Latest / Ducks Unlimited Podcast / Leadership, Legacy & the Future of the Outdoors At The National DU Convention (Ep 782)

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Leadership, Legacy & the Future of the Outdoors At The National DU Convention (Ep 782) · Ducks Unlimited Podcast

• 0:00
  VO: Can we do a mic check, please? Everybody, welcome back to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. I'm your host, doctor Mike Brasher. I'm your host, Katie Burke. I'm your host, doctor Jerad Henson. And I'm your host, Matt Harrison. Welcome to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast, the only podcast about all things waterfowl. From hunting insights to science based discussions about ducks, geese, and issues affecting waterfowl and wetlands conservation in North America. The DU Podcast, sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.
• 1:08
  Jimbo Robinson: Welcome back to another episode of the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. Recording this episode from Ducks Unlimited's National Convention here in Tampa, Florida. I'm your host today, Jimbo Robinson, and we have two incredible guests in new chairman of the board, mister Bob Spurl, and our forty seventh president, as of about ten this morning, and then I guess about 10:15, chairman of the board
• 1:34
  Bob Spoerl: Made the transition. Yes.
• 1:36
  Jimbo Robinson: It was inspiring, for sure. And then we have the CEO of Rather Outdoors, mister Keun Eubanks. How are doing?
• 1:44
  Ken Eubanks: I'm good, sir. Thank you for having me.
• 1:45
  Jimbo Robinson: So South Carolina, Columbia, and and Tampa have a lot in common.
• 1:49
  Ken Eubanks: And that is? Humidity. Yes. Fair. Fair.
• 1:52
  Jimbo Robinson: Very hot. Being that I live for twelve years in in in Anderson, South Carolina, the Upstate, I considered it the concrete jungle because it was so hot there. That's about right. But we have a really exciting and fun thing we do called the flock shot. K.
• 2:09
  And it's what I like to say, spray and pray. We're gonna ask quick questions and
• 2:14
  Ken Eubanks: K.
• 2:14
  Jimbo Robinson: Just answer them from the hip.
• 2:15
  Ken Eubanks: Sounds great. Ready? Look forward to it.
• 2:17
  Bob Spoerl: The Flock Shot.
• 2:22
  Jimbo Robinson: First hunt or first fish, what hooked you for life?
• 2:25
  Ken Eubanks: First fish, largemouth bass.
• 2:27
  Jimbo Robinson: Really? Yes. Sunrise in the ocean or a sunrise on a lake? Oh, on a lake. There we go.
• 2:35
  One piece of gear you cannot live without on the lake.
• 2:40
  Ken Eubanks: Fishing rods. Don't get me on the lake. I got a fishing rod.
• 2:46
  Jimbo Robinson: Favorite color Gatorade? Blue. Do you know the flavor? No. That's my favorite one.
• 2:54
  Nobody does.
• 2:55
  Ken Eubanks: What's the flavor? Do you know?
• 2:56
  Jimbo Robinson: Well, it depends on if you're going light blue or dark blue. Light blue. It's light blue is It's gotta
• 3:03
  Bob Spoerl: be a berry or something, isn't it? Because that's my favorite too, but that's a good question.
• 3:07
  Jimbo Robinson: I wanna say frost something. There's something frost in it.
• 3:10
  Bob Spoerl: It's called frosty. Yeah.
• 3:11
  Jimbo Robinson: Something frost. The best one is that most people say white or orange. Orange is easy. It's orange. White is glacier cherry.
• 3:16
  Now the only reason I know this, I've had to learn these over the last two years asking that question because nobody knows the flavor. You just pick a Gatorade up. Lime Right. Yellow Coke. Right?
• 3:25
  Red. So that's it's all one. First car. What was
• 3:31
  Ken Eubanks: my 1982 Toyota Celica.
• 3:34
  Jimbo Robinson: Alright. What was your first car?
• 3:36
  Bob Spoerl: 1971 Ford Torino Torino Station Wagon.
• 3:40
  Jimbo Robinson: This next question is gonna be even funnier because I don't know. So do you want it back?
• 3:46
  Bob Spoerl: Do I want it back? Yes. That'd be pretty much impossible because it was pretty well rusted when I got it,
• 3:50
  Jimbo Robinson: and it just yeah. But something similar to it?
• 3:53
  Bob Spoerl: Absolutely not.
• 3:55
  Jimbo Robinson: Okay. The station wagon got me, so I was laughing. What about you?
• 3:58
  Ken Eubanks: Yes. I'd love to have it back.
• 4:00
  Jimbo Robinson: Right. So that's that must be something it must be a man's thing. Actually, asked Meredith Budd yesterday from Live Wildly this, and she would want her first car back. But most men want their first car back. And and so that's been a very common thing, but both the guys from Benelli said the exact yes.
• 4:14
  I'd love to have it back. Yep. Mine was an '87 GMC Jimmy diesel, light blue.
• 4:20
  Ken Eubanks: They made a diesel.
• 4:21
  Jimbo Robinson: They did I don't know if they made a diesel. My grandparents
• 4:23
  Bob Spoerl: put diesel in
• 4:24
  Jimbo Robinson: it. I may have. My grandparents, they were big into traveling with a camper, and so he ordered that to pull their Okay. Their their fifth their camper. And then when the 2,500 Suburban came out, he bought the Suburban, and then I they held it for me until I turned 16.
• 4:41
  So and I would Do you want it back? Absolutely. I would do anything to have that engine back. Worst weather you've ever fished through. Worth it
• 4:49
  Ken Eubanks: or regret it? Worth it. 100%. So what what made it Fish, especially largemouth bass, yeah, you get inclement weather, they chew. And so it's always good fishing when bad weather pulls through.
• 5:03
  Jimbo Robinson: I need to get my pen and I'll take some notes while we're talking about this. I need some fishing tips. Okay? What about you? Worst weather, regret it or worth it?
• 5:10
  Bob Spoerl: Oh, it it was worth it. We spend a lot of time fishing up in Northern Ontario, usually that first week of fishing season in Canada, and you get all kinds of weather. And generally, it is snotty, sleety, snowy, and I caught my biggest pike over 40 inches in in just the crap weather. But they were hungry, and, yeah, it was you you you're you're fighting it. Your fingers are cold.
• 5:36
  You're it's numb. There's, ice in in, up and down your your rod through the eyes, and it it it's crazy.
