February 29, 2024 • 25 mins
In this compelling episode of America's largest outdoor military organization podcast, Force on Force, host Shawn Dalrymple takes you through the enlightening journey behind the organization. He shares fascinating tales of his engagement with outdoor brands like buck, bass, hog, redfish, and duck, and reveals the remarkable strength of their tactical operations center.
The highlight of the episode is an intimate conversation with renowned television artist, Cody Prather, who has been an important figure in the fishing and hunting industries since 2001. Prather shares his engrossing experiences in major league fishing and national walleye tours, and his personal bond with Shawn, their shared love for outdoor pursuits, and their work with the ArmyBassAnglers.
Cody Prather also recounts the highs and lows of his career, providing a personal and human element to the world of fishing beyond just the technicalities and tactics. He provides invaluable insight into the burgeoning sport of kayak fishing, painting a vivid picture of overcoming adversity and the resilience of veteran anglers.
A sneak peek into the upcoming projects like the highly-anticipated Hog show and the ethos behind their non-profit initiatives is also shared. The episode aims to engage a wider audience including veterans with its emotional narrative depicting camaraderie and dedication in the world of fishing. For more details, visit forceonforcetv.com.
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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 talk. We love doing this.
(00:21):
It's been a pretty cool deal on our new journey here with all the brands from
buck, bass, hog, redfish, duck.
We got had a pretty cool show we're starting here in the
force on force talk as you guys all know i'm sean downpour your
host we call it the force on force talk because it's
the tactical operations center every military operation begins in the talk and
(00:41):
all our shows begin in the talk so we like to carry that tradition on and i'm
actually back here at the at the home talk with last week for eight days we
were in indianapolis had a great
show up there meet a lot of fans got to interact with a lot of people,
not just that, met some new people in the industry, particularly on the kayak,
so I really enjoyed that.
(01:02):
It was a fun time, got to give away some pretty cool products to support our
nonprofits from an HDS Pro 16 into a Bonafide SS 127,
so that's going to go a long way to support our nonprofits and stuff we do later
in the year, and just really great time as we get out in different parts of the country.
This week's very special because I got a special guest with me here.
(01:25):
People may not know him but they know his work he's
been a guy behind the camera for a lot of
the fishing and hunting industries along the way his name is
Cody Prather he's been with us at Army Bass someone
I've been met a long time ago and I
get asked a lot by a lot of high school fishermen like how
I got started in all this and it all goes back to uh
(01:47):
to Cody Prather so welcome Cody Prather how you
doing man what an honor to be here Sean
and and we have we do we go way way back
it's it's good to to see you grow up finally and and
make something of yourself well you know he he's
a he's a cool dude you know last night i got to
i got to hang out with my partner from force on force jeff
(02:08):
campbell won two championships so kind of fitting that
tonight my kind of or this afternoon i kind of get
to have the first person outside the organization on the podcast is
as someone who's been integral as part
of uh being along for the ride since the beginning the start
the whole force on force deal with us you
know you started way back with the big bass battle
(02:29):
kind of want to take us through how all that kind of happened and
and where you kind of fit in because you did more than just that i mean you
guys don't know it but all the stuff that you guys have seen over the years
with major league fishing you know cody's been there since the inception of
that and some stuff with bass and all that and the numerous other tv shows out
there so like i said everybody Everybody knows him,
(02:50):
but don't know he's the guy behind the camera that you don't see. So go ahead.
Yeah. Thanks, Sean. It really and truly is an honor to be here because what
you guys have built is so special to me, especially having seen it grow from
the beginning to where you are right now.
And my background, I've been doing television work since 2001 in the outdoor industry, and that...
(03:16):
Started out as a lot of hunting shows and transitioned into more fishing shows.
And that was a lot of college tournaments, the beginning of the college era
with the collegiate bass fishing championships.
And it was the Boat US and now it's the Cabela's Bass Fishing Collegiate Championship Series.
(03:39):
And in the middle of all of that,
I also got introduced to some of
the guys who were were building force on force and they
were were tied in with big bass battle tv show that
we filmed on lake fork with a lot of pro fishermen and
really a cool show and and
i had no idea because aba army bass anglers
(04:01):
was such a new concept at that time and and really not knowing where it was
going to grow how it was going to grow what it was going to be and then Then
you start the ABA force on force was started and watching that grow and evolve
over the years into where it is now.
And the hunting show and hog shows and everything that you do now is,
(04:25):
is really such a cool, cool adventure being a part of that.
And I bring up the college stuff because that's where I met you,
Sean, when you were, you were back in the States and you were fishing for UNA
university, North Alabama. Now...
We got to do a lot of video projects together. And, and I say,
(04:45):
Oh, you were, you were so young and you grew up, you know, it's like,
Oh, I met you in college, but you're really like a year younger than me.
And so it's, it's been, it's been really fun watching your career change and
grow and watching army bass anglers grow and force on force grow and, and being a part of that.
(05:05):
And yeah, you know, I do work with, with major league fishing,
with bass, with national walleye tour, were with a lot of different fishing organizations.
But, you know, y'all really, really very, very special to me,
not just on the, on the business side of stuff, but on the personal side of
stuff as well, because you and I got to work together for a few years and then we stayed in touch,
(05:28):
which is not common anymore in the college ranks because it's grown so big and
there's so many people and the fishing industry is growing so fast that it's hard to keep up.
