12 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 13
His roots in the Sooner State go deeper than the red clay soil.
By Mike Nichols
ASonofOklahoma Right: Clem McSpadden is the great-nephew of Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, and grew up on Will’s ranch near Oologah. Admired in the Sooner State, his roots in Oklahoma go deeper than the red clay soil. Clem’s great-grandfather, Clement Rogers, had a trading post in what now is Rogers County before the Civil War. That grandfather also was a member of the first Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. Clem is a legend in the rodeo world, a savvy veteran of Oklahoma and national politics and the owner of an incomparable voice that can still be heard today in several media outlets. Far right: Clem and his wife Donna pose of the steps of their backyard patio. Clem and Dona were married in 1962. Donna is the manager of the McSpadden office in Chelsea, and handles many of the day-to-day activities for her well-known husband. “If I am a good man,” says Clem, “I’ve got the backing of a good woman behind me. I’d be completely lost without her.”
14 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
t 82 and grappling with some medical problems, he moves a bit slower today as he navigates the steps leading in and out of his home located on a quiet street in Chelsea. “I feel all right. I’m just weaker than a dog,” says Clem McSpadden, the silver-haired, silvertongued native son of Oklahoma. “It’s been a miserable winter for us,” he adds, “but not too bad on the cows.” Clem has owned cows since he was a boy growing up in northeastern Oklahoma, and keeps about 150 head on “the little place my grandparents settled” way back in 1885. His roots are indeed deep in Oklahoma. His great-grandfather, Clement Rogers, was a member of the first Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. And, Rogers County is named after that great-grandfather. Oklahoma’s favorite son, Will Rogers, is Clem’s great uncle. In fact, Clem grew up on the famous uncle’s ranch in Oologah after Will asked Clem’s dad to come manage the spread. He was just two when the family made the short trek from his birthplace of Bushyhead to the Oologah ranch. While he’s traveled far and wide across the nation, Clem’s made his home in Chelsea for years with his wife, Donna, in the white frame two-story house he says is much too large now for the couple. AN OKLAHOMA SON Visible reminders that this son of Oklahoma is indeed a special part of the Sooner State pop up when drivers head out of Claremore on Route 66 toward Chelsea. A large green rectangular road sign on the highway tells motorists they’re traveling on the Clem McSpadden Highway from Claremore to Foyil. That stretch is in recognition of his efforts to improve the old “Mother Road” before the Will Rogers Turnpike stretched from Tulsa to the Missouri line. Passing the Chelsea Post Office on the way to the McSpadden home, it’s difficult to ignore that the building is officially designated as the Clem Rogers McSpadden Post Office Building. Its name officially changed Jan. 10, 2008, after U.S. Rep. Dan Boren passed federal legislation to honor his father’s (David) former gubernatorial rival. In ceremonies that day, Rep. Boren said: “Very few people would make such a good role model for us all as Clem McSpadden. I consider myself to be one of the many Oklahomans he has had a positive Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 15
influence on.” The ceremonial post office name change held even more meaning when Clem was presented a package containing 25 original letters he carried in 1938 when he participated in a re-enactment of the Pony Express ride from Oologah to Claremore. “Like I’ve said before,” he jokes as he pauses to take a sip of coffee and a drag from a cigarette at his kitchen table, “I didn’t think they named a post office after a person until they were dead, so I hope they weren’t trying to tell me something.” There was a message, but not that.