• 5:44
  Jimbo Robinson: So I can't even keep my fishing line not knotted in normal weather. So in ice? Oh, when
• 5:52
  Bob Spoerl: you see ice along your line going down. Oh. So especially in ice ice fishing when you're jigging. Yeah. That's quite common.
• 5:58
  But
• 5:59
  Ken Eubanks: Not a problem in South Carolina. No.
• 6:02
  Jimbo Robinson: You're just trying to get the mosquitoes off them. Alright. Specific coffee in a thermos or gas station stop on the way?
• 6:09
  Ken Eubanks: Oh, gas station stop on the way all the way.
• 6:11
  Jimbo Robinson: Black or with creamer? Black.
• 6:14
  Ken Eubanks: No cream.
• 6:15
  Bob Spoerl: Black, baby. Yeah. Gas station.
• 6:20
  Jimbo Robinson: It's not I I expected one of y'all to be like, I like Folgers. Mm-mm. But no, it doesn't matter. Wow. Well, that is thank you.
• 6:28
  You've passed the flock shot. Both of you have passed. That was that was awesome. Being that you're such a fisherman, did what would do you have a shotgun? Remember your first gun?
• 6:40
  Ken Eubanks: Mhmm. For sure. What was it? My first gun was a single shot 20 gauge. I don't remember the brand, to be frank with you.
• 6:50
  But, yeah, my first one was a single shot 20 gauge.
• 6:52
  Bob Spoerl: What was yours? Single shot 12 gauge because my dad loved to inflict pain. H and R. Really? Hammer.
• 7:01
  Mhmm.
• 7:01
  Ken Eubanks: K.
• 7:03
  Jimbo Robinson: Mine was a a youth at that time, Remington still made they still titled it or logoed it with the youth sportsmans. It was a Remington eight seventy twenty h that we still have in the family, and and we've passed down. My kids a lot different than I was. They're just spoiled, but they they have a semi auto, but I grew up with a pump, and so that was
• 7:25
  Bob Spoerl: Talking about getting your first love back. That's the gun I wish I had back. My brother sold it. Oh, from under me.
• 7:32
  Jimbo Robinson: Yeah. He used it as
• 7:33
  Bob Spoerl: a trap gun, and then he said, well, you aren't using it anymore. Well, he's my oldest brother. And I was like, well, of course, because you've been using it. Well, I didn't think you want it anymore because you've been
• 7:42
  Jimbo Robinson: using it. He sold it. But before we dive into, you know, everything rather outdoors than you, why don't you tell the Ducks Unlimited audience most of the Ducks Unlimited audience knows Bob, but we'll kinda we're gonna ask Bob a a fun question here in a minute about, you know, just turning over the reins today, which is a a huge deal at Ducks Unlimited. I think that anytime at our national convention, we have a a president who passes the reins to somebody else, it's a lot of fun to get to live back when they came became president at San Diego and to see the difference that those two years has made. And it's a lot like being a CEO of a company.
• 8:22
  Mhmm. Bob's our top president. He's he's the top volunteer we have, and he runs Ducks Unlimited. And over these last two years, we've we've grown exponentially, not even on the staff, but on the volunteer side of the transitions we've made through through his time. It's just it's it's crazy to think about that those two years ago in San Diego to where we are today and the announcements that have been made in the conservation movement.
• 8:45
  So we're gonna dive in with Bob here, but why don't you tell the audience a little bit about you and kinda where you came from and and how you ended up at Rather and and your journey along?
• 8:53
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. I'd be grateful to. I've been in this industry now in the outdoor industry for probably close to two decades working in the outdoor industry. I've been a participant in it, obviously, my whole life. Got to join probably twenty years ago with with Pure Fishing.
• 9:10
  Started out my journey there in in the financial sector. And just as time went on and as as life continued to move forward, I had an opportunity to join and lead Rather Outdoors, which many of your viewers or listeners probably don't know. The the name Rather Outdoors, we are brands like Zebco. We're brands of of Strike King and Loos and Quantum. We're an international company.
• 9:38
  We we're headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. We have offices around the globe, close to 1,500 coworkers that we're responsible for. So it's it's been an amazing for for me, for my life, for my family, to be able to to take my professional career and my passions and have them meet together and be in this industry for as long as I have been. It's it's certainly been a blessing. Wow.
• 10:03
  And and respect to, you know, the transition that you were just speaking of for Bob. Have not experienced that in my life in the context of what he's doing, but these brands that transition into my ownership, the brands that I have to steward, that were somebody else's brands, that they were somebody else's family that that built these legacy brands, and then I have to carry them forward and chart a new future and and respect the past and respect what they built and the families that that built those brands, and then I have to move it forward. So I a place for all of respect in the transition that that Bob's going
• 10:39
  Bob Spoerl: through. Jimbo, two legacy brands come to mind when I grew up. Remington eight seventy and Zepco two zero two. Yes. You can't get any more iconic than that.
• 10:51
  Ken Eubanks: That's exactly right.
• 10:52
  Jimbo Robinson: And it's still a legacy. It is very much.
• 10:55
  Ken Eubanks: Very much.
• 10:55
  Jimbo Robinson: The
• 10:55
  Bob Spoerl: small black, real white pole Push button. Push button, zing. It's the entry into England. That was my first
• 11:05
  Ken Eubanks: For most people. You bet. That's exactly right.
• 11:08
  Jimbo Robinson: I mean, I'm not afraid of my bad fishing. I love a Zepko. It's you can't get
• 11:16
  Bob Spoerl: It's the Daisy BB gun
• 11:17
  Jimbo Robinson: of It's like it's like you can't hurt a Remington. A Remington always fires. When you sling the Zepko, it's going.
• 11:23
  Ken Eubanks: That's exactly right.
• 11:24
  Jimbo Robinson: It doesn't come back and hit you or hit the boat or anything else.
• 11:27
  Bob Spoerl: If it doesn't, it's zip, take off the top, and upthread it, and you're good to go.
• 11:33
  Jimbo Robinson: What and and you made an incredible comparison just now, and that was gonna be my transition to Bob was what Bob went through. Right? When you acquire a company, there's no bad blood. Most of the time, it's all energy and it's all positive energy. The same thing that happened today and what happened, you know, in San Diego.
• 11:51
  So that was the the bringing you two together was it's it's continuing the legacy. You nailed it perfect with with that. So, you know, Bob, what what was it like today? What when you went to bed last night, when you went to sleep last night, what were some of the thoughts and things that went through your head? And and you said it, you know, incredibly this morning about the volunteers and along the journey and seeing all the pictures, but what was that?
