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Service yard saviors: 2019 Elite Series

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Up long before daylight and in bed way after dark. Checking in and out of hotels for months at the time. Drive-thru fast food and takeout grub eaten on and with plastic. Working in all kinds of weather, rain or shine, bone chilling cold or sweat pouring heat. <p> <em>All captions: Craig Lamb</em>
Up long before daylight and in bed way after dark. Checking in and out of hotels for months at the time. Drive-thru fast food and takeout grub eaten on and with plastic. Working in all kinds of weather, rain or shine, bone chilling cold or sweat pouring heat.

All captions: Craig Lamb

Who would think of doing this for a living? Meet the unsung heroes of the Bassmaster Elite Series that do it with skillful pride. They are the factory-trained service technicians who the pros call their most important asset — on and off the water. This season we profiled the group of service yard saviors that traveled the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season.
Who would think of doing this for a living? Meet the unsung heroes of the Bassmaster Elite Series that do it with skillful pride. They are the factory-trained service technicians who the pros call their most important asset — on and off the water. This season we profiled the group of service yard saviors that traveled the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series season.
<b>Scott Beattie, Mercury Marine</b><br> “You know what? I just love my job. I just love the camaraderie with the guys. All of us in the service yard are a family, brothers and sisters, regardless of whom we work for. And obviously, I love the travel, because I would be very miserable if I did not.” Beattie has 41 years and counting as a special events service manager and field technician for Mercury Marine.
Scott Beattie, Mercury Marine
“You know what? I just love my job. I just love the camaraderie with the guys. All of us in the service yard are a family, brothers and sisters, regardless of whom we work for. And obviously, I love the travel, because I would be very miserable if I did not.” Beattie has 41 years and counting as a special events service manager and field technician for Mercury Marine.
<b>Joby Smith, Johnson Outdoors (Minn Kota and Humminbird)</b> <br> Ask service technician Joby Smith about his most important tool of the trade, and the answer will surprise you. It is not a hammer, pair of pliers or screwdriver. A cellphone is his most prized gadget. That makes sense when you spend 185 days away from home each year. “Family is important. I phone home a lot to keep in touch.” And to order Valentine’s Day flowers.
Joby Smith, Johnson Outdoors (Minn Kota and Humminbird)
Ask service technician Joby Smith about his most important tool of the trade, and the answer will surprise you. It is not a hammer, pair of pliers or screwdriver. A cellphone is his most prized gadget. That makes sense when you spend 185 days away from home each year. “Family is important. I phone home a lot to keep in touch.” And to order Valentine’s Day flowers.
“We can’t do without those guys.” Cory Johnston speaks for all of his Bassmaster Elite Series peers. Here, you see Johnston pitching in to help Smith with his boat.
“We can’t do without those guys.” Cory Johnston speaks for all of his Bassmaster Elite Series peers. Here, you see Johnston pitching in to help Smith with his boat.
<b>Trent Miller, Skeeter Boats</b><br> What does service tech Trent Miller like most about his job? “The camaraderie. We all work together and live like a family. When one guy gets backed up, we all pitch in to help get the job done.” Miller travels about 225 days a year and lives in Mountain Home, Ark.
Trent Miller, Skeeter Boats
What does service tech Trent Miller like most about his job? “The camaraderie. We all work together and live like a family. When one guy gets backed up, we all pitch in to help get the job done.” Miller travels about 225 days a year and lives in Mountain Home, Ark.
“The goal is the same. That is to get all the guys back on the water as soon as possible. My tools are their tools, anytime they need them.” When the tools get put away for the season, Miller likes to fish and hunt in the Arkansas Ozarks.
“The goal is the same. That is to get all the guys back on the water as soon as possible. My tools are their tools, anytime they need them.” When the tools get put away for the season, Miller likes to fish and hunt in the Arkansas Ozarks.
<b>Ian Smith, JL Marine Systems (Power-Pole) </b><br> Ian Smith had never traveled outside Florida until his job with Tampa-based Power-Pole. He was mystified by the vagabond lifestyle of the pro anglers. “It’s nice to be able to manage yourself out here on the road. You have your own personal workspace, and want it to be run a certain way. Being the best at what I do to service our customers. That’s all what I really like about the job.” Smith went to work for JL Marine at age 16. The tournament support rep has been with them for 11 years. Each year he travels to 30 tournaments.
Ian Smith, JL Marine Systems (Power-Pole)
Ian Smith had never traveled outside Florida until his job with Tampa-based Power-Pole. He was mystified by the vagabond lifestyle of the pro anglers. “It’s nice to be able to manage yourself out here on the road. You have your own personal workspace, and want it to be run a certain way. Being the best at what I do to service our customers. That’s all what I really like about the job.” Smith went to work for JL Marine at age 16. The tournament support rep has been with them for 11 years. Each year he travels to 30 tournaments.
