I have been working with Zippo outdoor to get the word out about the great things that they and their representation are doing.  Today they sent me some interesting information about one of their teams that have a special place in their hearts (and stomachs).

Doug Yohe and Charlie Brant are two unique individuals that have been part of the Zippo Team for 9 years now.

Krissie Mason with Primer 180 stated: “Doug Yohe is a former restaurant owner and Charlie Brant is a veteran who served our country, and came home with agent orange and other difficulties. Now both are retired and travel the Cabela’s Master Walleye Circuit with a sense of fun, commitment and determination. They come to each town and set up a fish fry in which they batter and cook up batches of fish with potatoes and coleslaw. Doug and Charlie do this voluntarily to help the National  Professional Anglers Association promote Kids and Family Fishing Clinics, and to bring awareness to Wounded Warriors, and Disabled Veterans fishing Events.”
 
Here is the big announcement from Zippo Outdoor

Bradford, PA – Zippo® Outdoor has signed Walleye Angling Pros and 2012 Master Walleye Circuit Mille Lacs Lake Tournament Champions Doug Yohe and Charlie Brant, to their 9th consecutive sponsorship agreement for the 2014 Cabela’s Master Walleye Circuit Tournament Series.

 “It all started back in 2006 when I still owned my restaurant”, commented Doug Yohe.  “I had fished a tournament in Henderson Harbor, NY, and it was being televised in my restaurant in Bradford, PA. I had asked some of the small local businesses if they would be willing to sponsor me.   George Duke, the owner of Zippo®, just happened to be in the house that night and offered to sponsor me in a big way”, adds Yohe.

 “Zippo® has continued to support Doug Yohe and teammate, Charlie Brant, since then because they are gutsy guys in a sport fishing category known for extreme conditions. This kind of adventurous lifestyle is a great fit for our Outdoor product line”, says Chris Funk, Zippo® Outdoor Brand Manager.

 “We are really excited about our MWC Tournament prospects this year!” Yohe offers.  “And now there is a whole Zippo Outdoor team to support us!  Two products we really like are the Rugged LanternTM and Hand Warmers. They are absolute must-haves when it’s dark, or when you are jiggin’ in cold weather. Charlie and I always have one, or two of the Warmers in our pockets. They keep us comfortable and in the game on those extreme weather days we have in early Spring”, he adds.

 When the fishing day is done and the pair head to their motel, Yohe and Brant drop down the tailgate and do an impromptu fish fry for anybody who happens to be at the drive-in. “Charlie deep fries some of the best walleye I’ve ever eaten”, says Yohe. And as a former restaurateur, that is saying something.  “Yeah he won’t even tell me what makes up his secret batter.”

 “Well, it’s Town House crackers, hot sauce, vinegar, sugar, and eggs.  But the magic is in the measurements.” And that’s when Charlie gets tight lipped. “You just dip ‘em, roll ‘em, and fry ‘em” , says Brant.

 “We are the best marriage of a team I’ve ever seen”, comments Yohe. “We have this unspoken understanding and mutual respect.  We take our wins together and our lumps together. There is no squabbling, or finger pointing.”

 “Yeah, I’d say we are more like brothers than fishin’ partners.” Brant adds.

 Whatever the relationship, one thing is certain: both Charlie and Doug agree that Zippo® Outdoor engineers and designs products that make the Great Outdoors Greater, by helping them get on the boat earlier, and keeps them out catching fish, longer.

 About MWC

Founded in 1984, the Cabela’s MWC is the oldest team tournament circuit in the walleye world. It has a rich history of intense competition on top destinations, plus youth outreach and a lasting legacy of conservation that includes more than $300,000 in donations to fisheries projects in states where its tournaments are held. www.masterswalleyecircuit.com.

 About Zippo® Outdoor

Born from Zippo’s legacy of fire, durability and reliability, Zippo® Outdoor offers a full line of products designed to enhance the outdoor experience. Zippo Outdoor offers the performance consumers expect while establishing a new standard for quality that sets the brand apart in the marketplace. Zippo® Outdoor is engineered to exceed and provides an outdoor experience that is unmistakably Zippo®. Celebrating more than 82 years of business in Bradford, PA, Zippo® is one of the most recognized brands in the world, and has produced over 500 million windproof lighters, each backed by an unparalleled lifetime guarantee.