And, and I've I've really just appreciated your friendship over the years,
talking hunting and fishing and work and introducing you, telling you about Army Bass Anglers.
(05:49):
I thought it would be something that would really pique your interest that I
thought you would fit well at because of the way you managed your team and grew
your team and grew the sport of bass fishing and the passion within you.
You see passion in people, but there was something different about your passion
and your organization and your abilities that I was really,
(06:11):
I didn't tell you this, but I was really hoping you would become a part of that
because I thought that you could really bring some organization to it and growth
to it and different perspective to Army Bass Anglers because Army Bass Anglers
is so important to the fishing community right now.
Now what you bring to the table is hitting a place that needs more of you, frankly.
(06:34):
No, I agree with you. I mean, we, I not to, you know, I always say it's,
I love what I do in outdoors.
Cause I always say the biggest, hardest thing for us is we do such,
so much adrenaline stuff down range and, you know, and you got to find a healthy
avenue to come back and do it and share that with everybody else.
And I'll never forget the first time I met you and we were, we were at that
(06:56):
college tournament and Cody's going to interview me, right.
And he, I'm just, i'm fresh coming back been
been 15 months a little bit or probably probably maybe
10 months removed from a 15 month deployment to afghanistan and
so he's behind the camera and gonna try to mess with me a little
bit and i'm thinking the last the last media guy i
told i'd leave in afghanistan if he if he
(07:18):
got me in trouble so i'm not really worried about this camera guy messing
with me behind there and he couldn't he was rattling
all the other guys but couldn't get me rattled to get me to mess
up when he was interviewing me so he knew right
then that there was a little bit something different but i just remember that
you know we were we were fishing and we were in
the middle of of of filming and
(07:38):
on during the tournament and you just stopped filming and just
got and said hey i i really want to tell you about army
bass and and i think that that's you would be a really
good fit and that's really it goes back and i always say because
i get asked a lot by a lot of high school anglers and
and stuff and i how do you get to you know
know how do you get to work in the industry and things like that and i i say
(07:58):
man i can't give you that answer because my mine's a
very unique deal but i think it is that way for everybody it's
always unique in that perspective i say it goes back to
i took command of a company in afghanistan to deploy for 15 months when my son
was two months old because that led me to getting to go to grad school to meet
a guy by the name of cody prather in a boat to have a conversation with that
(08:21):
i never would have had ever and you it's all about that and so.
It's not one formula and it's, it's the people you meet. And I think that's
what's special about our industry. Anyways, the people you meet,
that's what makes it so cool.
Cause I really go back to, to what we would do at college because we have such
a special relationship with that anyways,
even now with army bass language, because that for us, as we go back every year
(08:45):
with the West Point team and we provide the boats for that deal,
what, you know, Wade has been very gracious, Wade Middleton and that whole deal
has been very gracious to always open up and bring those guys in.
And so I've always wasn't a West Point guy, but I said, hey,
I know the training requirements those guys have.
And I said, if I can help those guys out and give them an opportunity to get
(09:05):
to do what I got to do, I wanted to be able to do that because it's a it's a
coach teach mentor time for me, for young officers.
But at the same time to let them have a little bit of fun and to see what what
kind of you we've seen so much, not just, you know, what happened with me getting over to Army Bass.
But we've seen so much grow from from that college fishing
(09:27):
days it's just amazing to see what just kind of happened from
that and and you know we've got a lot of i've got
some angler friends that i know that are in the industry that came
out of those those those initial years and
it's just kind of cool to see that you walk around and it's like that
that's the days you know when you think about it and and
it's built kind of the building blocks for what i took over
(09:48):
here to army bass you know yeah but and you
look at the the guys that you were with there at college and
i mean i'm gonna toot your horn because you're not gonna
do it for yourself but but all of those guys that were under you
that you you brought up through the ranks of the of
the college fishing team have all gone on and and done some amazing things in
(10:09):
their lives and several of those people are still in the fishing industry you
know one of those guys has has won a bpt tournament for for mlf and and has
as a full fledged fishing career and, you know.
Just all men of character that we don't see all the time from the college.
And it's, it's, it's pretty cool to see. And I know that that's your,
(10:32):
that's got your fingerprints all over it because I see what you do,
what you took from there,
what you've led into army bass anglers in the Grove that's going on here and
what you're doing on the, uh,
Charity side of stuff and and giving back and you're not an organization that
is that is out for yourself you're out for,
(10:54):
the men and women who are who are coming back from,
overseas and you're for the the
charities you're for giving back and And I see what you do the outdoors.
This is what's so important what people miss is the outdoors is a place of healing
It's a place where people can go and decompress in a way.
(11:19):
And that's not specifically on the military side.
We see it in a lot of other areas of life.
And there's just something about the outdoors that we can all connect on that
speaks to our heart, that just takes us a little bit deeper and builds that
bond and that camaraderie even better.
(11:41):
And I see you really utilizing that and growing people and growing organizations
and giving back to the men and women of this country in a way that nobody else is doing.
