OLATHE, Kan./January 8, 2015/Business Wire – Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the addition of several professional anglers, including Jason Christie, the number one ranked bass fisherman in the world, and Greg Hackney, the 2014 Bassmaster Angler of the Year. They join a host of fishermen that will be representing Garmin and its new line of sonar and GPS devices designed specifically for freshwater anglers across the B.A.S.S. Elite Series and FLW Tour bass fishing circuits in 2015.
In the last five years, professional angler Jason Christie has had five wins on a national level with a career total of 10 FLW wins and three B.A.S.S. Elite wins. A native of Oklahoma, Christie currently holds the number one BassFan World Ranking for the second consecutive year.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Garmin team,” said Christie. “In our profession, seeing is believing and from what I’ve seen – especially the clear fish returns and precise map detail – I know Garmin is going to give me the competitive advantage on the water.”
Greg Hackney, two-time B.A.S.S. Elite Series champion, has recorded four FLW victories, four B.A.S.S. Elite victories, and a combined 70 top-10 finishes across both circuits in his career. Hackney, a Louisiana native, was recently named 2014 Angler of the Year.
“From my experience, the technology at Garmin is much more advanced and will give me a huge advantage on the tournament trail,” said Hackney. “I’m excited about what’s to come from my partnership with Garmin as I really believe they offer the clearest sonar on the market today and will continue to revolutionize the world of sonar technology moving forward.”
Other professional anglers joining Christie and Hackney on the 2015 Garmin team include:
- Stetson Blaylock, FLW Tour
- Clent Davis, FLW Tour
- Charlie Evans, FLW Tour
- Jason Lambert, FLW Tour
- John Murray, B.A.S.S. Elite
- Fred Roumbanis, B.A.S.S. Elite
- Casey Scanlon, B.A.S.S. Elite
- Clark Wendlandt, FLW Tour
They join a number of pros currently representing Garmin on the B.A.S.S. Elite and FLW Tour tournament circuits, including Scott Martin, Brent Chapman, and Dion, Guido and Payden Hibdon. Rounding out the team is bass fishing’s elder statesman and ambassador, Bill Dance.
To support these fishermen on and off the tournament trail, Darrell Rollins, Garmin’s new marine pro-staff manager, has also joined the team. Rollins brings decades of experience working with professional anglers and marine electronics, and further demonstrates that Garmin is committed to being a top player in the freshwater fishing industry. The 2015 pro team will use Garmin electronics on their boats and during tournaments, television shows, and in public appearances. They’ll be equipped with best-in-class sonar technology and electronics and the most detailed lake maps available on the market today aboard their boats as they hit the tournament trail. Garmin DownVü™ and SideVü™ scanning sonar provide a near-picture quality representation of objects, structure and fish that are found both underneath the boat and also to the sides. These true-to-life images give an angler a better idea of the most ideal spots and underwater structure for fishing, and provide the clearest sonar picture of fish returns available on the market today. And many of the popular Garmin echoMAP™ and GPSMAP® chartplotter/sonar combination devices feature DownVü and SideVü, as well as CHIRP and traditional sonar technology built-in. Additionally, Garmin continues to increase its inland lakes cartography offerings with its expanded database of LakeVü™HD maps available on Garmin marine units. A total of 17,000 inland lakes are represented across the U.S., including more than 5,700 HD lakes with 1-foot contour lines shore-to-shore. For the ultimate freshwater fishing map, Garmin also offers LakeVü HD Ultra with high resolution Relief Shading, making it easier to interpret contours and find fish holding structure. LakeVü HD Ultra also features Dynamic Lake Level that enables the user to adjust maps to the lake’s current water levels, and Depth Range Shading to view designated target depths. A Garmin exclusive, Auto Guidance is also available to create a route that avoids shallow water and other charted obstructions. What’s more, Garmin has surveyed more than 70 of the top fishing lakes in the U.S. to provide LakeVü HD Ultra MaxDef lakes, the most feature-rich freshwater maps Garmin has ever offered. More of these ultra-high detail maps are being added for lakes across the country all the time. Garmin’s portfolio includes some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar technology, high-definition radar, autopilots, high-resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use. For 25 years, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary business units, including automotive, aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garmin, or youtube.com/garmin.