<b>Dan Tucker, Yamaha </b><br> “We spend more time together than with our families, so we are like a family. Some people might not understand why we work together, regardless of the brand. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. That is to get all the guys taken care of. If they are out there fishing and do well, the rest takes care of itself.” The Yamaha service technician travels 200 days a year.
Dan Tucker, Yamaha
“We spend more time together than with our families, so we are like a family. Some people might not understand why we work together, regardless of the brand. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. That is to get all the guys taken care of. If they are out there fishing and do well, the rest takes care of itself.” The Yamaha service technician travels 200 days a year.
This is a common sight in the service yard about what Tucker said. Everyone pitches in when other jobs are complete and the time allows. No one calls it a day until all jobs are complete, regardless of the issue or the brand. It’s the unwritten code of the service yard saviors.
This is a common sight in the service yard about what Tucker said. Everyone pitches in when other jobs are complete and the time allows. No one calls it a day until all jobs are complete, regardless of the issue or the brand. It’s the unwritten code of the service yard saviors.
<b>Kevin Davenport, Triton Boats</b><br> “I like the family part of the job. Even when I’m home the guys or the anglers check in. My wife laughs, and asks why I don’t get enough of them on the road. I also like to fish. If I can’t go then at least being around it is the next best thing.” Davenport is a tournament support specialist and lives in the Arkansas Ozarks. He travels 220 days a year.
Kevin Davenport, Triton Boats
“I like the family part of the job. Even when I’m home the guys or the anglers check in. My wife laughs, and asks why I don’t get enough of them on the road. I also like to fish. If I can’t go then at least being around it is the next best thing.” Davenport is a tournament support specialist and lives in the Arkansas Ozarks. He travels 220 days a year.
<b>Cheryl Spencer, Lowrance</b><br> “Anytime an angler comes in with an issue, we all try to pitch in if needed to get them back out on the water. The faster we do it, the better that is for all of us. We are like a family. It doesn’t matter what brand we wear on our shirts. We don’t look at that when we are in the service yard. We pitch in and help each other. The boat guys might help me pull cable, or hand me a wrench. I will do the same for them. We just want to get all our guys back out on the water.” Spencer has been with Lowrance for 15 years and is a tournament support tech.
Cheryl Spencer, Lowrance
“Anytime an angler comes in with an issue, we all try to pitch in if needed to get them back out on the water. The faster we do it, the better that is for all of us. We are like a family. It doesn’t matter what brand we wear on our shirts. We don’t look at that when we are in the service yard. We pitch in and help each other. The boat guys might help me pull cable, or hand me a wrench. I will do the same for them. We just want to get all our guys back out on the water.” Spencer has been with Lowrance for 15 years and is a tournament support tech.
<b>Andy Stallings, Phoenix Boats</b><br> “We are big on food. When you are in a town for a week you want food options. We try and find food that everybody likes, because a lot of times we all eat together. Service is important. We are in the service business out here, and we don’t like slow or inconsistent service. We can tolerate not the best food, but the service needs to be good.” Stallings is a tournament support specialist with 20 years of experience in the trade. He gets home cooking from his wife Janet, when back home on his farm in middle Tennessee.
Andy Stallings, Phoenix Boats
“We are big on food. When you are in a town for a week you want food options. We try and find food that everybody likes, because a lot of times we all eat together. Service is important. We are in the service business out here, and we don’t like slow or inconsistent service. We can tolerate not the best food, but the service needs to be good.” Stallings is a tournament support specialist with 20 years of experience in the trade. He gets home cooking from his wife Janet, when back home on his farm in middle Tennessee.
“I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 with slide outs for tools and parts. I carry boat trailer parts, pumps, lights and the hardware needed to work on the boats.” Stallings brings the parts and the skills, and lives out of this rig about 225 days each year.
“I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 with slide outs for tools and parts. I carry boat trailer parts, pumps, lights and the hardware needed to work on the boats.” Stallings brings the parts and the skills, and lives out of this rig about 225 days each year.
<b>Michael White, Nitro Boats</b><br> “What I most like about the job is being outside all the time. For 20 years I worked inside a window-less building at a factory for 12 hours a day. Outside, you’ve always got a view. I send pictures to my buddies of me sitting inside my truck and took the shot from my windshield view and facing the lake. I caption it, ‘Here is the view from my office.’” White is a tournament support field technician on the road 27 weeks each year. At home he enjoys working on his farm outside Springfield, Mo.
Michael White, Nitro Boats
“What I most like about the job is being outside all the time. For 20 years I worked inside a window-less building at a factory for 12 hours a day. Outside, you’ve always got a view. I send pictures to my buddies of me sitting inside my truck and took the shot from my windshield view and facing the lake. I caption it, ‘Here is the view from my office.’” White is a tournament support field technician on the road 27 weeks each year. At home he enjoys working on his farm outside Springfield, Mo.

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