McLEAN, Va. (January 18, 2011)—Angler/entrepreneur Ben Hobbins of Madison, Wisc. is the latest appointee to the Future Fisherman Foundation’s board of directors. Hobbins turned heads in 2006 with his invention of IronClads™, a line of life-like, soft-plastic fishing lures specially made to be extra-strong and nontoxic. Because these lures stay firmly on the hook, they don’t wind up at the bottom of lakes and rivers like 25 million pounds of other plastic lures each year. The invention has been deemed sweeping, so strong in fact that in 2010, Outdoor Life magazine recognized Hobbins ‘’Innovator’’ in its “OL 25,” a group of men and women who have had significant positive impact on hunting and fishing. Outdoor Life said, “Hobbins’ eco-friendly IronClads showed that lake and stream clean-up, through tackle innovation, could come from within—from the anglers themselves—rather than from outside preservation groups, reinforcing the idea that sportsmen’s sanctuaries should stay in the hands of sportsmen.” These revolutionary IronClads™ won a Popular Science Top 10 Invention Award and were chosen Best of Show at the 2008 Chicagoland Outdoor Show.
Hobbins is a lifelong outdoorsman and conservationist. In addition to his job as chief executive officer of the Lake Resources Group, which manufactures IronClads™ lures, he serves as executive director of the American and Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs Network and as a board member on the FishAmerica Foundation’s Conservation Committee.
Hobbins also is co-founder of the Lake Delton Fisheries Restoration Project, which helped rebuild, refill and restock this southern Wisconsin lake that was destroyed during a dam breach and flooding in 2008. In June 2010, to highlight and celebrate the restoration of the lake area and fisheries, the organization sponsored Lake Delton’s “1st Annual Fishing Jamboree” for youths under the age of 16. The innovator, Hobbins came up with the jamboree theme, “Youth Fisheries Biologist,” representing an entirely unique event format that included ‘‘catch, record and release” of all fish landed at the event. The message, Hobbins said, “is to preserve these initial fish stocks to be caught another day, while providing DNR officials a novel approach to obtaining survey results that does not include shocking, but actual fishing by youths who may one day become biologists themselves.” This approach is envisioned as part of a long-term initiative by founder Hobbins to introduce youth and the public to fishing with a conservation approach that is less competitive, less harvest oriented and based more on an understanding of fisheries and watersheds, and how to restore, enhance and preserve those waterways for angling and for the public.
“Mr. Hobbins’ résumé of accomplishments makes him an ideal person to help further the Future Fisherman Foundation’s mission of promoting fishing as a happy, healthy lifestyle and increasing the number of people who become lifelong, conservation-minded anglers,” said F3 executive director Keith Sutton. “He’ll be a welcome addition to the dedicated group of individuals already serving on F3’s board.”
Current F3 board members include Kerry Campbell of the TTI-Blakemore Fishing Group; Jesse Simpkins with Plano Molding Co.; Mark Adams with the National Marine Manufacturers Assoc.; Chris Horton, former conservation director for B.A.S.S.; Steve Marshall, State Angler Education Director for the Fla. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Comm.; Roxanne Coleman with Pure Fishing; Ray Scott of Ray Scott Outdoors; Mike Walker with the Walker Agency; and Brent Frazee, outdoors editor for the Kansas City Star.
Established in 1986, the Future Fisherman Foundation unites the sportfishing industry and a nationwide network of state outdoor educators, national conservation groups and youth organizations dedicated to introducing America’s youth to angling and the outdoors. These efforts help people of all ages have safe and enjoyable fishing experiences that foster conservation ethics.
