Freshwater and Saltwater Angler Biographies
Freshwater Team Evinrude®
Bass Anglers
Chad Brauer, Osage Beach, Missouri
Chad Brauer has been fishing professionally for ten years. Brauer was one of four Team Evinrude competitors in the 2006 Bassmaster Classic. His career highlights include 2004 and 1998 Bassmaster Classic qualifier, and first place finisher in the 1996 BASS Tennessee Top 100. Chad is the son of Team Evinrude’s Denny Brauer.
Denny Brauer, Camdenton, Missouri
Denny Brauer is a fishing legend, fishing professionally for more than 25 years. He won the 2006 Lake Champlain BASS Tour event and will be competing in the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. In 2004, Brauer won the fishing event in the ESPN Outdoor Games and was a qualifier in the Bassmaster Classic. Denny’s career highlights include: BASS All-Time Money Winner, Single Season Record Holder, Classic Champion, BASS & FLW Angler of the Year, 12 BASS victories and a recent induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
George Cochran, Hot Springs, Arkansas
New to Team Evinrude in 2006, Cochran is the 2005 Forrest L. Wood (FLW) tour championship winner and 1987 and 1996 Bassmaster Classic champion. Currently ranked 17th in the world, Cochran has fished professionally for 27 years and holds three championship titles and seven first-place wins. As a veteran professional fisherman, he has received over 150 cash winnings, with his career earnings totaling $1.8 million.
Gary Dobyns, Yuba City, California
Gary’s most recent accomplishment is 2004 W.O.N. BASS Angler of the Year. Gary’s accolades include: 13-time Angler of the Year, three-time West Coast Bass Classic Champion, W.O.N. Western Classic Champion, Western Bass Classic Champion, and 2002 Western Outdoor News Ranger Cup Champion. With more than 50 Western tournament wins, Gary is the all-time leading money winner in the western United States.
Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, South Carolina
Our newest member to join Team Evinrude, Anthony won the 2006 FLW on Lake Murray,Columbia, S.C. and garnered the 2006 FLW Angler of the Year title after leading in points standings throughout most of the season. He is one of the most consistent touring bass anglers in the world and was previously on the Evinrude professional angler program for the past four years.
Pete Gluszek, Franklinville, New Jersey
Pete won the 2006 Lake Champlain Stren tournament and will compete on the 2007 FLW tour and FLW Eastern Series Trail. Pete competed in the BASS tournament trail and in 2004 he won the Bassmaster Northern Open division, qualifying for the Bassmaster Open Championship. He has been fishing professionally since 1996, with his first win at the Alabama Invitational in 1999. Pete has eight top-10 finishes and has competed in two Bassmaster Classics.
Dion Hibdon, Stover, Missouri
Dion's career highlights include winning the 2006 FLW Series tournament on Lake of the Ozarks; 2000 FLW Championship winner; and 1997 Bassmaster Classic Champion. He has 13 top-10 finishes on the tour. Dion has been fishing professionally for 22 years.
Guido Hibdon, Gravois Mills, Missouri
The legendary Guido Hibdon has been fishing professionally for more than 36 years. He is a member of the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and has four top-10 finishes on the FLW tours. Guido has been a two-time BASS Angler of the Year and 1988 Bassmaster Classic Winner. Guido and Dion are also the only father/son Classic winners.
Davy Hite, Prosperity, South Carolina
Davy was one of four Team Evinrude competitors in the 2006 Bassmaster Classic. He was aqualifier in the 2004 Bassmaster Classic and has many career achievements including; 2002 BASS "Angler of the Year", and winner of the 1999 Bassmaster Classic. He was also the BASS "Angler of the Year" in 1997, qualified to fish the Elite 50 on the BASS tour in 2004, and has five career wins under his belt.
Scott Martin, Clewiston, Florida
Son of TV fishing legend Roland Martin, Scott competes on the FLW Bass tour and Everstart tour. Scott won first place in the 2004 FLW Open and finished second at the 2004 FLW Championship. Fishing professionally since 2000, Scott has thirteen top-10 finishes and two tournament wins in his career.