Yeah no i really appreciate that and you yourself
you do so much i mean here's the deal people might know
him but as anglers or as people that
(12:02):
work people know cody pray therapy i'm up in
indianapolis this weekend and where i'm talking you
know a couple people in the industry you know talking to gene jensen the flute
master and we're talking and i mentioned your name and his face just lights
up you know and he says he's like that's the one that's one good dude and And
that's the kind of impact that you have on people and across because you, you know,
(12:27):
when I and that's when I say a lot of people from that's in the industry where,
you know, it's very hard that you mention your name that people don't know who you are.
You know, you're that people haven't come across you from where you're doing.
You know, some of your ministry stuff, you know, you name it.
It's from film work to whatever, because it was really cool to kind of see that
(12:48):
growth and how your career has kind of grown.
And I love coming to pick your brains. I think one of my favorite things was.
You know, when MLF was, you know, was was first starting.
And I think, you know, in that you were filming certain guys on certain days
and to see them struggle, it was cool to come pick your brain to be like,
(13:08):
how was that? Because we all the time see guys when they're.
Really successful right and it was it
was that was the first real glimpse into seeing guys when
they weren't doing so well and and how that deal was
right and you kind of got to bring that to the audience to be like even kevin
van damme struggled on the water right and i you know to be like hey you know
(13:34):
how in which you really what i what i love talking to you about was in what
it It really brought the human factor to it that they're people just like everybody else.
And they go through the same things that every angler does out there.
We just sometimes forget because, you know, fishing, only one person is going
to win, especially when you see a very large field. We only see like the top 10.
(13:55):
We don't see the other, you know, you don't see the bottom 50,
you know, of the field that struggled and had this and were fighting out there.
And, you know, you brought some of that stuff to it. And it was,
it's really cool to have been able to pick your brain and be like,
Hey, you know, you know, how,
how did, what, where did they kind of, you know, and so it, it kind of made,
(14:16):
it kind of makes you feel better about some of that stuff that you brought to the audience.
I think it's made the average fisherman feel, Hey, it's actually,
I'm not average. I'm just normal. Right.
Yeah, it's really fun to be to see the human side of the athletes,
the fishermen, the professionals that that we idolize in some ways.
(14:37):
And and there's definitely a human side of it.
And the thing that makes them champions, there's there's definitely something
that sets them apart because I can I can see when somebody has a bad day and
they spin out and it's like quicksand.
You know, no matter how hard they fight, they just keep digging themselves deeper
into that that quicksand. and the pros that are constantly at the top, how they can...
(15:02):
Have something bad happen and shake it off and carry on.
And there's going to be a lot of emotion tied in with that, but they're different
because they don't let that emotion own them and stop them from doing what they're doing.
And other people will, but there's definitely the human side of it.
And some guys will compartmentalize all of that stuff.
(15:22):
And then it comes flooding out at the end of the day, as soon as it's over, then they let it all out.
And everybody's got a different way way to deal with that stuff.
But the pros are the ones that really can deal with that, can keep moving on and can do well.
And it can get very tense on those boats. You know, I don't treat them like I treat you.
You know, anytime I'm on the boat filming you and you have something bad happen,
(15:43):
I'm sitting there poking at the wound, seeing if I can get you to break.
I don't do that with those other guys.
Yeah, he loves, he loves, like one of my favorite stories I
love to to tell is you know me and.
Cole brewer had one of our epic battles on force on
force i mean and we were we were going back at
it and i had a cadet from west point with me and i had
(16:05):
the winning fish on probably and i
broke it off and i said
down to retie and you stuck the camera right in my face and.
Said tell me how you feel now i got a
cadet from west point in the boat and i wanted to tell you
where to stick the camera about right there but but.
He knew that i had the cadet in the boat so i couldn't say.
(16:26):
Anything to it you know what you kind of the other thing too.
Is the camera guys are saying things all the time to
you to get you to talk but you can't hear them on tv
right so they're they're prodding you know so he's prodding
me like trying to get me to talk and i'm just like i'm like
you know no matter you always
want to win right you always want to win and i was like
(16:46):
i was i was so upset and he wanted me
to tell everybody how i felt and i was like i tried
just to hold it together because i got cadet with me so uh which
is really cool because because me now he's a lieutenant and
he and i still talk and uh he'll call me and
ask me for advice and stuff like that so that's what
you kind of see you know he got to see that was
(17:07):
a fishing deal but he also got to see what you
know because you're going to experience that same kind of stress and when you're
in combat and downrange and how you deal with that kind of stress and
how you keep hold it together you know i
think that was a good lesson for him but yeah you do you do love
to prod prod me when you got the camera and he he
takes advantage don't ever expect me to uh to
(17:28):
miss a prime opportunity to have put you in
a hard situation so i think that that
that's a lot of fun i think when you have and i
think that's been that's been a good relationship that we have and i think that's
good with all the guys i think uh we you know we've had a lot of different you
know you know pros and members on the road you know on the staff that come in
(17:51):
and fish or hunt with us and and you guys do a really good job you know different way you know.
Over the years, whether it was Carlton and you guys, and now,
you know, the guys at Deep Fork, they're doing, you guys done a real good job of bringing that out.
But it's helped, part of it has been to help tell the story of what we do and
how, how we bring that human side.
(18:11):
The same thing you talk the human side that the anglers, but the human side
of being in the military and kind of bring it forward and use the outdoors to
try to draw that out in that, you know.
So it's important if we're not telling the human side of everything,
then we're we're telling a story and we're painting a picture that's not I'm
not gonna say it's a lie, but it's not it's not the full truth,
(18:31):
because the truth is, is we all have emotions.
