Randy Hopper

Few, if any, people have had a more powerful influence on bass boating and fishing over a longer period of time than Randy Hopper of Flippin, Ark. Having worked his way up from laborer to President and CEO of Ranger Boats — and now to co-founder and CEO of Vexus Boats Co. — Hopper embodies the great American success story.

After joining Ranger in 1970, Hopper worked side-by-side with founder Forrest L. Wood in building and refining the standard-setting Ranger bass boats. He helped design and introduce the first aerated livewells for bass boats in 1973, making catch-and-release tournament fishing a reality. He and Wood helped create upright-and-level flotation standards for boats, and he was instrumental in the development of Ranger’s sponson V hulls.

Over the ensuing years, Hopper led Ranger in the introduction of its cutting-edge modified V hulls and, ultimately, high-performance hulls. He was also behind Ranger’s expansion to saltwater fishing boats and Cherokee aluminum rigs.

He was integral in developing RangerTrail trailers with fiberglass fenders, disc brakes and many other innovations that have been widely adopted. He designed heat-shielding fiberglass lids for livewells and the industry’s first integrated engine setback system. And he developed and patented the use of “pultruded fiberglass” to replace plywood in boat transoms, establishing another industry standard.

Hopper was responsible for Ranger’s being the first brand to incorporate flotation foam that doesn’t deplete ozone, and for the research and development of boat-building processes that drastically reduce other harmful emissions.

Professional tournament anglers owe a debt of gratitude to Hopper. Through Ranger, he assembled some of the sport’s top pro teams, and he was always open to supporting promising young anglers at the outset of their career. He was invaluable in the launch of FLW Outdoors, which advanced tournament fishing through higher payouts, innovative television coverage, engagement of non-endemic sponsors, wrapped boats and NASCAR-inspired uniforms.

Hopper and others at Ranger launched Vexus boats eight years ago, and he continues to design and engineer new, state-of-the-sport fiberglass and aluminum models. A former trustee of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and board member of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Hopper has always believed in generously “giving back” to the sport that means so much to him.