• 12:17
  Bob Spoerl: You know, it it it's reflection. Know, you always wanna do more. You always would've wanted to have attended one more convention if you could've squeezed it in your schedule. But when you look at and I'm certainly not taking credit for any of it, because it's great to be at the right place at the right time. But when you look at the $100,000,000 gift made in San Diego by Cox, when you look at his half $1,000,000,000 worth easement and the growing membership within an organization when other nonprofits are struggling.
• 12:54
  When you look at our growth in volunteers, there again, when other nonprofits are struggling, that's a testament to the strength of this organization. And to be part of it, it's truly magical.
• 13:06
  Jimbo Robinson: It's been fun for me leaving the regional director world and and coming into to this role. You will always be the first president that I got to see from basically start to finish working out of national headquarters and looking at this from a totally different perspective. You will always be very special to me in in the way that you traveled and getting to spend time with you and talk about the volunteers you meant. Volunteers are are the backbone of this organization. They mean the world to me.
• 13:35
  And so it's gonna be you will always be very special and and and just watching the way that you did it. I don't it'll be really hard for somebody else. And I and I love Rex, and I know that everybody does it differently. But watching the your pictures and and the way you told the story of DU throughout your time as president was
• 13:54
  Bob Spoerl: really fascinating. What was was so magical about it was was living through these volunteers, whether it be in Alaska or South Carolina or California or wherever. You just saw their passion, dedication. I was talking to the area chair in Alaska, and he covers an area from North Dakota down to North Carolina over to New Mexico. I mean, that's his area.
• 14:18
  And you look at how many state chairs cover that area, and this guy has one area to cover that type of landscape. That's on their dime. On their dime. Yep.
• 14:27
  Jimbo Robinson: It is. So back to Rather. Rather Outdoors is home to some legendary names in fishing like Loos and Strike King, Zepko. How do you preserve the heritage in a world where innovation is always being pushed forward?
• 14:43
  Ken Eubanks: It's not easy. You know, each one of those brands, whether it's SEBCO, whether it's it's Strike King, they have something foundational fundamental to their personality, who they are, the heritage of the company, how they got their start, what they mean to anglers, whatever the case may be. And so we try our best as an organization to continue to be authentic to that brand. Even though we're a much larger company with encompassing many brands, we try to still run as an individual brand, as a small business with that entrepreneurial mindset. Again, letting people invest their, you know, own free will, their own thought process into those brands to carry not only the heritage forward, you know, but also, you know, chart some new direction for the brand as times are changing, as fishing styles have immensely changed over the last five years.
• 15:37
  We try to, you know, strike the right balance of doing a bit of both. We still have a lot of the former families involved in the business. That is a big part of what I've navigated is to ensure that we keep them a part of it so they get to be a part of the brand as we continue forward. And so they're influential into the process of how we chart the brands, the products that we're, you know, building for anglers. It all kind of works together.
• 16:05
  Jimbo Robinson: And, Bob, you've probably seen fishing change over, you know, he said five years, much longer. What do you think what what is what is innovation in fishing that comes to mind with you? Because I was just sitting here thinking about what is innovation? To me, my grandfather's rod is very similar to the ones that you go and buy today, but it's I guess it's to me, it kinda goes with the shotgun. There's internal parts whether it's inertia or gas.
• 16:33
  Bob Spoerl: I I think the innovation is I mean, yeah, obviously, the reels have improved and and the graphite rods and things like that, but the innovation to me and it worries me a little bit. It's the technology. It's the electronics of the side imaging, the live scopes, and everything, you know, will that out you know, clean out lakes of fish because it's gotten so pinpoint. It's like redistricting in this country. We're able to find exactly where that RRD lives, and fishing, it's amazing with electronics now.
• 17:10
  And I I mean, I just hope it doesn't get to the point where people just get so turned off on it, or these places get fished out and jeopardize the phenomenal relaxation sport of fishing. And, I mean, can do you worry about the electronics just blowing up?
• 17:33
  Ken Eubanks: Yes. It's probably been the biggest controversy, you know, in the angling industry over the last five to eight years is the forward facing sonar that you spoke of, the live scope, and we do. There's a lot of us that are heavily concerned about fish population. You know, when you think of crappie, you know, the ability to sit the boat right there, look at them, drop a jig straight to them. You know, it's it's become kinda easy.
• 17:56
  So, yeah, there there's a lot of concern around the health of our fisheries as anglers are becoming more sophisticated. They're not having to search, you know, for the fish as much as we used to. We're using technology to find them now. So it's it's turning a little bit more hunting versus fishing at at kinda at this point in time.
• 18:15
  Bob Spoerl: Yeah. And hunting is the same way I may you know, with electronic cameras with, you know, everything. You you can exactly monitor every trail in the woods and, you know, the robo ducks and everything else. So hunting's certainly not immune to it. No.
• 18:29
  So it it it's hitting from all angles.
• 18:32
  Jimbo Robinson: Well, and those two are the exact same. Right? What you just said, live cameras on duck holes is is not any different than than live scope.
• 18:41
  Ken Eubanks: Now Mhmm.
• 18:42
  Jimbo Robinson: When you when we get when we arrive to a hunting hole and and they're gonna leave, then you have to come back. Right? But you know they've been there for three days. We've seen it. But it's not talked about like fishing.
• 18:55
  And I think that is the the having them you're pushing them out of their habitat and then you're hoping they come back. But with fishing, it is dropping it down.
• 19:03
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. You know, the it's a little bit it would be a little bit synonymous if you were allowed to deer hunt with the drones. You know, it it we're essentially have drones underwater now. You know, the capability of a drone to scan the areas and actually see the fish. So, again, it's not to say that it's not it doesn't have its place in our in our sport and in our industry.
• 19:28
  I'm certain it does, but there are a lot of fears concerning it.
• 19:32
  Jimbo Robinson: Since COVID and and and the and the lifestyle, I believe, since since COVID, lifestyles have changed in the fact that I think everybody wants to be outdoors now in in what I see, probably in my world. But it seems like there's a big wave of younger and and older adults that are taking the lifestyle of of the pickup trucks and the boots and the and the fishing and the hunting and all that. What do you think is bringing them in, and how do we keep these people in it for life?
