Forrest Wood

Forrest Wood (1932 – 2020) Growing up in a small north/central Arkansas town taught Mr. Wood traits that have helped him influence millions of people during his career. Hard work, honesty, pride in workmanship and integrity.

In the mid 1960’s, before professional bass fishing began, he made his living in a couple of different ways. First, he was a very successful trout guide on the White River. So successful, he employed several anglers to help him cover the demands that he received for his services. His wife and four daughters helped by preparing lunches for his clients. Lunches that included fried chicken that became almost as famous as did the guide himself.

In addition to guiding, he also worked as a building contractor in the wintertime, when it was too cold to fish. A successful business that almost didn’t allow him time to fish when the weather warmed. As luck would have it, there were more people who wanted to fish, than to have homes built.

In 1967, when Ray Scott held his first B.A.S.S. tournament, Mr. Wood did not compete. Why? Because he didn’t know about it. However, he fished the second event, on Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama, and began an historic career.

In order to keep the good guides who worked for him in the summer, busy in the winter, he started a small boat repair business on the side. A small business that turned into one of the most well-known bass boat companies in the world.

Ranger Boats, as he would call his company, may have come from humble beginnings, but, his wife, and partner, of over fifty-years, Nina, enabled him to see what bass fishing could, and would, become one day. This vision helped Ranger grow into the largest employer in north/central Arkansas.

Mr. Wood, the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society, with Ray Scott, laid the groundwork for professional bass fishing. One man working with the other. One company leading the drive to unite anglers around the world, while Ranger supported and sponsored B.A.S.S. in their quest.

No other, in professional bass fishing history, has been as responsible for supporting and sponsoring fishermen, and tournament trails, than has Ranger Boat Company, led by Forrest Wood.

Mr. Wood is also quite an accomplished professional angler. He competed on the B.A.S.S. circuit for many years, even qualifying for two Bassmaster Classics and he won the New York Invitational B.A.S.S. tournament on the St. Lawrence River, in june of 1979.

While most people know him as the founder of Ranger Boats, not many people realize the tremendous contributions he has made both publicly and privately.

Throughout the years, this outstanding humanitarian and philanthropist has donated millions of dollars to such organizations as: American Cancer Society; St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital; Epilepsy Society of America and literally hundreds of smaller, regional organizations throughout his thirty-four years in the business.