Above: Clem McSpadden sits at his kitchen table with his cup of coffee and ash tray as he recalls his years in public service. The lifelong Democrat, who served one term in the U.S. Congress and 18 years in the Oklahoma State Senate, is surprised to see the people seeking his party’s nomination for President of the United States. “I didn’t think I’d ever see the day when a black man and a woman were running. I just never thought I’d see that.” He’s not a big fan of either, saying that “Obamba’s full of it as a Christmas goose.” Hillary Clinton doesn’t hold a lofty ranking on his list, either. And he says that he’s old fashioned enough that he can’t vote for the apparent Republican nominee John McCain. “But you know where he is” on the issues facing voters. Far right: Clem McSpadden exhibits many different facial expressions when speaking of his life and career, including the serious, the memorable and the laughable. 16 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
A PART OF OUR FABRIC It was, as Rep. Boren said that January day, that “Clem is fully a part of the fabric that makes Oklahomans what we are today.” He’s been honored by almost every rodeo organization in the nation, had Clem McSpadden Day proclaimed in Oklahoma by Gov. Brad Henry, named to the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Cowboy Hall of Fame. That’s only a few of the many laurels tossed Clem’s way over his lifetime. Clem toyed with rodeoing growing up on the Rogers Ranch. He even won a few competitions before hitting his teenage years, and was hooked on the cowboy life. When he graduated from Oologah High School, the U.S. was in the midst of World War II. Clem enlisted in the Navy, serving from 1944 to 1946, and earned the rank of lieutenant. “I got lucky,” he says in his spellbinding voice, “I never had to go outside the U.S.” He came out of the Navy with enough college hours to be classified as a junior. The Navy sent him to college at University of Redlands in California, North Texas Agricultural College (now Arlington State) and the University of Texas. “I got the best education the folks could have offered.” THE IBA CONNECTION He enrolled at OSU after his discharge, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry in 1948. He walked on to play basketball for Coach Henry Iba while at OSU. “I didn’t know much about basketball after playing at Oolagah. But I could run and I could dribble. I learned more in 30 days from that man. He was a great, great guy.” Clem’s basketball memories of OSU include having to try to guard
All American Bob Kurland during practices. He remembers Mr. Iba putting him and another player on Kurland, and trying to guard the big man “until we gave out.” It was at OSU that Clem polished the voice heard in rodeo arenas for more than 50 years. He and five other students also helped start the school’s collegiate rodeo team. “I did three broadcasts every morning, starting at 5:30 a.m. (for the Cooperative Extension Service). They’d hand us copy. It might be on how to prune trees or about cattle. You talk about being scared. I can look at 10,000 people and talk, but you sit in that studio – it’s scary.” His rodeo announcing career started by accident in the late 1940s in Iowa. He was a contestant in roping and bulldogging at the Story City competition. The Saturday performance was rained out, and had to be rescheduled for Sunday. The man who did the announcing chores was sent back to Missouri by his father-in-law to open the family saddlery store on Monday morning. CLEM WILL ANNOUNCE “Somebody said Clem will announce,” he remembers. That was the start of an illustrious announcing career that has taken Clem across the map for more than half a century. “I thought I’d never see another poor day,” he remembers after winning $286 in calf roping and $25 per announcing performance. “I had every pocket full of money.” His rodeo announcing credits would fill a book. Some of the more notable include the National Finals Rodeo, the Calgary Stampede (he was he first announcer from America to do the Calgary Stampede), and the Winter Olympics at Calgary. He’s also announced numerous rodeos across Oklahoma and in 39 other states as well as some in Mexico and Argentina. In addition to announcing the NFR during its nearly 20-year stay in Oklahoma City, Clem also served as general manager of the event for 18 years. “It came here homeless and in debt,” Clem remembers. “Oklahoma City brought it back.” While his announcing career earned him accolades, he found that he did need a full time job. After graduating from OSU he got a job at Nowata teaching agriculture to WW II veterans. “I had to have a job. It paid about $375 a month. It was a living.” Vets attended once or twice a week in the two-year program, and Clem taught them about feeds and feeding, breeding, crop rotation and “a little bit of everything.” The job did allow him enough time off to further his announcing career. POLITICAL AMBITIONS In the early 1950s, Clem became “seriously interested” in politics. He ran for and was elected as the state senator representing Rogers and Nowata Counties. “It didn’t cost that much money to run” so Clem threw his hat in that arena. “I spent $1,300 to run that first time. I just knocked on doors for 90 days, from early to late. It could be done today.” He was elected to the state senate in 1954 and served some 18 years. During his tenure, Clem was elected president pro tempore
for two sessions. At the time, he was the first senator to serve two consecutive terms as pro temp and also was the youngest person to ever hold that position. Clem only faced one challenger during his years as state senator. That’s when redistricting took away Nowata County and made the new district Rogers, Mayes and Delaware Counties. He faced an incumbent state senator from Mayes County. “I had 30 days to campaign,” he remembers. “I thought if I could go to Delaware County and get along with the people there that I could get elected. I carried that county, and just lost Mayes County by 20 or 30 votes. That was the only opponent I had in 18 years in the senate.” He thoroughly enjoyed his years in the senate. “We all were just members of the state senate – Democrats and Republicans – and we got along.” CLEM GOES TO CONGRESS Clem stepped aside from the senate in 1972 to run for the U.S. Congress. He won the seat, and began serving as the U.S. Congressman for the second district of Oklahoma on Jan. 3, 1973. In Congress, Clem became the first first-term House member in history to be named to the prestigious Rules Committee. He also helped start the Rural Caucus, which unites members of both parties who are dedicated to the success of rural America. Clem, a Democrat, served on the Oklahoma House delegation with some political heavyweights including Carl Albert and Tom Steed along with Jim Jones, John Jarman and Happy Camp. Henry Bellmon and Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 17
Dewey Bartlett were the state’s two U.S. Senators. “Lordy yes,” he says of his counterparts on the state delegation, “we were close even if we were on different sides of the aisle. It wasn’t the Republican-Democrat adversarial thing then. “But,” Clem declares, “there are no Carl Alberts or Tom Steeds today. And Henry Bellmon. I can’t say enough nice about him. He’s a good man. He was his own man. I consider him a personal friend. “Dan Boren would have a chance (to be a statesman), but he’s not liberal enough. Frank Lucas is great for agriculture, but he’s onedimensional. But he’s a fine person and he’s my friend.” Clem served only one term in Congress, opting to leave in 1974. He decided to run for governor. He faced incumbent David Hall, who was indicted by a federal grand jury just three days after leaving office, and state Rep. David Boren. FINISHES SECOND “I lost my head and ran for governor, and I got second!” After leading the primary election, Clem found himself in the Democratic runoff against Boren, the man he calls the “shrewdest politician in Oklahoma in my lifetime.” He had never lost a political race, and the defeat by Boren more than 30 years ago is still a painful memory. “I will always believe if the elder Gaylord (E.K., owner and publisher of The Oklahoman) had lived, I’d been governor. He was 102. He told me what he was interested in, and he was going to endorse me. “But he died in May, and his son (Edward L.) came in and did everything different. He went for Boren,” says Clem. “It was the worst thing to know that you were gonna get beat and there was nothing you could do about it.”
