By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan
If someone asked you to talk with 10 guys for 5 minutes each by phone and then pick out the 21-year-old, it’s unlikely you’d select Tyler Wilkerson. The young man from Guntersville, Ala. brings not only an old-school work ethic with a healthy dose of self-sufficient competence, but also a refreshingly respectful tone belying his age.
Okay, so that’ll make his parents proud; but ours is no exercise in flattery. Rather, it’s a modern-day example of how good manners tempered with throwback integrity and seasoned with heartfelt desire can yield dream-making results.
In Wilkerson’s case, that meant landing a job with one of the industry’s most respected brands, T-H Marine. January 2017 marks the start of his second year with the Huntsville-based boat parts and accessories manufacturer, but his course is one worth recounting.
How it Happened
Having earned his EMT degree from Calhoun Community College, Wilkerson worked for a year as a fireman in Huntsville. The plan was to build into a career that afforded plenty of time off for fishing, but that all changed one day when Bassmaster Elite Series pro Boyd Duckett idled into a Guntersville creek where Wilkerson was fishing a little ditch.
“He was pre-practicing and he asked me if I minded if he came in there to fish,” Wilkerson recalls. “I said ‘Sure, come on,’ and he idled up and started chatting. I was kind of nervous; I really wasn’t sure what to say to him, so I just talked fishing for a minute.
“Then I said ‘If you ever need anything, I’d love to work in the fishing industry.”
The gracious greeting and proactive ambition must have left an impression, because when a job with Duckett Fishing arose a few months later, a friend’s referral met with an instant “yes” from the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champ who fondly recalled the polite young man he met in that Guntersville creek.
Leaping at the opportunity to establish a foothold in the fishing industry, Wilkerson found himself splitting his time between warehouse duties and driving Duckett’s truck to tournaments and other venues. For two years, a young man with dreams had a front-row seat to a real-deal fishing business, along with direct access to one of the sport’s biggest names.
“That’s when I knew that this is the industry I wanted to be in,” Wilkerson said. “I can’t be more thankful for the start that I got with Boyd and that whole organization. They’re great people and I got to have a lot of one-on-one time with Boyd Duckett as a mentor.
“I always had it in my mind that I wanted to do something in the industry; whether it was guiding, tournament fishing or working in a role like I am now with T-H Marine. But I have to say that Duckett Fishing was definitely the jumpstart to that. It was the foot in the door.”
And it all stemmed from his ability to capitalize on a chance encounter.
Where it Comes From
As a police officer in Madison, Ala., Wilkerson’s dad was a public figure who often interacted with local dignitaries. Seeing this firsthand helped develop a young man’s demeanor.
“We’d go out to dinner and meet all these important people, so it’s something you pick up on – how to have an intelligent conversation and how to be respectful,” Wilkerson said.
Beyond that, Wilkerson spent more of his youth hanging out and fishing with older folks – family and friends, all of whom impacted his ability to converse more maturely, while carrying himself with humble confidence.
Calling fishing his “addiction,” Tyler Wilkerson puts his all into keeping T-H Marine pro staffers up and running.
“I’m very fortunate with the way I was raised and the people I’ve had in my life,” Wilkerson said. “I’ve grown up around older men and I do feel that the way I handled the situation (with Duckett) came from my learning how to have a conversation at that level.”
Of his passion for fishing, Wilkerson said this: “Some people have bad addictions to alcohol, gambling, drugs, whatever, but fishing is my addiction and it has definitely kept me out of trouble.”
Wilkerson’s dad fished the former Redman Series, but it was mostly his grandfather who taught him how to catch bluegill and crappie from the dock. Later, a neighbor with a boat took him bass fishing, and when Wilkerson got his own boat at age 10, that Bass Tracker was his portal into an evermore fascinating world of angling opportunity.
“From age 10 to 12, the rule was that unless an adult was in the boat, I couldn’t crank the motor,” he said. “At 12, I was given more leash. I could crank the motor by myself and go farther. I started to pick up on patterns and learn a lot more about fishing.”
Wilkerson’s personal best – a 9-pound, 4-ounce Guntersvile beast – ate a 1/2-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait on April 14, 2003. However, he’s quick to tell you that his favorite deal is cranking Kentucky Lake’s deep ledges with a Strike King 10XD in sexy blueback herring or an 8XD in Tennessee shad. Frogging thick mats runs a close second.
The Right Fit
During his time with Duckett Fishing, Wilkerson often brought his boat to work and watched many Guntersville sunsets while dreaming of a professional fishing career. When the opportunity to start guiding arose, he gladly expanded his footprint in the fishing industry with client trips and benevolent efforts, such as hosting Wounded Warriors.
Such experience, he said, has helped mold the aptitude that serves well in his current role; but so did his blue-collar background. Enjoying extensive time on the water since his teens has required more than monthly payments, but Wilkerson said that’s precisely what led him to T-H Marine.
“Besides having my first boat given to me, I’ve worked for everything I’ve had,” he said. “Having a boat and truck to pay for since I was 16, I picked up on how to fix things. That’s made me handy for myself and for other people.”
Wilkerson’s skills garnered game-changing attention when he ordered a set of lights for his boat through pal and T-H Marine salesman Cory Williams, who naturally offered to a assist with the installation. Wilkerson proved he could not only handle the lighting himself, but also Power-Pole, Atlas jackplate and electronics rigging – all with a rock-solid style born of necessity.
Soon after came a call to interview for a part-time boat-rigging job, which soon turned into a full-time gig as T-H Marine’s service manager. Traveling to all the Bassmaster Elite Series events, the Bassmaster Classic and also looking after some FLW Tour pros, Wilkerson prides himself on applying his Mr. Fix-It reputation to keeping some of the sport’s top sticks operational.
“At T-H Marine, we build products to keep you on the water day in and day out, so I go above and beyond to make sure our products don’t fail (professional anglers),” he said. “Those guys are out there making a living doing what they do and if I’m going to stand behind something, I want to make sure it’s going to hold up.”
Integrity, respect, appreciation – you can’t teach that stuff. A person has to decide to live it.
Tyler Wilkerson sure has.
