Fishing Industry News: Huk New Classic Sponsor; Z-Man Hooks Top Awards

In the latest fishing industry news, Huk agrees to be presenting sponsor for the Bassmaster Classic and Z-Man hooks top awards at the Pitman Creek distributor show.

Fishing Industry News: Huk New Classic Sponsor; Z-Man Hooks Top Awards

In the latest fishing industry news:

Huk Performance Fishing is the new presenting sponsor of the the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.

The tournament will be held March 6-8 in Birmingham, Alabama, with fishing competition taking place on Lake Guntersville.

“We are thrilled to be signing on as the presenting sponsor of the 50th annual Bassmaster Classic,” said Alvin P. Perkinson, Chief Marketing Officer for Huk. “Bass fishing is part of our brand’s DNA, and to be able to help present the sport’s biggest event is a real honor. We look forward to working with both B.A.S.S. and Academy to make this year’s Classic one for the history books.”

The 2020 edition of the Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk Performance Fishing will pit 53 of the world’s best bass anglers against each other as they compete for a purse of more than $1 million.

In addition to presenting sponsorship of the 2020 Classic, Huk will be a supporting sponsor of the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship and the grass-roots TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation regional tournaments and championship.

Nebraska Commission Makes Sportfishing Changes

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission amended sport fishing orders at its meeting Oct. 18 in Omaha.

The amendments, which pertain to daily bag limits, possession limits, length limits and open areas and take effect Jan. 1, 2020, are:

— The daily bag and possession limits on cutthroat trout change from five and 12, respectively, to two and four, respectively, and only one fish in the bag can be 12 inches or longer. Cutthroats do not naturally reproduce in Nebraska and are produced in limited numbers in state fish hatcheries. The change is designed to spread fishing opportunity among more people by reducing individual harvest.

— No harvest of striped bass, white bass or wiper is allowed at Zorinsky Lake. This is designed to protect wipers and allow them to grow to a larger size.

— The channel catfish daily bag limit at Merritt Reservoir and Calamus Reservoir shall include no more than one fish 30 inches or longer. This change is expected to protect larger fish at these reservoirs, which have experienced a reduction in overall size of catfish.

— There is a 50-inch minimum length limit for muskie and tiger muskie at Merritt. This is designed to protect large muskie and establish a destination location and trophy fishery at Merritt.

Z-Man Hooks Two Awards at Distributor Show

At the Pitman Creek Fall Dealer Show held in October, Z-Man Fishing Products earned the prestigious Commitment to Excellence Award and Best Soft Lure award for its TRD BugZ.

More than 300 fishing tackle manufacturers gather at the show to display products, new products and meet with dealers. Z-Man won the show's President's Award in 2018.

“The Pitman Creek Commitment to Excellence Award is not awarded annually,” says John D. Johnson, Chief Operating Officer for Pitman Creek Wholesale. “The honor is actually reserved for those companies who go above and beyond normal business practices and greatly exceed the expectations of Pitman Creek.

“This commitment is exemplified by Z-Man Fishing Products, and its rare collection of capabilities, from product innovation, manufacturing, customer partnerships and connection with the consumer via Social Media Marketing,” said Johnson.

Z-Man National Sales Manager Glenn Young believes the award affirms the company’s longterm aspirations.

“To follow up last year’s President’s Award with the Commitment to Excellence award this year is truly an honor,” said Young. “This award belongs to everyone at Z-Man who has been working hard to excel for many years. Our machine operators, pickers and packers, shipping department and sales and marketing teams have all contributed to winning this award. I’m grateful to Pitman Creek for recognizing the amazing team we have at Z-Man.”

According to Johnson, Z-Man’s selection for the Commitment to Excellence Award was attributed to several key achievements. “Z-Man showed a sales growth of nearly 20-percent in 2019,” he said. “This, on top of a banner year of triple digit (425% increase) growth in 2018. That’s special.

“Consumer demand for their products increases year after year. Especially important, Z-Man consistently provides the inventory to fill such demand. They’ve shown the proficiency to submit any and all requested information and to quickly respond to the needs of the customer and the consumer alike.”

At the January 2019 Big Rock Sports Show, Z-Man took top honors in Best Freshwater Lure with its TRD CrawZ.

Sportsman's Warehouse Opens Eight New Stores

Sportsman’s Warehouse opened eight new stores Oct. 19 after rebranding them as part of its acquisition of Field & Stream stores from Dick's Sporting Goods.

As part of a corporate restructuring, Dick's is selling some of its outdoors-themed Field & Stream stores to focus on stick-and-ball sports and apparel. Sportsman's Warehouse now has 103 stores in 27 states.

“With our new stores, we introduce the Sportsman’s brand to New York and Pennsylvania,” said Jon Barker, Sportsman’s Warehouse CEO. “Now, more customers can quickly and easily find their favorite hunting, shooting sports, fishing, camping, apparel, and footwear merchandise at the local level, all backed by our well-known quality service and guaranteed best prices.”

The new Sportsman’s Warehouse stores offer roughly 50,000 square feet and more than 60,000 region-specific products. New locations include:

  • Elmira, New York
  • Rochester, New York
  • Altoona, Pennsylvania
  • Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
  • Washington, Pennsylvania
  • Asheville, North Carolina
  • Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Troy, Michigan

During grand opening celebrations Oct. 25-26, visitors may receive a free $20 gift card and Sportsman’s Warehouse hat (one per family), win door prizes and giveaways, and receive special discounts.



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