• 20:03
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. You know, so so I'm I'm gonna be honest with you. My perspective is a little different. Not to be controversial, but the data certainly suggests to me that I have a little bit of an inverse of that problem. I have a younger generation that's not connecting as much to the outdoors as previous generations.
• 20:25
  There's there's data statistics that certainly supports that there's a little bit of a challenge that we're facing in in terms of of getting a younger generation connected. You know, I I personally believe that, you know, me as the CEO of Rather Outdoors, I benefit economically from the great work that DU does. Mhmm. I know that's not wanting to be talked about, but it's the reality. Mhmm.
• 20:51
  You know, the the amount of work that DU does, my business benefits from that, and I benefit from that economically. So I believe the outdoor industry has to do more in selling participation, selling kids emotionally, getting involved in the outdoors, connecting to the outdoors. I think great organizations like DU have done an amazing job, but I don't think our outdoor industry is doing as much as we can to sell the experience versus always just selling the product. We're really great at marketing the product, but I think we need to do more in marketing the experience and getting kids involved in the outdoors.
• 21:29
  Bob Spoerl: You know, and I think, you know, there are some things outside your control. I grew up grade school, high school, and we'd ride our bike down to the Mauke River Dam and cast for pike. You know? A lot these parents won't let their kids jump on a bike anymore, you know, for fear of kidnapping or I mean, it's just societal has has just, you know, almost kept these kids inside for crying out loud. And that's a shame because we had so much freedom growing up.
• 22:02
  We went down to the quarry to catch bass. We went down to the river to catch pike. And a lot of times today, the the parents don't wanna let their kids walk out that door.
• 22:12
  Jimbo Robinson: And I think, you know, that and it wasn't controversy at all. I I think that the lifestyle is there, but you nailed it. But we have to get them to participate. Correct. Right?
• 22:20
  I think that the lifestyle of the outdoors and people wanting to be a part of that, yes, has grown, but you are exactly right. Getting them to actually participate and buy a new fishing pole, go and buy a bait and tackle, buy a new shotgun. And it's harder in in hunting because you have to have a mentor or somebody to take you. It seems to be easier in fishing. You gotta have somebody take you, but you can also buy your kit a fishing rod and and and the it's easier and and a little less expensive.
• 22:49
  From my perspective, in my small bubble, my son is 10. You know, there has to be a balance in it. Right? The bike riding the bike thing. He doesn't ride a bike.
• 23:01
  He rides scooter. So what did we do with his scooter? It was electronic scooter. Well, he wanted to put a fishing rod holder on the front of his scooter, so we zip tied, duct taped it. It's, you know, still there.
• 23:12
  You know, duct tape is still what it was back when my dad fixed all of our stuff with it. But there's a lot of kids that have no outdoor ties to their their parents have no outdoor ties that are all riding down to this pond we have in our neighborhood to fish. And to the point of my son came and and then asked me for a new baseball bat, he wanted a new fishing pole, and he wanted a bait caster. And I said, son, I don't even know how to throw it, but YouTube will teach me what I know. I'm really good at getting knots out and restringing it, but there seems to be a smaller push in in some of these young kids of all going down to the pond and getting new fishing rods.
• 23:49
  So, hopefully, that participation will continue to grow, And and it's a balance. And and so I'm not a I'm not a we're not parents that no iPad, no this. We balance the time on the iPad too. And he would rather go outside and go fishing or go down to the creek, run through the creeks like we did as kids, and and it seems that that it's growing a little bit. But the but the participation is a 100% what we all have to be better with.
• 24:17
  Ken Eubanks: And we see the same things, you know. Areas I live, neighborhoods I'm in, visiting friends, we see the same thing. We see the kids out there, you know, spending time down by the pond. I read a statistic the other day, and I will not we have facts in this country now. We have alternate facts.
• 24:34
  Right. You know, I'm not gonna sit here and claim fact. But it was released by the Parks and Recreation, and it stated that the average kid in America today spends seven minutes outdoors and seven and a half hours in front of a screen a day. To me, that's the pandemic that I'm talking about. Right?
• 24:51
  That's the statistic that keeps me up at night. That's the statistic that I worry about. That that kid getting to experience the outdoors, and it's gonna take more you know, from an outdoor industry, it's gonna take more than a product. You know, it's gonna take the mentorship. It's gonna take somebody given an afternoon to to invest.
• 25:12
  Whether it's in the woods or whether it's on on the water, it doesn't matter. It's just in the outdoors.
• 25:16
  Bob Spoerl: Outdoors. Absolutely.
• 25:18
  Jimbo Robinson: This question is is for both of you, and and we'll start with with you, Bob. But from your seat as president, now chairman of the board, from your seat as CEO, how important is storytelling, whether it's in marketing, brand building, or just keeping the outdoor traditions alive?
• 25:35
  Bob Spoerl: It's really important. You know? One more year, we'll be celebrating our ninetieth anniversary. So we're gonna be talking a lot a lot of history in this next year about traditions, and and tradition is so important. These kids today, it it it's sad if their tradition is the iPad and that tradition needs to be camping, fishing, hunting, whatever.
• 26:02
  And it has to develop at a young younger age. I took my three year old just last week fishing on the end of our dock. You know, it's his first experience. Caught a little bluegill and and just, you know, excitement in his eyes and, you know, putting on a worm on a hook and dropping it in there. And so to your point, Ken, you you have to get them young and you have to ingrain that that love for the outdoors.
• 26:32
  But it it's a challenge, but we have to we we can't give up. We we can't give up.
• 26:39
  Ken Eubanks: I agree with him. I think the tradition and the heritage of the great outdoors is something that we both wanna see. We all do. We wanna see this continue for generations and generations to come, passing down, you know, these traditions, passing down these heritage. The problem is it's just it's just not inherited.
• 26:59
  You know? It takes someone taking the time. It takes the experience. It takes, the the mentor. Whatever it is, it's not inherited.
• 27:09
  And these traditions that we love and these traditions that we all fight to protect, it's critical that we we ensure that the next generation wants to fight that same fight. And if they're not connected with it, if they're not loving it the way that Bob was talking about it, then they're not gonna fight for it. And so we gotta get them connected as early as we can.
• 27:39
  VO: Stay tuned to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan and Bird Dog Whiskey after these messages.
