a fun fun experience
with those guys so i'm excited you know
for me this week i'm actually in shepherd field kentucky and
so what that's let's the listener know that's in the
shadows of churchill downs louisville kentucky
i'm getting ready for kentucky derby and you
say what does that have to do talking so weird or
(22:17):
not you know my brother-in-law is actually one of the big horse trainers he
has horse in the oaks in the derby but last year when i actually picked up my
skeeter i actually went to stayed in arkansas saw in at hot springs right there
in the scooter dealership was literally like it's like.
It's like in his house is right there at the racetrack is like two miles from
(22:42):
Oaklawn Racetrack, which is where the qualifying race is for the Derby.
And so I was going to tell Chris, I'd tell the story since we are Derby week
and everybody you'll see on NBC and everything like that this week.
I got to take my first trip since I retired from the Army, go north.
And I talk a lot about going smallmouth fishing. I had the best time of my life.
(23:03):
So i go they invite me
up to saratoga springs if you don't know anything about
horse racing but saratoga springs used to be where all
the horse sales in the country were mainly done in the summertime until kingland
was open and now it becomes kingland has now become the biggest in the world
here in kentucky so but in the summertime everybody goes to saratoga springs
(23:25):
and they race up there so he has a house up there and so i'm just a good old retired lieutenant.
Boy country boy from alabama so i
go i go to saratoga springs
with my skeeter boat all wrapped up in
army bass anglers and and the funniest thing
was i can't tell you how many of these million dollar racehorse
(23:48):
people wanted to take pictures with me
and i got up there it
was the best thing i'd ever
seen you get to new
york and that's not what you think about right right right it was it was it
was it was hilarious the number the number of people that came to the house
(24:10):
that had meetings with my brother-in-law that all they want to do was ask me
about that boat and is to talk about horse racing and i thought this is the
last place i thought that
conversation would never ever be so that
is cool so yeah
very cool uh it my scooter has
got me to take and have some conversations with people
(24:32):
i never thought i would get to have have conversations with
along the way and uh you know you never realize it um it's a great product a
great boat i know uh i'm always impressed with the way it rides yeah i've always
been with that you know yamaha on the back of it it's been phenomenal i mean i i told the story so.
(24:54):
I i grew up i had another brand engine growing up that's just the way it was
with my dad and everything else growing up and i'll never forget till i got
that first yamaha on the back of that skeeter and i get asked all the time these
days i'm like you know what's it like i'm like okay The truth is,
it's the easiest planing out boater moat package ever.
(25:20):
I've ever ridden it in my life just something about how smooth it rolls and i just feel like.
I'm not like pulling g's like well
oh you're right you're right and
it's that rapid planning system technology that you
guys put into it in the back end and it just roll
it it's up quick but it doesn't even feel like it's a it doesn't
(25:42):
feel like that pressure to put you up quick and i think you guys build
a great boat and it's it's a quality product and
i think everything that you guys do we from the
technology to to that to making it
feel like a family atmosphere is what makes skeeter a great company
out there and i think that's very important to the
consumer out there yeah i i'm like
(26:03):
you i won't lie right i grew up in another
brand of boat i grew up in another another brand
of engine and in 2013 i
got my first skier and it was a 20i and
like i said earlier bought it here off the showroom floor i was a rigid and
i'm like you know i don't know about this yamaha stuff i don't i've heard a
(26:27):
lot of great things right i don't know don't know much about it i had known
the folks at skier but they'd never been in one of the boats and so i'm like
i I can get in this boat and I,
you know, had to, it was already broken in when we picked it up.
And so I get to take it home and go fishing and took it back to Scottsboro,
Alabama and took it out on Lake Guntersville one day.
And I'll never forget coming out of the back of a Roseberry Creek.
(26:50):
You've been there. Oh yeah.
You come out of the back of Roseberry and you have to run the buoys out.
Yeah. And it's not a straight line. It's got a little, it's got a little curve to it.
And I remember thinking, okay, it's running pretty good.