And when somebody sticks a camera in your face, you may not want to talk about it.
But, hey, when you can get that emotion out there, then people understand the
realness of what's going on.
And we're never I'm never going to shy away from that.
And and I said, I don't do that with the pros. I actually do do that with the pros sometimes.
(18:53):
I'm not with everybody because I really don't want to get choked out,
but we're going into the water.
I know if you throw me in the water, I've got a life jacket on and somebody
will come get me. But with those pros, you never really know.
But it's important to show the real side. We're human. You know,
there's we're flawed. We have emotions.
And and you're right. You have to learn how to how to control those emotions
(19:16):
and be in control of yourself in all times.
Times and and i apply that to you know
a normal world situation and you know
you guys apply it in life and death situations yeah
and i think the other thing i think is you
were real good at now he's he's not going to kind of toot his own horn but he's
a pretty accomplished fisherman too when he gets the time he can he's a pretty
(19:39):
good kayak angler with the kayak bass fishing series out there and he's done
that a little bit i know your your schedule has not allowed you to do that over
the last couple of years,
but you know, you do a pretty good job and really had ran some tournament series
on the kayak side. And that's such a growing deal in our industry.
(20:00):
Yeah, it's fun. Yeah, I ran kayak tournaments for many years and helped build
the Hobie BOS tournaments that AJ McWhorter has taken and just turned into the
premier kayak tournament in the country and qualified for the BASS Kayak Championship.
Championship, and that's just getting to fish a little bit last year,
(20:21):
but yeah, I don't get to fish enough to really compete like I used to,
and I sure love it, but I got to go out fishing a couple, couple of days last,
this week, and that's beautiful,
but, you know, the, it's just hard to get, get time to, to go out there and,
and do those things, it's more important to film, it's more important to tell
(20:41):
stories, and, you know, so that's, that's what we do.
Yeah, I know, I think, you know you this week you're actually to
try and get you on here it was like we're brushing because you're off
to film an mlf event this week and so you
know you're you're always on the road and i'm always on the
road and sometimes it's us catching up but it's always fun
to to have the to catch up
(21:04):
with you and kind of talk because i know that i wouldn't
be where i'm at and i don't think armory bass would be where it's
at without you coming on and and helping shape
it in the the early years i think it's very important we we talk all
the time we really want to sit down and kind of do we're going
to do you and i have got this plan to go fishing and kind
of sit down and do a video piece of this to kind
(21:25):
of bring it all together because it's so kind of special
i think for both of us and for for the
organization and where we kind of came from because i mean
it's really we wouldn't have the brand it was if if if
you kind of didn't kind of bring people together other and
and point people in the right direction you
know yeah you give me way too much credit on all
(21:46):
of that i feel like i just get to hang on for the
ride and it's it's been a beautiful ride and i'm
just excited to see where you're gonna go next yeah it's
nice we're we're we're actually doing some
cool things i'm gonna we're filming this new hog show i'm.
Gonna be super excited about that that's it's it's
really gonna be cool with that to really open up and do some
(22:08):
things because i think this one is we everything
is really from a military theme that we always kind
of do you love what we do with the fishing side you know
we did we went to florida this time first time we've gone somewhere
really uniquely different than we've ever filmed before in the
bass side and and the and the redfish side
is going pretty cool but really this hog
(22:28):
one is going to be cool because i think it's the first time it really gives
me the opportunity to bring some really cool military tactics that we use downrange
to to the hunting world because we're gonna we're gonna use a thermal drone
to to find fix and finish these hogs and i think.
(22:49):
The way we do it is just unlike anybody else out
there because for us it's i'd rather be out
in the night and operate at night any day
because that's what i did for for so long in 82nd people get
freaked out but me i'm like put me at night give me give
me somebody give me somebody talking to me in the ear tell me where to
go and tell me what to do and i'm okay you know it's
(23:11):
it's it's it's it's back being it's it's it's
being comfortable and so uh we did some testing on it and i think
that's going to be cool but really what were the stuff that
we're going to do with the non-profit side is we you know we're
taking we're doing more with the fishing for freedom and
lake belton and we're going to do some expand even some
more stuff that we're going to do with that so i'm really
(23:32):
excited about it and i think it's going to be good for that i mean
i really i really appreciate everything that from
just the industry and how how it receives us
and lets us do what we do and and um tell the
story and tell the human side of it and and and get out
there to reach um more veterans
because and it's not just army bass i got a lot of great friends.
(23:54):
In the industry that that are that are run some military
organizations out there that i help and support
along the way and it's not just army bass but try it because
there's there's not enough of us to go around because i mean
there's so many veterans out there to be able to touch so many
so i always try and and promote those guys when
i can and i think but for us this weekend
(24:15):
as we close out i'll tell you we're going to oklahoma city
we'll be at the backwoods show we're going to have a kids fish
tank there so we're going to be there
all weekend doing stuff with the kids but also promoting have another great
fundraiser for our non-profits and then selling a bunch of products from our
sponsors type stuff for the tv show and we'll be there all weekend i actually
(24:37):
got to get a truck I can drive 11 hours out there in the morning and get to
be on the road for the next three weeks.
So it's going to be a lot of fun, but it's just what is part of it.
