Over the next little while, we at Savur Outdoors are going to be introducing you to some of our pro staff team members so you can see who is out there representing Savur Outdoors, maybe even in your neck of the woods. We figured what better way than with a fun little interview! This time, we're talking with the legend himself, the owner of Savur Outdoors, Cory Barnett. Cory has his hands full being THE GUY who is designing, assembling, and distributing Savur devices to keep your gear safe! Cory is a HUGE racing fan, following NASCAR, Indy, sprint cars, motorcycles, boat racing, but his favorite are the dirt late models. As you'll see further down in the post, it was actually racing that got Cory into fishing in the first place!
Savur Outdoors: How long have you been fishing?
Cory Barnett: Since I could walk. My Dad, Grandpa and uncle Bill were avid trout fishermen. They loved to fly fish in streams and small brooks that held fish. I also learned to fly fish at a young age, but haven't even picked up a fly rod in many years.
SO: What is your earliest fishing memory?
CB: My earliest memory of fishing ties into my earliest memories of going to races. My Grandpa was an engine builder/mechanic and worked with some high profile teams. By the time i was able to go with them to the races, he had retired. But he was still a fan and my grandparents would take the boat with us to go chase the big races. The summer trips with them would be filled with action, we would wake up early and fish and then head to the track to watch the races that evening.
SO: Who's your fishing hero?
CB: My Uncle Bill.
SO: When was the last time you fun-fished, and what did you fish for?
CB: When I get a chance that is all I do is fun fish!
SO: What's your home body of water?
CB: Now it is Lake Travis, but my favorite places to fish are the strip mines dotted around central Illinois. They hold big bass and are so much fun to fish.
SO: What's your favorite Savur Outdoors product?
CB: Split Grip Rod Float. It is the original design that I came up with when I moved it to the end of the rod.
SO: Tell us your lost rod/bow/gear story.
CB: I was about 12 years old and we lived on a small lake in Central Illinois. A buddy of mine that lived across the lake would row over and pick me up some mornings during the summer. We would fish until it got hot and then we would just flip the boat and swim the rest of the time. One day he showed up and had a brand new Zebco 33. We shoved off and went fishing. I remember not catching much that day so I made the decision to flip us over. We swam for a little while and when it came time to leave we started looking for our rods, because until then they all floated. The 33 was just gone and I remember thinking that day that I wish there was something that popped off and floated up to recover that fishing rod. I felt terrible. But, through the years I was a witness to many people losing rods and that idea kept popping into my head every time. It wasn't until my father-in-law flopped a rod that meant a lot to him into Lake Barkley. That was the the one that made me start working on the idea more and more. That was 13 years ago now.
SO: What song do you typically listen to on the way to the water?
CB: I don't usually, but anything country.
SO: What do you do when you aren't fishing?
CB: Family life and making sure my kids are taken care of.
SO: Coffee or soda?
CB: Coffee, I can't remember the last soda that I had.
SO: What's your favorite TV show of all time?
CB: Dukes of Hazard.
SO: What's food is your guilty pleasure?
CB: Mexican food.
SO: What is your hidden or surprising talent?
CB: Cooking! I love to cook!