Pro Staff

Meet Butchers Baits Pro Staff Team

 

My name is Gary Butcher.  My wife and I established Butchers Baits at the beginning of 2021.  My passion for fishing began at a young age.  My dad would let me tag along with him and his buddies on their fishing adventures. 

I fished (AND WON) my first ever tournament at the age of 18 on Sand Lake in Nottawa  Township, Michigan.  It was the local Arjay's Wednesday Night League.  I still fish this league to this day and am the only original angler remaining. I fish around 30 tournaments a year in different circuits.  The largest tournament I ever fished was the TBF National Semi-Finals on Kentucky Lake.  I have won numerous plaques from local circuit and classic finishes.  My first year as owner of Butchers Baits, my partner and I won Angler of the Year and the Classic.  The only soft plastics we used were my custom baits. 

I truly enjoy running my own business making custom soft plastic baits for anglers to help them enjoy the outdoors as much as I do.

With strengths in communication and relationships, Andy Buss fulfills many leadership roles that strengthen his influence both in the classroom and the fishing boat. Twenty years of teaching has brought him great satisfaction and success such as being nominated six times as “Most Inspirational Teacher,” nine times as finalist for “Teacher of the Year,” and the 2022 Urey Middle School Teacher of the Year. He boasts dozens of bass fishing tournament victories, operates the Social Media for Megaware KeelGuard, and authors their blog.

When not in the classroom, he spends much of his time as a competitive angler. After competing locally for 16 years, he plunged into professional events in 2014. In 2016 he finished 29 out of 197 professionals in the FLW Northern Costa Series. This came after he finished 38 out of 260 professionals in the Bassmaster Northern Open Series during 2015. He has been competing in FLW, MLF, and BASS Opens since.

For 10 years he directed the R & B Bass Circuit. In just five years, Buss created the second largest team bass fishing circuit in the states of Indiana and Michigan with over 200 members. Two years ago, he stepped down, but continues to compete in dozens of events throughout Indiana and Michigan and runs the largest singles bass fishing tournament in the state of Indiana, the Hunter of Fish Bass Circuit.

His success on and off the water has led to a solid following on social media sites YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Hi! I am Pro Staffer Scott Smith.  Having grown up in SW Michigan, I have fished from NW Ohio to Northern Indiana and all over Michigan.  I grew up on a small private lake that was probably the best bass lake in the county.  I won my first ever tournament at 14 years old and my most recent tournament win at 46 years old.  I won many in between with many more to come!  I fish multiple tournament circuits including one with my wife.  I have a son, daughter, daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.  I enjoy getting kids involved into fishing and the outdoors.