People ask me all the time, like, man, you're gone all the time.
I'm like, yeah, but I'm home way more than I was on active duty.
Trust me. I mean, I get to be home and so it's a lot of fun. So we'll do that.
(24:59):
But I really appreciate you being on and kind of talking about this and being
the first person that kind of outside the organization to be on the podcast,
because I think it's It's really, yeah, you kind of been here for us and I really appreciate it.
So, you know, you guys want to know more about army bass, buck or hog or duck
or redfish, go to forceonforcetv.com and we appreciate, appreciate you being
(25:20):
on with us, Cody. Thank you, man.
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, 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 talk. We love doing this.
(00:21):
It's been a pretty cool deal on our new journey here with all the brands from
buck, bass, hog, redfish, duck.
We got had a pretty cool show we're starting here in the
force on force talk as you guys all know i'm sean downpour your
host we call it the force on force talk because it's
the tactical operations center every military operation begins in the talk and
(00:41):
all our shows begin in the talk so we like to carry that tradition on and i'm
actually back here at the at the home talk with last week for eight days we
were in indianapolis had a great
show up there meet a lot of fans got to interact with a lot of people,
not just that, met some new people in the industry, particularly on the kayak,
so I really enjoyed that.
(01:02):
It was a fun time, got to give away some pretty cool products to support our
nonprofits from an HDS Pro 16 into a Bonafide SS 127,
so that's going to go a long way to support our nonprofits and stuff we do later
in the year, and just really great time as we get out in different parts of the country.
This week's very special because I got a special guest with me here.
(01:25):
People may not know him but they know his work he's
been a guy behind the camera for a lot of
the fishing and hunting industries along the way his name is
Cody Prather he's been with us at Army Bass someone
I've been met a long time ago and I
get asked a lot by a lot of high school fishermen like how
I got started in all this and it all goes back to uh
(01:47):
to Cody Prather so welcome Cody Prather how you
doing man what an honor to be here Sean
and and we have we do we go way way back
it's it's good to to see you grow up finally and and
make something of yourself well you know he he's
a he's a cool dude you know last night i got to
i got to hang out with my partner from force on force jeff
(02:08):
campbell won two championships so kind of fitting that
tonight my kind of or this afternoon i kind of get
to have the first person outside the organization on the podcast is
as someone who's been integral as part
of uh being along for the ride since the beginning the start
the whole force on force deal with us you
know you started way back with the big bass battle
(02:29):
kind of want to take us through how all that kind of happened and
and where you kind of fit in because you did more than just that i mean you
guys don't know it but all the stuff that you guys have seen over the years
with major league fishing you know cody's been there since the inception of
that and some stuff with bass and all that and the numerous other tv shows out
there so like i said everybody Everybody knows him,
(02:50):
but don't know he's the guy behind the camera that you don't see. So go ahead.
Yeah. Thanks, Sean. It really and truly is an honor to be here because what
you guys have built is so special to me, especially having seen it grow from
the beginning to where you are right now.
And my background, I've been doing television work since 2001 in the outdoor industry, and that...
(03:16):
Started out as a lot of hunting shows and transitioned into more fishing shows.
And that was a lot of college tournaments, the beginning of the college era
with the collegiate bass fishing championships.
And it was the Boat US and now it's the Cabela's Bass Fishing Collegiate Championship Series.
(03:39):
And in the middle of all of that,
I also got introduced to some of
the guys who were were building force on force and they
were were tied in with big bass battle tv show that
we filmed on lake fork with a lot of pro fishermen and
really a cool show and and
i had no idea because aba army bass anglers
(04:01):
was such a new concept at that time and and really not knowing where it was
going to grow how it was going to grow what it was going to be and then Then
you start the ABA force on force was started and watching that grow and evolve
over the years into where it is now.
And the hunting show and hog shows and everything that you do now is,
(04:25):
is really such a cool, cool adventure being a part of that.
And I bring up the college stuff because that's where I met you,
Sean, when you were, you were back in the States and you were fishing for UNA
university, North Alabama. Now...
We got to do a lot of video projects together. And, and I say,
(04:45):
Oh, you were, you were so young and you grew up, you know, it's like,
Oh, I met you in college, but you're really like a year younger than me.
And so it's, it's been, it's been really fun watching your career change and
grow and watching army bass anglers grow and force on force grow and, and being a part of that.
(05:05):
And yeah, you know, I do work with, with major league fishing,
with bass, with national walleye tour, were with a lot of different fishing organizations.
But, you know, y'all really, really very, very special to me,
not just on the, on the business side of stuff, but on the personal side of
stuff as well, because you and I got to work together for a few years and then we stayed in touch,
(05:28):
which is not common anymore in the college ranks because it's grown so big and
there's so many people and the fishing industry is growing so fast that it's hard to keep up.
And, and I've I've really just appreciated your friendship over the years,
talking hunting and fishing and work and introducing you, telling you about Army Bass Anglers.
(05:49):
I thought it would be something that would really pique your interest that I
thought you would fit well at because of the way you managed your team and grew
your team and grew the sport of bass fishing and the passion within you.
You see passion in people, but there was something different about your passion
and your organization and your abilities that I was really,
(06:11):
I didn't tell you this, but I was really hoping you would become a part of that
because I thought that you could really bring some organization to it and growth
to it and different perspective to Army Bass Anglers because Army Bass Anglers
is so important to the fishing community right now.
