Two-time Bassmaster Classic winner and television host Hank Parker is leaving Mann's Bait Co., ending a partnership that spanned nearly three decades. He's signed an exclusive deal with Pure Fishing and will promote its Berkley Gulp! and PowerBait products, along with the Trilene line, Berkley Lightning Rods and Abu Garcia reels he's been associated with for many years.
"It's bittersweet for me, but it's just the nature of the world these days," he said. "I hate change, but I guess if nothing ever changed I'd still be wearing penny loafers and have long hair.
"It had just gotten to the point where the way I was positioned was incompatible, and it'll be good to be 100% aligned with one company because it cuts down on the confusion.
"And I'll tell you, there's never been a better time for me to be leaving Mann's," he added. "That HardNose is such a simple concept, but it's a killer. They're going to be just fine for a long time to come."
Frank Oelerich has owned Mann's for 21 of the 29 years that Parker was affiliated with the company. Oelerich, a Chicago native, and the North Carolina-bred Parker were an odd-couple pairing in the beginning, but they hit it off nonetheless.
"Down through the years, he's paid back everything we've given him tenfold," Oelerich said. "I might sound like I'm waxing poetic, but he's done so many good deeds for the company and for me personally.
"We've had a wonderful relationship and I consider him one of my best friends. He'd turned down overtures from other companies many times in the past, but the package he got from Berkley was a no-brainer.
"He told me about it and said, 'Frank, I've got to take it.' I said, 'Go for it.'''
Eric Naig, Pure Fishing's field services manager, is excited by the opportunity to work with Parker.
"He's a two-time Classic winner (1979 and 1989), and when you combine our science with his experience, we're going to be turning out some awesome stuff," he said. "He's one of the few true icons of the sport, and it'll be great to have his star power on board."