• 27:56
  Jimbo Robinson: I think one one, as I watch a 10 year old in my house, a young boy who I've tried to influence, watch him grow up. One of the things that's very interesting, and I was just speaking with with John Killen about this earlier today, is that he loves Ole Miss football, but when it comes to Major League Baseball, NBA, and the NFL, it seems kids aren't gravitating to one team anymore. They're gravitating to the athletes. They're gravitating to, you know, the guy that has the flashiest stuff on. In the outdoors world, this goes to the storytelling and the marketing and the brand building, it seems as if kids are following influencers.
• 28:41
  And so whereas mentors may not be, they're they're really latching on to the stories and and the influencers of today's world. How and as fishermen, we all have seen the professional fishermen. Right? They got 19 they it's a NASCAR driver on the lake. Right?
• 29:01
  They've got the cool jerseys and all that. As Fisher as with with Rather in all of your brands, we see them all over a lot of people's things. How do you do you instill in those influencers or in those brand ambassadors or whatever y'all call them telling the stories to the kids? Is it is there any part of like, hey, when you go out, that is the next generation that's gonna continue to do what we've been so fortunate to do?
• 29:25
  Ken Eubanks: We do. It it it look. There's an evolution in in in business. There's an evolution in marketing. There's an evolution in storytelling.
• 29:35
  You know, it used to be about marketing products.
• 29:39
  Jimbo Robinson: Right.
• 29:39
  Ken Eubanks: Right? It then kind of evolved that it was about community, and you had to market more community. Now it's kinda become marketing through influencers and key opinion leaders and and things of that nature. But there's a new one coming called AI. Right?
• 29:57
  And so this new marketing effort, you know, potentially transitioning into this artificial intelligence world. So so the journey of marketing, the journey of influencing a consumer or influencing a young kid to get involved with the outdoors today, it's no longer just one touch point. It takes multiple touch points whether it's from, you know, from a marketing message, from a community, from an influencer, or potentially through AI, you have to reach them in different mediums now. It's not as simple as it used to be.
• 30:30
  Bob Spoerl: You know, we had influencers growing up. It was Bay Winkelman and Roland Martin. I mean, those are our influencers, but you just watch them on Saturday afternoon TV.
• 30:39
  Ken Eubanks: That's right.
• 30:40
  Jimbo Robinson: My daughter, my seven year old daughter loves fishing Mhmm. On TV. So my wife goes to bed most nights. My daughter lays in in our bed, and I I lay with my son most nights till he goes to bed. But they I come in and they're watching Major League fishing.
• 30:58
  Right. And it's exciting. Entertaining. It's leaderboards. Mhmm.
• 31:01
  It's totally different than the way it used to be. Yep. And so it's the innovation of of the fishing. And she can tell you a lot of the guys' names on there, and and she has a her favorites. I'm not gonna say it because I don't know what brand they align with.
• 31:17
  Ish Monroe.
• 31:19
  Ken Eubanks: Ish Monroe. Yep.
• 31:20
  Jimbo Robinson: He's not with us. See, I knew that was gonna be the case, but and and it's his personality. Sure. Absolutely. And and so, you know, she she loves I I make I come inside, and I say, are you going to bed watching Ish again?
• 31:33
  And, yeah, but, you know, he's not always on the the ones he's watching, but you're right. And the AI is a scary it's something that it it came up during during your tenure, Bob, as a as a focus and a positive, and then we realize all the the negatives at the same time that could be. And but it's it's it's an interesting world in in the dynamics that you're going through as the CEO of that company.
• 31:58
  Ken Eubanks: Absolutely. Absolutely. And and and look, you know, to Bob's point, to your point, you know, a kid, hell myself, I connect with various influencers. There's there's pros that, yeah, they still influence me and they still influence my behavior out on the water or out in the woods. I can watch my son who's 21, the same kind of journey.
• 32:20
  And so mine is I I don't care how they get influenced. I don't care if it's Ish Monroe that's with a competitive landscape or or if it's one of ours, the opportunity to influence and get people connected to the outdoors through through whatever means necessary.
• 32:35
  Jimbo Robinson: If you could sit down with the young hunters, kinda goes into this, young hunter or angler just getting started, what advice would you give them about making the most of this lifestyle?
• 32:45
  Ken Eubanks: You know, I I would probably, through the lens that I've raised my son in and and watched him, it it's just the encouragement to make the lifestyle part of part of recharging, part of getting away from modern life, part of feeling the stillness of the outdoors and the peace of being on the water, just just a place of of of, you know, a center where everything kinda makes sense in the world when when you're in the peace of the outdoors. You want it to be to me, you want it to be a part of your safe place where where just, again, where where everything kinda lines up right for you. Now, again, that's that's hard to navigate that. I think through experiences of being you know, whether it's in duck camps, whether it's, you know, at deer camps, whether it's on the bow of a boat, you know, hopefully, a a young person will start to find peace in those places and and enjoy, you know, God's great creation that we get to be a part of and steward, you know, without taking it, you know, to a level of of, I don't wanna say too serious because that's not the right word, but not making, just allowing it to be part of who you are.
• 34:02
  Bob Spoerl: Jimbo, this is a grueling time for any officer at convention. You know, meetings start Wednesday, they go through Saturday. When I set this up, I said, I'm taking a day on the front end and going fishing all day. And went out there, caught landed my first tarpon Oh, hold on. Congratulations.
• 34:26
  Yeah. Over a 100 pounds. It was it was incredible. I I've hooked several down in Belize that are fly fishing down the Keys and but, you know, could never land one.
• 34:41
  Jimbo Robinson: But That is that
• 34:42
  Bob Spoerl: is so awesome. All day long and and got my first tarpon. And that, to your point, that is sustaining me through this whole week,
• 34:55
  Jimbo Robinson: that day on the water. What you said earlier about the statistics, right, wrong, or indifferent Mhmm. It hit a chord of people don't realize the recharging that the outdoors can do for you. Correct. The sun, the experience, the peacefulness, the quiet weather where wherever it is.
• 35:15
  And I have a lot of friends in the outdoor industry and a lot of people that participate in this. Deer hunters have a perspective, the waterfowl hunters' perspective, and and one of it, fishing the same way. I asked a guy one time, and I said, what is it that keeps you going? He hunts he's retired and he hunts every single day. What is it?
• 35:35
  And he said, it's not the thought of harvesting my first buck or harvesting that. It's the water hitting the boat when we're leaving the dock. Yep. It's my feet walking on the and the peacefulness that comes with it and the things that you pick up on, and it totally changed a lot of my perspective to the tune of and you and you know this, that that it's the opportunity to land your first tarpon, take a kid on his first hunting trip, take a kid to watch him catch his first fish one time, and that that makes it. And the people that don't get to experience that, that's what we have to uphold.