It sounds good. it feels good and i didn't
even check up i mean i wasn't running fast but i never checked up
and went through those buoys and i'm like i made a harder right hand turn to
(27:13):
run back up the river toward you know toward goose pond and
i thought i mean like when i made the turn in the in the
river channel right there at that big telephone pole you know i'm talking about
yeah and that thing hooked and took off i thought oh
wow okay i got a little racehorse in me right here and so
i remember putting the foot to the pedal or put my foot down and
and kind of just playing with the trim a little bit kind of getting used
(27:33):
to it next thing you know is you're running 70 and
you're not even thinking about it and you don't even realize what you're
doing and every little thing you do in the wheel is very
responsive and so the the longer i
spent in in the skeeter with the yamaha and then when i left rigid and i actually
went to another company and we were sponsored by another boat motor brand and
(27:55):
and i like you i'm sure i've ridden and probably everything out there but maybe
one or two new ones, right?
Written in a bunch, been in a bunch, experienced a bunch. And...
It never fails. When I got back into Skeeter a year and a half ago,
and I borrowed a boat out of our loaner pool, and I remember putting it on Lake
(28:17):
of the Pines and getting behind the wheel.
I mean, heck, it was from the moment I hooked it up to the trailer or hooked
it up to the truck, right? It just felt like home.
And it's like, I'll never go back to another brand or another brand of engine.
Yamaha has never let me down. Now, that's one thing about it.
When I sit down, no matter if I've fished five minutes, five hours,
(28:38):
or eight hours in one spot, when I sit down and turn the key,
it's going to crank every time. I know it.
And that boat's going to get me back. It doesn't matter. It was blowing four-footers
on Bob Sandlin two weeks ago, and we were fishing a little tournament.
Shouldn't have been out there, but we were.
And it's just, you know, I've got an FXR 21, and she eats those waves for lunch.
(28:59):
And it was just, just probably one of the, it's one of the best rides out there.
I'm not saying it because I work here. I'm saying it because it's true.
And, you know, it's a, it's a sports car field with a Cadillac ride.
And it's, it's probably, you know, once it's funny, we have a new pro on the
West coast that fishes the elites and hired him this year.
(29:20):
And he came out of another boat and motor package into a skier.
And I saw him at Lake Fork. I met him at Lake Fork for the first time for the elite.
Talked to him on the phone, but hadn't been able to meet him or meet him in person.
And I walked up to him and he saw me and I said, uh, told him who I was and
I slipped my hand out to shake his hand and he just hugged me.
I said, dude, what's this about? He goes, why didn't you tell me what I used to run road so bad?
(29:45):
And I laughed. I said, well, I can't tell you that. I said, you got to experience it yourself.
He goes, dude, I, you see, I couldn't believe it the first time out in my skier.
So if you've never been in one, take a test ride.
If you come to the owner's tournament or you're in the Lake Fork area,
you know, the weekend of June 6th through the 9th, we're doing test rides the
6th and 7th of June there at Lake Fork Marina. Just take a test ride. They're free.
(30:09):
If you're going to any of the elite series events this year,
I know there's the next one's in South Carolina. There's two coming up in Alabama.
Then they go north. But anytime you see a place for a scooter to test ride, take one.
Experience it. You won't be sorry. It'll take 30 minutes, and it'll be the best
30 minutes you've ever spent on the water. I can assure you of that.
(30:31):
If you're not anywhere close to one, call your dealer or visit your local dealer.
Ask them for a test ride, right?
And somebody there will take you out in one and show you what it's all about.
And if you're serious about buying one, now's the time to do it.
At the end of the month, we've got some great rebates going on.
Instant rebates come off the price of the boat immediately.
Immediately and you know it's a great time to be
(30:52):
in a scooter i can assure you that so well yeah
hey chris i appreciate you spending time with me i
enjoyed it i think you guys do a lot of great stuff we enjoy what you guys do
for for us and not just us but some of our partners whether it's patriot sporting
challenge you know the stuff you guys do with the toby the texas women's bass
invitational all things that we're we're part of so it's great and i appreciate
(31:14):
hey if If you guys want to know more about us,
go to forceonforcetv.com.
You can even get Skeeter Boats on our website, too, so go check them out.
We appreciate you guys listening. We'll see you next time. Cool?
Thanks for listening to the Force on Force podcast. Join us next time as we
dive into more topics from the Force on Force talk.
For more information or to learn how to join the organization,
(31:37):
visit our website at forceonforcetv.com.
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