Opening Cast – July 2024

The Opening Cast

by Richard Simms

As we’ve shared, in May the CrappieNOW crew, fishing guides, manufacturers and tourism officials gathered at Barnett Reservoir in Ridgeland, Mississippi for the 2024 Media Camp. It was an opportunity for media-content gathering and fellowship.

It was there I finally got to shake the hand of Jeff Smith, the owner/operator of Trout Magnet and Crappie Magnet – the maker of some of the most popular trout and crappie lures on the market.

As a fishing guide, I have been a loyal Crappie Magnet fan for 15 years or more. Unfortunately, in all those years, I’d never had the chance to meet, or even speak with the top dog, Jeff Smith. When I spotted him in a boat as we all prepared to go chase crappie on Barnett Reservoir (The Rez), I made a point to go introduce myself.

It went like this.

ME: Hi Jeff. I just wanted to meet the man responsible for helping me and my clients fill the livewell with crappie the last 15 years.

JEFF (shaking my hand): Good to meet you. What’s your name?

ME: Oh, sorry. I’m Richard Simms a writer and gui….

JEFF (cutting me off in mid-sentence): Oh goodness! Richard Simms! Sure, I know who you are. It’s awesome to finally meet you!

I could drag this little back-patting, mutual-admiration session out, but the bottom line, I knew instantly this Jeff Smith-guy was not your typical corporate CEO with a stiff upper lip and the stuffy attitude to match. He was just “one of the guys” anxious to pull away from the dock and go catch some fish.

Later that evening I listened as he addressed the room full of writers and fishing guides. The time was supposed to be an opportunity for Jeff to make a sales pitch, telling us about all the latest and greatest stuff Crappie Magnet is doing to lure more fishermen. He did that for maybe one minute.

Then he proceeded to share what his company means personally to him and how the relationships he’s built have enriched his life, and most importantly, his understanding and appreciation of God.

Later, one-on-one, he explained it this way.

“Growing up we were taught about who God was and what he did. But it wasn’t until later in life that I really got to see and really understand who he is, and my business is a part of that.

“Fishing has always drawn me back to that – sharing who God is and what he does for us has been THE most exciting part of my business. It’s not just helping someone catch a fish. It’s seeing how we can help people. But what I found is, as I started helping them, they helped me more because they gave back to me.

“It is more blessed to give than receive,’ is so true,” said Jeff sincerely. “I’ve been so blessed by meeting people like Les Smith and Blake Phillips and Dude Maddox and all these other people around the country, that my faith has grown because I spent time on the lake with these amazing Godly people.”

When we parted, it was clear to me that under Jeff Smith’s leadership, Trout Magnet and Crappie Magnet are about more than dollars and cents. Sure, that has to be part of it because his business is supporting the lives and livelihoods of others. But in between the dollar signs and decimal points, Jeff Smith believes he has a mission far more meaningful than money. That mission will never show up on a spreadsheet or in a bank account, but hopefully in the hearts and minds of other anglers.

That gives me even more faith (pun intended) in Crappie Magnet than I already had.

Richard Simms, Editor

“The outdoors is not a place, it’s a state of mind.”

Capt. Richard Simms is the Editor of CrappieNOW magazine as well as owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters. Formerly he was a game warden for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency before becoming a photographer and PR guy for TWRA. That lead to a 30-year career as a broadcast journalist and freelance outdoor writer. Follow Capt. Simms other writings on his “Richard’s Ramblings” Facebook page.