• 36:13
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. Look. I you know, admit it, not admit it. You know, the reality is is I'm a better husband when I get time in the outdoors. I'm a better leader.
• 36:21
  I'm more patient when I get time in the outdoors. I'm a better, father to my children. Again, just what the peace of of getting away from modern life and being out in in that creation. I'm a better person when I get to get away from it.
• 36:36
  Bob Spoerl: It just gets rid of all that distraction, all that noise, and it's peace and serenity now. And distraction is the keyword that you just said there.
• 36:45
  Jimbo Robinson: It lets it all go, and you had the biggest week of your probably tenure at DU with the big announcement on Saturday with the campaign and and everything that led up to this. And yet
• 36:55
  Bob Spoerl: when I talk about that week, this week, I will talk about landing my first tarp.
• 37:01
  Jimbo Robinson: Absolutely. Absolutely. What do you think is the biggest risk or what scares you the most threat to the hunting I mean, to the fishing community in the industry? And you said AI earlier, but
• 37:16
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. I would still go back and and, you know, we have threats around technology advancements. You know, we we certainly have threats around, you know, AI and potentially where that's going. I I just still think that the the the largest threat we have, you know, to our community, and I'm calling it the angling community, the outdoor community, is if we're not rebuilding the pipeline year after year after year. You know, the the the pipeline of of what we do, the pipeline of DU in terms of conservation efforts and all that they do, what we try to do on the angling side, you know, it starts very simply with the connection to the outdoors.
• 37:59
  That connection eventually turns into passion, And then that passion builds the next great conservationist. It builds the next anglers. It builds the next hunters. And so that pipeline for generations has worked and and has proven to be sustainable. The threat to me is is still that's the one thing.
• 38:17
  Look. I got all these retail realities and tariffs and, you know, straight of Hermous, you know, challenges and freight going. I've got all of that. But to me, it's still where I spend a bulk of my mental capacity in terms of fears, in terms of challenges.
• 38:35
  Bob Spoerl: You gotta have that customer.
• 38:36
  Ken Eubanks: Exactly. Yeah. Well, it's exactly right, Bob. I gotta have the future customers.
• 38:41
  Jimbo Robinson: Looking ahead ten years, what does success look like for Rather Outdoors? And and I've been you probably can answer it. It's that we have a massive pipeline of the next fishing.
• 38:53
  Ken Eubanks: Hey. That our brands are healthy, that our that our consumers, you know, still love our brands, that we're authentic, that we're anglers, and that the consumers appreciate, you know, what we're doing, that the work we're doing in in trying to partner with great organizations like BU that it that that those things are are part of our DNA. You know, Rather Outdoors in some context is of is essentially kind of a new company. We've only been together as these brands for seven years. Now Zepco is 70 five years old.
• 39:23
  You know, Loos is 50 years old, and I think striking is 50 years old. But rather outdoors has only existed for seven years and so eight years. And so, look, we're still new. Ten years from now, if we're still authentic, consumers love us, we're building great products, we're investing in the outdoors, we're partnered with great organizations, We're increasing participation. I'll be as happy as I can be.
• 39:50
  Bob Spoerl: Well, Ken, you've been a a huge supporter to Ducks Unlimited. Connie has has filled me in. It's like, this is silent sports. I haven't heard about all this, Connie. I mean, you've done so much under the radar and given so much with very little accolades or anything.
• 40:08
  I just wanna take this publicly moment and and thank you for everything you've done Of course. Providing fishing poles, financial support, and on and on and on. Absolutely. It's been
• 40:20
  Ken Eubanks: Very kind.
• 40:20
  Jimbo Robinson: Very kind. Absolutely. I'm gonna ask a tough one. Please. In the outdoor industry, massive corporations are buying up Mhmm.
• 40:28
  Small companies all the time. Absolutely. And when you see one or you hear about one, the first thing that comes to most people's mind is they're gonna get rid of all the small companies. That's right. So when when you sit as the CEO of this conglomerate, only seven years old, bust that myth.
• 40:43
  Ken Eubanks: I I can't bust it. There's realities to it. It's unfortunate, but there are realities to it. I've been blessed, and and I none of it is owed to me. It's owed to my ownership group that has allowed me to bring entities together and still invest and cherish in what made them great from the beginning.
• 41:05
  That's not normal. This is capitalism. I mean, you can you can look at it any through any lens you want to. It is capitalism. And when, you know, investments, private investments get made into our space, you know, a lot of the original DNA of what made that brand great and the people that invested in that brand, yeah, unfortunately, it changes course over time.
• 41:31
  So it is a it's not a myth. It it is real. We've just been able to do it a little bit differently.
• 41:37
  Jimbo Robinson: At least you're honest. I mean, I think that would mean more to the listeners than anything because most time, people wanna they wanna sugarcoat things in today's world because people don't wanna face the reality of it. But obviously, you're you're hardcore and your main things aren't going away, but the smaller things that make a company, they have to be successful financially.
• 42:00
  Ken Eubanks: Yes. And financial, you know, when it when the when an organization gets purchased, you know, the financial metrics change, you know, and and the outlook that new ownership group has could be very different than what old ownership group had, you know. And and again, it's the nature of business. It's the nature of capitalism. I will sit here and say firsthand that I don't think it's great for the outdoor industry.
• 42:25
  I'm a beneficiary of it. My my A better part of my career has been a beneficiary of consolidation of the space. I don't think it's ultimately the greatest thing for the outdoor industry. I think there's risk. I think there's threats that come along with it.
• 42:43
  I think if if companies are not intentional about recruiting executives or people in the organization that care about the industry, that care about conservation, I see it very often that new people come in, new executives come in, they don't they're not here because they love the outdoors. They're not here because they love angling. They're here
• 43:08
  Bob Spoerl: because minors.
• 43:09
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. That's it. That's exactly right, Bob. And it's a threat.
• 43:12
  Jimbo Robinson: We need to get Ken to third term. Absolutely. And and Bob has said this numerous times in many messages and talks that he's given is third term is our collegiate summit. It happens in in in Memphis. It's in the mid July now, and it is leaders this year, be leaders from a 105 different college campuses.
