Rather Outdoors, parent company of Strike King and Lew's, announced 10 additions to its pro staff for the 2022 season.
Strike King announced that Major League Fishing pro Brent Chapman will join the team in 2022. The Kansas native was the 2012 Bassmaster Angler of the Year and has four victories in MLF competition.
Major League Fishing pro Scott Suggs, winner of the 2007 FLW Cup, also joins the family at Lew’s and Strike King.
Team Lew’s welcomes MLF veteran Todd Faircloth. The Texan has long been a member of the Pro Team at Strike King and now brings his six wins and 45 Top Ten finishes to Lew’s. Aside from the impressive finishes Faircloth has racked up in his 24 years as a professional angler, he also has 17 Bassmaster Classic appearances on his record.
MLF pro Marty Robinson joins Strike King Pro Staff in 2022. The South Carolinian comes to the team with 23 Top-10 finishes in his career. Robinson most recently battled to a first-place finish at the MLF 2021 Summit Cup on one of his home fisheries in South Carolina, the legendary Lake Murray.
Strike King and Lew’s also welcome several newcomers to the professional ranks – anglers who have proven themselves on the water during their initial seasons at the top level. Alabama native Josh Stracner, who recently earned the title of 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year, joins the teams, as does 22-year-old Jay Przekurat, who months ago qualified for 2022 Elite Series, becoming one of the youngest in the sport to do so. North Carolina’s KJ Queen, currently in his second season in the Bassmaster Elite Series, is a tournament veteran, competing locally and regionally since age 7. Rookie Tristan McCormick, a seasoned competitor and winner of the 2021 Bassmaster College Series National Championship, has earned a coveted berth in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic. Alabama pro Justin Hamner, who cut his teeth battling in Junior World Championships and the Bassmaster Opens, joins Team Lew’s for his second year on the Elite Series.
Rounding out the rookie class is Illinois native Trey McKinney. Still in his teens, McKinney has three wins and seven top-10s in the Illini Division of the BFLs.
“We are exceptionally proud of our Pro Team, and we invest a lot of time and energy in building the very best," said Rather Outdoors CEO Ken Eubanks. "We are honored to welcome iconic names like Chapman, Suggs, Faircloth and Robinson – gentlemen who have spent decades cultivating this sport and sharing their passion with others.
"Likewise, we could not be more pleased to earn the support and trust of a new generation of accomplished competitors. We are excited about the enthusiasm and innovation they bring.”