Now what you bring to the table is hitting a place that needs more of you, frankly.
(06:34):
No, I agree with you. I mean, we, I not to, you know, I always say it's,
I love what I do in outdoors.
Cause I always say the biggest, hardest thing for us is we do such,
so much adrenaline stuff down range and, you know, and you got to find a healthy
avenue to come back and do it and share that with everybody else.
And I'll never forget the first time I met you and we were, we were at that
(06:56):
college tournament and Cody's going to interview me, right.
And he, I'm just, i'm fresh coming back been
been 15 months a little bit or probably probably maybe
10 months removed from a 15 month deployment to afghanistan and
so he's behind the camera and gonna try to mess with me a little
bit and i'm thinking the last the last media guy i
told i'd leave in afghanistan if he if he
(07:18):
got me in trouble so i'm not really worried about this camera guy messing
with me behind there and he couldn't he was rattling
all the other guys but couldn't get me rattled to get me to mess
up when he was interviewing me so he knew right
then that there was a little bit something different but i just remember that
you know we were we were fishing and we were in
the middle of of of filming and
(07:38):
on during the tournament and you just stopped filming and just
got and said hey i i really want to tell you about army
bass and and i think that that's you would be a really
good fit and that's really it goes back and i always say because
i get asked a lot by a lot of high school anglers and
and stuff and i how do you get to you know
know how do you get to work in the industry and things like that and i i say
(07:58):
man i can't give you that answer because my mine's a
very unique deal but i think it is that way for everybody it's
always unique in that perspective i say it goes back to
i took command of a company in afghanistan to deploy for 15 months when my son
was two months old because that led me to getting to go to grad school to meet
a guy by the name of cody prather in a boat to have a conversation with that
(08:21):
i never would have had ever and you it's all about that and so.
It's not one formula and it's, it's the people you meet. And I think that's
what's special about our industry. Anyways, the people you meet,
that's what makes it so cool.
Cause I really go back to, to what we would do at college because we have such
a special relationship with that anyways,
even now with army bass language, because that for us, as we go back every year
(08:45):
with the West Point team and we provide the boats for that deal,
what, you know, Wade has been very gracious, Wade Middleton and that whole deal
has been very gracious to always open up and bring those guys in.
And so I've always wasn't a West Point guy, but I said, hey,
I know the training requirements those guys have.
And I said, if I can help those guys out and give them an opportunity to get
(09:05):
to do what I got to do, I wanted to be able to do that because it's a it's a
coach teach mentor time for me, for young officers.
But at the same time to let them have a little bit of fun and to see what what
kind of you we've seen so much, not just, you know, what happened with me getting over to Army Bass.
But we've seen so much grow from from that college fishing
(09:27):
days it's just amazing to see what just kind of happened from
that and and you know we've got a lot of i've got
some angler friends that i know that are in the industry that came
out of those those those initial years and
it's just kind of cool to see that you walk around and it's like that
that's the days you know when you think about it and and
it's built kind of the building blocks for what i took over
(09:48):
here to army bass you know yeah but and you
look at the the guys that you were with there at college and
i mean i'm gonna toot your horn because you're not gonna
do it for yourself but but all of those guys that were under you
that you you brought up through the ranks of the of
the college fishing team have all gone on and and done some amazing things in
(10:09):
their lives and several of those people are still in the fishing industry you
know one of those guys has has won a bpt tournament for for mlf and and has
as a full fledged fishing career and, you know.
Just all men of character that we don't see all the time from the college.
And it's, it's, it's pretty cool to see. And I know that that's your,
(10:32):
that's got your fingerprints all over it because I see what you do,
what you took from there,
what you've led into army bass anglers in the Grove that's going on here and
what you're doing on the, uh,
Charity side of stuff and and giving back and you're not an organization that
is that is out for yourself you're out for,
(10:54):
the men and women who are who are coming back from,
overseas and you're for the the
charities you're for giving back and And I see what you do the outdoors.
This is what's so important what people miss is the outdoors is a place of healing
It's a place where people can go and decompress in a way.
(11:19):
And that's not specifically on the military side.
We see it in a lot of other areas of life.
And there's just something about the outdoors that we can all connect on that
speaks to our heart, that just takes us a little bit deeper and builds that
bond and that camaraderie even better.
(11:41):
And I see you really utilizing that and growing people and growing organizations
and giving back to the men and women of this country in a way that nobody else is doing.
Yeah no i really appreciate that and you yourself
you do so much i mean here's the deal people might know
him but as anglers or as people that
(12:02):
work people know cody pray therapy i'm up in
indianapolis this weekend and where i'm talking you
know a couple people in the industry you know talking to gene jensen the flute
master and we're talking and i mentioned your name and his face just lights
up you know and he says he's like that's the one that's one good dude and And
that's the kind of impact that you have on people and across because you, you know,
(12:27):
when I and that's when I say a lot of people from that's in the industry where,
you know, it's very hard that you mention your name that people don't know who you are.
You know, you're that people haven't come across you from where you're doing.
You know, some of your ministry stuff, you know, you name it.
It's from film work to whatever, because it was really cool to kind of see that
(12:48):
growth and how your career has kind of grown.
And I love coming to pick your brains. I think one of my favorite things was.
You know, when MLF was, you know, was was first starting.