Dan Morehead, Paducah, Kentucky
In his 11 years of professional fishing, Dan has won eight FLW tournaments and has 24 top-10 finishes. Dan captured the 2003 FLW Angler of the Year title, competed in three Bassmaster Classic tournaments and seven FLW Championships. He won the 1998 Missouri Invitational, took first place in Top 100 in Maryland, first place in Kentucky Lake Everstart in 2002, and first place in Kentucky Lake FLW in 1998.
Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Arkansas
Larry was one of four Team Evinrude competitors in the 2006 Bassmaster Classic. Nixon is a two-time BASS Angler of the Year with eight FLW top-10 finishes. During his 29 years of professional fishing, he has captured 14 BASS titles including BASS Angler of the Year in 1980 and 1982, has a 1983 Classic win, is winner of two FLW events, and competed in 23 Bassmaster Classics. He has been inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame and the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
Emily Shaffer, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Emily has qualified for and will compete in the 2007 Women's Bassmaster Classic. Emily competes on the Women's BASS Tour, previously competing in the FLW bass tour. In 2002 Emily won the Women’s Bass Fishing League Angler of the Year. She holds the 1995 Bass n’Gal Classic Championship, two national titles, and is a 10-time Classic qualifier. Emily has been a professional bass angler for 15 years.
Carl Svebek III, Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Carl has been fishing professionally for 11 years. His career highlights include a first place finish in Everstart at Lake Sam Rayburn, first place finish on the Texas Tournament Trail at Lake Sam Rayburn, 12 top-10 finishes in the FLW, and fifth place in ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games 2000.
David Walker, Sevierville, Tennessee
David was one of four Team Evinrude competitors in the 2006 Bassmaster Classic. His career highlights include; 2004 Bassmaster Classic qualifier, third place finish in both the 2002 and 2001 Bassmaster Classics, and 1999 FLW Angler of the Year. Walker is a five-time FLW Championship qualifier, three-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and a Redman All-American qualifier. David has 29 top-10 finishes in the FLW bass circuit and has also fished professionally in the FLW Redfish Tournament Series.
Mike Wurm, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Mike qualified for and will compete in the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. He has nine top-10 BASS finishes and five top-10 FLW finishes. In 2003, Mike ranked seventh in the BASS Angler of the Year standings. He won the 1999 FLW Lake Murray and Georgia Top 100 in 1997, and has appeared in six Bassmaster Classics and five FLW Championships. Mike is a tour veteran who began fishing the Bassmaster circuit in 1992 and the FLW circuit in 1998.
Walleye Anglers
Mark Courts, Harris, Minnesota
Mark won the 2006 Bay De Noc PWT tournament. He has been fishing competitively for seven years. Mark competes on the FLW walleye tour where he has five top-10 finishes and the Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) where he has three top-10 finishes.
Scott Fairbairn, Hager City, Wisconsin
A professional walleye angler since 1994, Scott competes on the FLW and PWT walleye circuits. In 2003, he tied for fifth place with fellow Team Evinrude angler Eric Olson in the RCL Walleye Tour. In 1998, Scott was the Professional Walleye Trail Angler of the Year and the PWT Western Pro Am Champion. In 2000, Scott won the PWT Central Pro Am Championship. Scott is a 10-time national walleye championship qualifier and has 15 top-10 finishes.
Eric Olson, Red Wing, Minnesota
Eric has been fishing professionally for 11 years, and in 2003, he tied for fifth with fellow Team Evinrude angler Scott Fairbairn in the final standings for the RCL Walleye Tour. Eric’s career highlights include winning the 2000 Wal-Mart World Walleye Championship and six-time Walleye Championship qualifier. He holds three top-10 finishes and five top-20 finishes.
Rick Olson, Mina, South Dakota
A professional walleye angler since 1992, Rick holds the title of 2001 Wal-Mart RCL Angler of the Year. Rick was also the 1992 Professional Walleye Tour (PWT) Rookie of the Year and 2000 PWT Angler of the Year. Rick has 29 top-10 finishes on the PWT and RCL tournament circuits. Rick will compete on the FLW and PWT walleye tours for 2006.