• 43:33
  We have a 134 university chapters. We have a 105 coming to third term, and it's two and a half. It's almost grown to basically three days now of leadership. It's not training because it's a it's a an idea sharing and a learning from these future Mhmm. And it's you know, Bob can talk a lot
• 43:56
  Bob Spoerl: about We talk about threats today in this program, and one of our threats for a long time was the aging of our volunteer. Third term through the varsity program, then into the university program, was that backfill, that that customer
• 44:15
  Jimbo Robinson: That's great.
• 44:15
  Bob Spoerl: To our programs that were coming in, and you go there and if you don't come out of there energized seeing these several 100 screaming kids passionate for conservation, and a lot of these kids don't duck hunting. Duck hunt. They are just in for the outdoors, in for the networking, in for the association, but they you know, and and then we've hired several Absolutely. Organization because they they drank the Kool Aid, and and they bleed conservation. They bleed passion for the outdoors.
• 44:47
  And so that's really it it stopped the bleed of our volunteer network, and now we're going back up.
• 44:55
  Jimbo Robinson: And that's what what you said because of them. Yeah. And what you said, that's what thought brought that thought to my mind was people that are becoming leaders that don't have the passion.
• 45:04
  Ken Eubanks: Right.
• 45:04
  Jimbo Robinson: And and I we have, you know, there's a young lady, MK Peel here this weekend that was a university chairman. Now she's works for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. But but her but she's here this weekend as a volunteer for Ducks Unlimited on our National Youth Engagement Committee, and she has the passion. And so it's like you've got this this this web, these corridors from third term and these leaders going out that are connecting the outdoor industry and coming in as strong leaders. And then they're they're coming up through our university program, and it's it's very inspiring.
• 45:36
  And And so it gives me hope to what you just said that we're hopefully these leaders are leaving our university program, staying active as as Ducks Unlimited volunteers and going out and and connecting the companies and making the cold corridor work.
• 45:49
  Ken Eubanks: Well, if I could ever witness that and be a guest No. Absolutely. I would love to No.
• 45:53
  Jimbo Robinson: You'd be right be a part of that.
• 45:55
  Bob Spoerl: Because we bring companies such as yourself to third term all the time, and it's like, oh my god. Where, you know, where have you been?
• 46:02
  Jimbo Robinson: You're gonna leave and go, can we hire 300? Yeah. Exactly. Graduating it's it's it is amazing. And and and and Bob is right.
• 46:11
  When you leave there, the energy you feel and the hope Yeah. Absolutely. For the next generation is at its all time highest.
• 46:18
  Ken Eubanks: Absolutely.
• 46:19
  Jimbo Robinson: As you as we begin to wrap up, what what what is new for Rather Outdoors? What give us something. You don't you can just tease us if you have to.
• 46:29
  Ken Eubanks: New product wise?
• 46:30
  Jimbo Robinson: Oh, yeah.
• 46:31
  Ken Eubanks: Well, you know, we got iCast right around the corner. ICast is our big industry event, which is typically when all the new products get launched for the for the new tackle year. So we'll all be back here in the great state of Florida down in Orlando in in mid July. And we got quite a bit of new stuff coming. We got I guess my teaser would be, you know, maybe we have our first, you know, electronic reel coming out.
• 47:02
  So trying to get a little bit with technology and, you know, and maybe what the younger generation wants to be engaged with. So we got something exciting for
• 47:11
  Jimbo Robinson: them this year. Bob, as you we're gonna come back up at the closing of that. You're not getting off the hook that easy. Bob, as you wrap this convention up, it will it will probably be ingrained with you forever. But as we move into tonight and and the recognition and the celebration of our volunteers and then tomorrow's live auction, if you had to describe what we what is taking place and what you think will take place in in one or two words, what would what would come to your mind?
• 47:38
  Bob Spoerl: Man. Horse sentence. Yeah. Epic volunteerism. It it it's just amazing to see what these volunteers pay, not only out of their pocketbook, but, you know, when you serve as a volunteer, you're giving up usually weeks of vacation.
• 47:59
  I mean, it's several days to come here. It's several days for their state their state convention. It's it's a day or two, you know, for their local convention. So, you know, the average working blue collar volunteer has given up a lot of that time, and and and that's one thing you can't get back that they give to Ducks Unlimited. And, yeah, it's it's amazing.
• 48:23
  That secret sauce as we call it, 33,000 volunteers strong and growing, that they just keep coming and giving. It's it's awesome.
• 48:32
  Jimbo Robinson: What does this next year look like for you?
• 48:36
  Bob Spoerl: Probably a little less travel. At least that's what my wife is hoping. But still, you know, I will let president Rex and incoming Tammy pick their events, and then I will go from there. But I I think they need to be upfront, and I will help where I can.
• 48:57
  Jimbo Robinson: Yeah. Because it's not once you leave as president of Ducks Unlimited, you're still very, very involved as chairman
• 49:04
  Bob Spoerl: of the board. Chairman of board. Obviously, it's more board governance. It's more board structure and and and running administrative things as opposed to, you know, being the face of DU and and guiding the the company, so to speak. So it it it's more board centric, which is fine.
• 49:21
  One of the
• 49:22
  Jimbo Robinson: things that that Bob brought to the table when he came as president, the numbers blew my mind. Right? From a from a a retail side, I'm not wasn't a retail guy as an RD, but every night, you're trying to sell everything you have. We say we have opening and closing of businesses. A grand opening and a going out of business sale in one night.
• 49:45
  Right? Well, Bob, had the idea to to start a presidential gun, president's gun. And it was a side by side, which is near and dear to Bob's heart, and the gun just took off. And the first night that we sold it, did we sell one at convention, or was it Uline? No.
• 50:01
  We sold it at convention. Convention. Mhmm. It sold for
• 50:04
  Bob Spoerl: 27,000,
• 50:05
  Ken Eubanks: I think.
• 50:05
  Bob Spoerl: But, you know, we only did 50. I wanted so from moving forward, assuming the presidents wanna keep that tradition, the president will pick his own gun. We would have a president's elite and things like that, but the president actually never picked it.
• 50:20
  Jimbo Robinson: Right.
• 50:20
  Bob Spoerl: I said, I want a gun the president picks and then have it, you know, serial one to 50, and then have the president sell that as much as he can as he travels around the country. And that's gone an average of $7,000, I think, It is. It's incredible. Minimum. Yeah.