And I think, you know, in that you were filming certain guys on certain days
and to see them struggle, it was cool to come pick your brain to be like,
(13:08):
how was that? Because we all the time see guys when they're.
Really successful right and it was it
was that was the first real glimpse into seeing guys when
they weren't doing so well and and how that deal was
right and you kind of got to bring that to the audience to be like even kevin
van damme struggled on the water right and i you know to be like hey you know
(13:34):
how in which you really what i what i love talking to you about was in what
it It really brought the human factor to it that they're people just like everybody else.
And they go through the same things that every angler does out there.
We just sometimes forget because, you know, fishing, only one person is going
to win, especially when you see a very large field. We only see like the top 10.
(13:55):
We don't see the other, you know, you don't see the bottom 50,
you know, of the field that struggled and had this and were fighting out there.
And, you know, you brought some of that stuff to it. And it was,
it's really cool to have been able to pick your brain and be like,
Hey, you know, you know, how,
how did, what, where did they kind of, you know, and so it, it kind of made,
(14:16):
it kind of makes you feel better about some of that stuff that you brought to the audience.
I think it's made the average fisherman feel, Hey, it's actually,
I'm not average. I'm just normal. Right.
Yeah, it's really fun to be to see the human side of the athletes,
the fishermen, the professionals that that we idolize in some ways.
(14:37):
And and there's definitely a human side of it.
And the thing that makes them champions, there's there's definitely something
that sets them apart because I can I can see when somebody has a bad day and
they spin out and it's like quicksand.
You know, no matter how hard they fight, they just keep digging themselves deeper
into that that quicksand. and the pros that are constantly at the top, how they can...
(15:02):
Have something bad happen and shake it off and carry on.
And there's going to be a lot of emotion tied in with that, but they're different
because they don't let that emotion own them and stop them from doing what they're doing.
And other people will, but there's definitely the human side of it.
And some guys will compartmentalize all of that stuff.
(15:22):
And then it comes flooding out at the end of the day, as soon as it's over, then they let it all out.
And everybody's got a different way way to deal with that stuff.
But the pros are the ones that really can deal with that, can keep moving on and can do well.
And it can get very tense on those boats. You know, I don't treat them like I treat you.
You know, anytime I'm on the boat filming you and you have something bad happen,
(15:43):
I'm sitting there poking at the wound, seeing if I can get you to break.
I don't do that with those other guys.
Yeah, he loves, he loves, like one of my favorite stories I
love to to tell is you know me and.
Cole brewer had one of our epic battles on force on
force i mean and we were we were going back at
it and i had a cadet from west point with me and i had
(16:05):
the winning fish on probably and i
broke it off and i said
down to retie and you stuck the camera right in my face and.
Said tell me how you feel now i got a
cadet from west point in the boat and i wanted to tell you
where to stick the camera about right there but but.
He knew that i had the cadet in the boat so i couldn't say.
(16:26):
Anything to it you know what you kind of the other thing too.
Is the camera guys are saying things all the time to
you to get you to talk but you can't hear them on tv
right so they're they're prodding you know so he's prodding
me like trying to get me to talk and i'm just like i'm like
you know no matter you always
want to win right you always want to win and i was like
(16:46):
i was i was so upset and he wanted me
to tell everybody how i felt and i was like i tried
just to hold it together because i got cadet with me so uh which
is really cool because because me now he's a lieutenant and
he and i still talk and uh he'll call me and
ask me for advice and stuff like that so that's what
you kind of see you know he got to see that was
(17:07):
a fishing deal but he also got to see what you
know because you're going to experience that same kind of stress and when you're
in combat and downrange and how you deal with that kind of stress and
how you keep hold it together you know i
think that was a good lesson for him but yeah you do you do love
to prod prod me when you got the camera and he he
takes advantage don't ever expect me to uh to
(17:28):
miss a prime opportunity to have put you in
a hard situation so i think that that
that's a lot of fun i think when you have and i
think that's been that's been a good relationship that we have and i think that's
good with all the guys i think uh we you know we've had a lot of different you
know you know pros and members on the road you know on the staff that come in
(17:51):
and fish or hunt with us and and you guys do a really good job you know different way you know.
Over the years, whether it was Carlton and you guys, and now,
you know, the guys at Deep Fork, they're doing, you guys done a real good job of bringing that out.
But it's helped, part of it has been to help tell the story of what we do and
how, how we bring that human side.
(18:11):
The same thing you talk the human side that the anglers, but the human side
of being in the military and kind of bring it forward and use the outdoors to
try to draw that out in that, you know.
So it's important if we're not telling the human side of everything,
then we're we're telling a story and we're painting a picture that's not I'm
not gonna say it's a lie, but it's not it's not the full truth,
(18:31):
because the truth is, is we all have emotions.
And when somebody sticks a camera in your face, you may not want to talk about it.
But, hey, when you can get that emotion out there, then people understand the
realness of what's going on.
And we're never I'm never going to shy away from that.
And and I said, I don't do that with the pros. I actually do do that with the pros sometimes.
(18:53):
I'm not with everybody because I really don't want to get choked out,
but we're going into the water.
I know if you throw me in the water, I've got a life jacket on and somebody
will come get me. But with those pros, you never really know.
But it's important to show the real side. We're human. You know,
there's we're flawed. We have emotions.