Tommy Skarlis, Dorchester, Iowa
Tommy is the all-time PWT total tournament weight record holder. In 2003, he ranked second in the final standings for the RCL Walleye Tour standings. He also holds two PWT titles, two Masters of Walleye Champions (MWC) titles, and has qualified for 16 national championships. Tommy has been fishing professionally for 13 years.
Saltwater Team Evinrude
Inshore Saltwater Anglers
Captain C.A. Richardson, St. Petersburg, Florida (team member to Ray VanHorn)
Captain C.A. Richardson has a proven record of accomplishment and a results oriented attitude that has contributed to his 15 top-10 finishes in his 7-year professional career. C.A.'s consistent success has earned him an invitation to fish in the ESPN All Star Redfish Series which features the top 25 pro redfish teams in the country. C.A. will host a new Flats Class TV show airing in spring 2007.
Captain Ray VanHorn, Tarpon Springs, Florida (team member to C.A. Richardson)
Captain Ray qualified for the 2006 FLW Redfish Championship and the ESPN All Star tournament with his partner C.A. He won the 2002 Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) Redfish Tour Championship, and has proven himself to be a consistent angler with numerous top-10 finishes. Ray fished the Bassmaster Tour for six years before crossing over to the inshore saltwater circuit.
Captain Bryan Watts, Lithia, Florida and Captain Greg Watts, Eagle Lake, Florida
Bryan and Greg are the 2005 FLW Redfish Series Team of the Year. In 2003, they earned the prestigious Redfish Cup title “Team of the Year” and won the Redfish Cup Championship and Ranger Cup. They hold the 2001 IFA Redfish Tour Championship and Team of the Year titles. The identical twin brother team has finished in the top-5 in the Team of the Year race every year except 2006 where they finished 6th place in the FLW team of the year race. The Watts brothers are hosting their own television show called "Watt's Up" airing on VS (Versus) and Fox Sports Net in 2007.
Captain Leiza Fitzgerald, Clearwater, Florida (team member to Merrily Dunn)
In 2006, Leiza and her partner Merrily Dunn had several top-20 finishes in Redfish Cup tournaments and placed in the top-10 ESPN All Star Redfish Series which features the best 25 pro redfish teams in the country. They finished 4th in the IFA Redfish Championship in 2005 and ranked as the #1 ladies redfish team in the country for the past three years. Leiza and Merrily are the first women’s team to ever qualify, the first year on tour, for the IFA Redfish Championship and the O’Boy Oberto Redfish Cup Championship. Leiza has hosted and cohosted several television shows.
Captain Merrily Dunn, Bradenton, Florida (team member to Leiza Fitzgerald)
In addition to the fishing accomplishments listed above with partner Leiza Fitzgerald, Captain Merrily is a renowned fishing guide and instructor for "Ladies Let’s Go Fishing". She has won or placed in the majority of redfish tours and local tournaments she's participated in. Merrily ranked in the Top 25 Redfish Teams in the country in 2003, and is the first woman to make it to an Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Top 5, finishing in 4th Place in Chalmette, Louisiana.
Offshore Saltwater Anglers
Captain Conrad Lau, Neptune Beach, Florida
Conrad placed third at the 2003 Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) National Championship. He has been competing in the SKA since 1990 with several 10 top ten finishes and has fished in ten FLW kingfish events since 2005 with two top-10 finishes including 6th place at the championship. He uses his 20 years of experience in technology to his competitive advantage. Chelsea, Conrad’s 16-year old daughter, fishes with him and in 2002, she won junior angler of the year.
Captain Rick Smith, Brunswick, Georgia
Captain Rick holds the 2005 and 2003 SKA National Championship titles. He has been competing in the SKA since its inception 17 years ago and has established himself as a true ambassador to the sport. In 1996 he earned his first major title capturing the SKA's Angler of the Year. Rick uses his vast hunting experience to successfully target large Kingfish. He enjoys fishing divisional events with his wife Terry, and daughters, Nikki and Carley.
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For U.S. information:
Julie Johnson, Manager
Shows, Events & Public Relations
Tel: 262.884.5495
julie.johnson@brp.com