• 50:39
  And so it it's been fun to watch that. Yeah. It was a roll.
• 50:43
  Jimbo Robinson: Awesome. Really exciting tradition. 50. And and Rex has done his, and and it's in tomorrow night's live auction. But I was also throwing out some ideas to you Thank you, thinking about of man, we all those exclusives, we can always take another especially exclusive high end item that we would pay for, that you can only get at a DU banquet.
• 51:06
  Those those always go a long way, but
• 51:08
  Bob Spoerl: Jimbo, I wanna add one more thing because, you know, this is a message to our listeners out there because I don't think they understand how much cooperative work we do with the fishery industry.
• 51:21
  Ken Eubanks: That's right.
• 51:22
  Bob Spoerl: Whether it's restoring mangroves, you know, in in the Yucatan, which benefits blue wing teal because that's 80% winter down there, but it's also helping the bonefish and the tarpon. Up in Green Bay, we do marsh restoration off the bay, but it's also helping the northern pike spawning grounds. And so the collaboration between the fisheries and Ducks Unlimited has been ongoing for years, and I don't think our members really understand how much we help that industry. And it's it's just a phenomenal relationship that's been going on for years, but it's one of those benefits we really don't talk much about.
• 52:03
  Jimbo Robinson: No. And and that is coastal marshes and the impact that they do on flooding and and the the sponge The seafood. The sea the sponge world. You know what mean? Without those
• 52:14
  Bob Spoerl: Correct.
• 52:15
  Jimbo Robinson: Rather rather outdoors would struggle. Correct. Because you're not selling fishing poles that guys take to their ponds. Correct. I mean, to their pools.
• 52:21
  Ken Eubanks: And that's why I made the comment earlier. Again, it may be a little controversial, but we benefit from DU's work. Mhmm. And so it is my responsibility to give back to DU, to do everything I can to support DU because of the work that you do, clean water, clean access. There's so many things that DU does for my consumers and for my organization that it's our honor to be a part of.
• 52:48
  Jimbo Robinson: It's a
• 52:48
  Bob Spoerl: great symbiotic relationship. Absolutely. They
• 52:51
  Jimbo Robinson: fit. And to your point earlier, the volunteers that make this organization who we are today without a a board member bringing these opportunities and 90% of the opportunities that DU has to partner and walk side by side with come from volunteers. Absolutely. And so, you know, that that's that's what makes this engine so strong is the volunteers that are so passionate about what they do, and it's not and we're not just made up of hunters. That's a vast majority of it, but there's people that understand, you know, I think that the the ag world has I mean, agriculture and farming and ranchers and all that, that has been a a big thing, but the fish there's a lot of fishing people that support DU just as much.
• 53:39
  Ken Eubanks: Absolutely. And
• 53:39
  Jimbo Robinson: it's because of what Bob just said, the fisheries and the clean water and and the recreational activities that people enjoy. Absolutely. If you're not a member of Ducks Unlimited You need
• 53:49
  Ken Eubanks: to be.
• 53:49
  Jimbo Robinson: Listen, you need to be. You need to be. Because it's it's some point we are tapping into your life.
• 53:54
  Ken Eubanks: Yeah. And listen. I I get the pleasure and the honor to be at this event, to sit here with you two gentlemen. But I represent the 1,500 coworkers at Rather Outdoors. I just get the opportunity, but it's an honor for all of our coworkers to be a part of DU, to be able to participate in the great work that you're doing.
• 54:18
  We're trying to do more. We wanna continue to lean in to everything that that Ducks Unlimited is doing, and we're very grateful for all that you guys do.
• 54:28
  Bob Spoerl: Well, thank you.
• 54:28
  Jimbo Robinson: Well, it's an honor for me to sit here to talk to both of you. I just get to ask questions and and but but it's truly an honor to sit here and talk to you Thank you. And just hear your story and and and then just to share more time with with chairman Bob and and everything that he means to this organization and the time and and efforts, and it's been fun.
• 54:53
  Bob Spoerl: Well, let's check that third term schedule and get him on schedule.
• 54:56
  Ken Eubanks: I look forward to it.
• 54:58
  Jimbo Robinson: I you are you better you better bring Greg and Jordan. I'll bring you the first up when you leave. I'm telling you. And you're we got 300 of them. You can hire all the graduating ones you want.
• 55:08
  I love it. Well, as we wrap up, thank you so much. Are you staying around?
• 55:13
  Ken Eubanks: I am. I will be here through tomorrow. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
• 55:17
  Jimbo Robinson: Well, thank you so much for being here and taking the time to do this. And and, man, Rather Outdoors has been an immense supporter of Ducks Unlimited across multiple brands. And and, Bob, thank you for for taking your time. I know you're extremely busy, and and you've got a thousand other things that are
• 55:34
  Bob Spoerl: going on. Day of fishing, so I'm still good.
• 55:36
  Jimbo Robinson: That that was that that fishing. The gauge is coming down. I'm on tarp.
• 55:40
  Ken Eubanks: Do that for you.
• 55:41
  Jimbo Robinson: Sunday. We gotta get you back out Sunday so we can go back home just as energized. But, to all of our listeners everywhere out there, where can they find Rather Outdoors?
• 55:51
  Ken Eubanks: Ratheroutdoors.com, but every major retailer around the around The US.
• 55:55
  Jimbo Robinson: And all the family brands are are on the page?
• 55:58
  Ken Eubanks: They absolutely are. I know
• 55:59
  Jimbo Robinson: that you sell them in Ducks
• 56:01
  Ken Eubanks: We do.
• 56:01
  Jimbo Robinson: Sporting goods. Bought one last week.
• 56:04
  Bob Spoerl: Just so you know.
• 56:06
  Jimbo Robinson: There's the tarpon there.
• 56:07
  Bob Spoerl: Here's that mice. Here's my tarpon. Showing the tarpon. That's a Yeah. It, yeah.
• 56:12
  You you talk about serenity now. A day on the water, you can't beat it.
• 56:16
  Jimbo Robinson: Amazing. Well, to all of the listeners out there, thank you for taking the time and and and listening to another episode of the Ducks Unlimited Podcast from Tampa, Florida, and our national convention. Thank you, and we will see you on the other side. Watch out for geese.
• 56:34
  VO: Thank you for listening to the DU Podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly.
• 56:57
  Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show and visit ducks.org/dupodcast. Opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of Ducks Unlimited. Until next time, stay tuned to the Ducks.