By now, I expect you’ve heard about the merger between American Sport Fish Hatchery and Bob Lusk Outdoors. All involved are excited, primarily because both entities are combining our strengths and strengthening our weaknesses. Here’s some background. American Sport Fish is based in Montgomery, Alabama and are probably best known for their decades of work developing the famous F1 “Tiger” bass, a superior genetic line of Largemouth bass, selected over three decades for fast-growing, big bass. But they also are producers of other sport fish, especially coppernose bluegills, redear sunfish, threadfin shad. They raise a variety of other fish as well. But most people don’t know they have a pond management division and a dredging company as well.
American Sport Fish’s company is not only well known as a fish supplier and their other services, but they are outstanding with on-the-ground operations. That’s been one of my weaknesses. While Bob Lusk Outdoors has excellent employees, American Sport Fish is outstanding when it comes to getting things done and following a management plan. One of my biggest strengths is working with our clients and developing those management strategies.
Merging the two companies now brings the best of those two worlds.
As we move ahead, Shawn McNulty and Robby Mays will be overseeing operations, while Walter Bassano will our supervisor/point man.
The agreement we have in the merger is that I will continue doing what I do best, working with select clients to develop the best management strategy as possible as an independent consultant, while they handle all day to day operations. That means we’ll make a couple of changes. I’ll help them learn about all the clients and our history, to make a fluid transition. Justin and Chad will continue to do what they do as fisheries biologists. For clients that want my 40 years of experience and knowledge, we’ll work out a separate consulting agreement.

I've had several comments from people wondering how this affects Pond Boss. It doesn't affect Pond Boss at all, except now I'll have more time to visit the forum and build more readership.


Personally, this merger will shift a big workload off my shoulders onto American Sport Fish Hatchery.

For clarity, for years I've done several things, First, I'm a private lake consultant, helping people design, build, stock, and manage private fishing lakes. Secondly, I've been the owner of Bob Lusk Outdoors, our pond management company that goes out and does the work of pond management, including stocking fish, aquatic plant management, aeration system sales and installation, and most all things associated with pond management. This is the part that merged with American Sport Fish.

The third thing I've done is publish Pond Boss magazine. That's a whole different company, not affiliated with the other two. Pond Boss is its own living entity, and that's where it will be, rolling on its own merit.

You'll see me on the forum more often now.


Teach a man to grow fish...
He can teach to catch fish...