And and you're right. You have to learn how to how to control those emotions
(19:16):
and be in control of yourself in all times.
Times and and i apply that to you know
a normal world situation and you know
you guys apply it in life and death situations yeah
and i think the other thing i think is you
were real good at now he's he's not going to kind of toot his own horn but he's
a pretty accomplished fisherman too when he gets the time he can he's a pretty
(19:39):
good kayak angler with the kayak bass fishing series out there and he's done
that a little bit i know your your schedule has not allowed you to do that over
the last couple of years,
but you know, you do a pretty good job and really had ran some tournament series
on the kayak side. And that's such a growing deal in our industry.
(20:00):
Yeah, it's fun. Yeah, I ran kayak tournaments for many years and helped build
the Hobie BOS tournaments that AJ McWhorter has taken and just turned into the
premier kayak tournament in the country and qualified for the BASS Kayak Championship.
Championship, and that's just getting to fish a little bit last year,
(20:21):
but yeah, I don't get to fish enough to really compete like I used to,
and I sure love it, but I got to go out fishing a couple, couple of days last,
this week, and that's beautiful,
but, you know, the, it's just hard to get, get time to, to go out there and,
and do those things, it's more important to film, it's more important to tell
(20:41):
stories, and, you know, so that's, that's what we do.
Yeah, I know, I think, you know you this week you're actually to
try and get you on here it was like we're brushing because you're off
to film an mlf event this week and so you
know you're you're always on the road and i'm always on the
road and sometimes it's us catching up but it's always fun
to to have the to catch up
(21:04):
with you and kind of talk because i know that i wouldn't
be where i'm at and i don't think armory bass would be where it's
at without you coming on and and helping shape
it in the the early years i think it's very important we we talk all
the time we really want to sit down and kind of do we're going
to do you and i have got this plan to go fishing and kind
of sit down and do a video piece of this to kind
(21:25):
of bring it all together because it's so kind of special
i think for both of us and for for the
organization and where we kind of came from because i mean
it's really we wouldn't have the brand it was if if if
you kind of didn't kind of bring people together other and
and point people in the right direction you
know yeah you give me way too much credit on all
(21:46):
of that i feel like i just get to hang on for the
ride and it's it's been a beautiful ride and i'm
just excited to see where you're gonna go next yeah it's
nice we're we're we're actually doing some
cool things i'm gonna we're filming this new hog show i'm.
Gonna be super excited about that that's it's it's
really gonna be cool with that to really open up and do some
(22:08):
things because i think this one is we everything
is really from a military theme that we always kind
of do you love what we do with the fishing side you know
we did we went to florida this time first time we've gone somewhere
really uniquely different than we've ever filmed before in the
bass side and and the and the redfish side
is going pretty cool but really this hog
(22:28):
one is going to be cool because i think it's the first time it really gives
me the opportunity to bring some really cool military tactics that we use downrange
to to the hunting world because we're gonna we're gonna use a thermal drone
to to find fix and finish these hogs and i think.
(22:49):
The way we do it is just unlike anybody else out
there because for us it's i'd rather be out
in the night and operate at night any day
because that's what i did for for so long in 82nd people get
freaked out but me i'm like put me at night give me give
me somebody give me somebody talking to me in the ear tell me where to
go and tell me what to do and i'm okay you know it's
(23:11):
it's it's it's it's back being it's it's it's
being comfortable and so uh we did some testing on it and i think
that's going to be cool but really what were the stuff that
we're going to do with the non-profit side is we you know we're
taking we're doing more with the fishing for freedom and
lake belton and we're going to do some expand even some
more stuff that we're going to do with that so i'm really
(23:32):
excited about it and i think it's going to be good for that i mean
i really i really appreciate everything that from
just the industry and how how it receives us
and lets us do what we do and and um tell the
story and tell the human side of it and and and get out
there to reach um more veterans
because and it's not just army bass i got a lot of great friends.
(23:54):
In the industry that that are that are run some military
organizations out there that i help and support
along the way and it's not just army bass but try it because
there's there's not enough of us to go around because i mean
there's so many veterans out there to be able to touch so many
so i always try and and promote those guys when
i can and i think but for us this weekend
(24:15):
as we close out i'll tell you we're going to oklahoma city
we'll be at the backwoods show we're going to have a kids fish
tank there so we're going to be there
all weekend doing stuff with the kids but also promoting have another great
fundraiser for our non-profits and then selling a bunch of products from our
sponsors type stuff for the tv show and we'll be there all weekend i actually
(24:37):
got to get a truck I can drive 11 hours out there in the morning and get to
be on the road for the next three weeks.
So it's going to be a lot of fun, but it's just what is part of it.
People ask me all the time, like, man, you're gone all the time.
I'm like, yeah, but I'm home way more than I was on active duty.
Trust me. I mean, I get to be home and so it's a lot of fun. So we'll do that.
(24:59):
But I really appreciate you being on and kind of talking about this and being
the first person that kind of outside the organization to be on the podcast,
because I think it's It's really, yeah, you kind of been here for us and I really appreciate it.
So, you know, you guys want to know more about army bass, buck or hog or duck
or redfish, go to forceonforcetv.com and we appreciate, appreciate you being
(25:20):
on with us, Cody. Thank you, man.
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, visit our website at forceonforcetv.com.
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