PRADCO enters catfish sector in ‘big way’ with major acquisition

PRADCO Fishing has acquired Whisker Seeker Tackle, a premium brand of catfish tackle located in Grimes, Iowa.

Whisker Seeker Tackle was founded in 2015 by Matthew Davis, who will continue to operate in Iowa as its Vice President and General Manager. Whisker Seeker Tackle has a direct-to-consumer model and will continue to conduct business this way.

Whisker Seeker Tackle’s vast array of products is explicitly built for catfishing and includes:

• Fishing rods
• Rigs and lures
• Hooks, swivels and terminal tackle
• Landing nets
• Floats
• Monofilament and braided fishing line
• Scales, grips, and knives
• FishFry Breading

For Davis, joining the PRADCO fishing family of brands will ensure he is well-positioned to continue the growth of Whisker Seeker Tackle. With PRADCO’s expertise in product development, logistics and distribution, WST can remain committed to delivering high-quality, innovative catfishing products to its customers.

“With PRADCO’s support, we’re well positioned to propel Whisker Seeker Tackle to the next level,” said Davis. “I’m honoured that Whisker Seeker Tackle will be alongside some of the most iconic fishing brands in the world. I remember seeing many of these brands in my grandfather’s tackle box, so joining forces with PRADCO is a true honour. I look forward to our partnership as we work together to bring more innovative catfish tackle products to our current and future catfish anglers.”

Bruce Stanton, Vice President and General Manager of PRADCO Fishing, said his company has wanted to enter the catfish market in a big way for a long time.

“Every time we started talking about plans and what we wanted to look like in the catfish business, we kept saying we wanted to be like Whisker Seeker Tackle,” he said. “Instead of fighting against Whisker Seeker, we are now all working together to grow what is already the premium brand of catfish-specific tackle in North America.”

For PRADCO Outdoor Brands, PRADCO Fishing’s parent company, the Whisker Seeker Tackle deal marks its first acquisition since 2019. It also is the first acquisition with Brett Basik in charge of mergers and acquisitions.

“Whisker Seeker is a unique brand with a focus on an important market for us going forward,” said Basik, who operates from PRADCO Outdoor Brands’ home office in Birmingham, Alabama. “We are thrilled for Matt and his team to join PRADCO, and we believe the ceiling for this brand is very high.”

PRADCO Outdoor Brands operates some of the most famous brands in hunting and fishing, including Moultrie Mobile, Summit Tree Stands, Heddon, BOOYAH, YUM, Bobby Garland, Thill, Bandit and Rebel.