Forrest L. Wood
Encyclopedia
Forrest L. Wood is the founder of Ranger Boats
, and widely acknowledged as the developer of the modern bass boat
. He is also the namesake of the Walmart FLW Tour for sportfishing.
Wood began his outdoors career as a fishing guide on numerous lakes and rivers in Arkansas, while maintaining a construction business and a cattle farm. Wood began to build lake boats in 1968 behind a service station. The business moved to an old nightclub; by 1970, Ranger Boats sold 1,200 units. The boats are considered to be the prototypes of what are now called bass boats.
The facility was destroyed by fire in 1971, but Wood salvaged orders from his desk in the building and restarted. That same year, Wood qualified for the first-ever Bassmaster Classic
. The next year, Wood signed a sponsorship deal with the tournament, making it the Classic's official boat from then until 2000.
Wood sold Ranger Boats in 1987, but remained active in the industry.
In 1996, the tournament organizer Operation Bass renamed itself with Wood's initials, a name it retains to this day.
Wood is a member of the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, the International Boating Hall of Fame, National Marine Manufacturers Hall of Fame, Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame, Arkansas Game and Fish Hall of Fame, Arkansas Walk of Fame, and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission named its Crowley's Ridge Nature Center for Wood, who served a seven-year term on the commission after an appointment by Governor Mike Huckabee
from 1998 to 2005.
Wood and his wife, Nina, still reside in Flippin where he has large cattle holdings. The couple has four daughters.
Ranger Boats
Ranger Boats are a popular line of bass fishing boats designed primarily for blackbass fishing. The company was founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood in Flippin, Arkansas. Ranger is generally credited with the introduction of the modern bass boat....
, and widely acknowledged as the developer of the modern bass boat
Bass boat
A bass boat is a small boat that is designed and equipped primarily for bass fishing or fishing for other panfish, usually in freshwater such as lakes, rivers and streams...
. He is also the namesake of the Walmart FLW Tour for sportfishing.
Wood began his outdoors career as a fishing guide on numerous lakes and rivers in Arkansas, while maintaining a construction business and a cattle farm. Wood began to build lake boats in 1968 behind a service station. The business moved to an old nightclub; by 1970, Ranger Boats sold 1,200 units. The boats are considered to be the prototypes of what are now called bass boats.
The facility was destroyed by fire in 1971, but Wood salvaged orders from his desk in the building and restarted. That same year, Wood qualified for the first-ever Bassmaster Classic
Bassmaster Classic
The Bassmaster Classic is a competition in professional bass fishing. It was first held in 1971 on Lake Mead, Nevada. Originally it was a fall event , but it switched to the summer in 1984 and then to the late winter in 2006...
. The next year, Wood signed a sponsorship deal with the tournament, making it the Classic's official boat from then until 2000.
Wood sold Ranger Boats in 1987, but remained active in the industry.
In 1996, the tournament organizer Operation Bass renamed itself with Wood's initials, a name it retains to this day.
Wood is a member of the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, the International Boating Hall of Fame, National Marine Manufacturers Hall of Fame, Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame, Arkansas Game and Fish Hall of Fame, Arkansas Walk of Fame, and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission named its Crowley's Ridge Nature Center for Wood, who served a seven-year term on the commission after an appointment by Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
from 1998 to 2005.
Wood and his wife, Nina, still reside in Flippin where he has large cattle holdings. The couple has four daughters.