While recent health issues have kept him away from the routine he’s had for so many years, the telephone is always near today when his advice is sought on legislative issues arising in Oklahoma. Clem laughs that the legislative and lobbying firm he started in 1983 is doing fine without “this old man” personally being in the capitol. While he might not be there in person, he remains on top of the issues and believes water will be the biggest issue in Oklahoma’s future. 18 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
Boren won the runoff by about 30,000 votes, with most of the plurality coming in the 25- to 30-mile radius of Oklahoma City where The Oklahoman carried the most influence. “The rest of the state was a dead heat,” Clem remembers. “I was feeling kind of bad. But a friend told me don’t feel so bad. He said you got the reserve champion governor.” While the defeat still haunts him, his run for governor brought a thrill he never will forget. Mr. Iba endorsed his former basketball player, saying Clem was the best choice to fill the mansion on 23rd Street. “That was the thrill of a lifetime. Lordy,” says Clem, “what a man he was! He left a legacy that will last forever.” ONE AND ONLY His first election loss was his one and only. Clem never seriously considered running again. “My wife told me if I ran for school board, I’d be doomed,” he says with a grin. “She’s the speaker of my house, a brilliant lady.” He heeded her advice that day, and they now have been married for some 46 years. “But,” he adds with the twinkle of that old politician in his eye, “there isn’t a week that goes by that I’m not reminded of a favor I’ve done for somebody.” Out of the political limelight, Clem focused on rodeo once again. Not long after David Boren was inaugurated in 1975, the “World’s Richest Roping” competition, pitting the best against the best, was inaugurated on McSpadden’s Bushyhead Ranch. He started another event, the Bushyhead 101 roping contest eight years later. That roping contest still is held annually, attracting the best ropers every Labor Day weekend to northeast Oklahoma. The NFR was in Oklahoma City through 1984, and since Clem was the general manager, he kept busy with that rodeo along with many others after exiting politics. He also was in a movie, “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” starring Scott Glen and Kate Capshaw. Clem was the announcer for a bull-riding event in that show. It wasn’t his first movie, either. He also had a role in the 1971 film starring Cliff Robertson, “J.W. Coop.” He made another appearance on the silver screen in the 1988 film, “Dark Before Dawn,” where he played a cattleman. Wide World of Sports National television even came calling for Clem’s services. He worked for ABC for about three years and did many televised rodeos along with other segments of the popular Wide World of Sports series. He worked at ABC side-by-side with the Emmy-award winning sports announcer Jim McKay and sports broadcasting pioneer Roone Arledge. Clem’s voice has been a popular commodity in Oklahoma advertising circles for years. It’s his voice on the television ad for Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City that has been around for years and years.
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He also can be heard in television ads for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Card partner Atwoods. Clem’s ad credits also include many audios for livestock sales and breed associations. “It’s a piece of cake,” says Clem of the advertising. “It’s not work.” While he didn’t seek public office again, the veteran of so many years in Oklahoma and national politics remains involved. In 1983, Clem started McSpadden and Associates. It is a government relations firm with a variety of clients. Headquartered in Chelsea, the firm’s presence is well known and respected at the state capitol. Clem and his son, Bart, are partners in the legislative consulting and lobbying firm. Grandson James McSpadden also is a member of the firm along with Jamie Longacre. “We work closely with all farm groups and meet weekly with them during the session. We have a strong, close-knit organization by doing so.” Until Clem began experiencing some medical problems this year, he joined his son, grandson and Jamie at the capitol during legislative sessions each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A LOT OF BULL “They are getting along just fine without this old man,” Clem says with a grin. “Really, it’s getting to be less fun because of the Democrat-Republican split. “I’ve lived my life in two arenas – politics and rodeos. There’s a lot of bull in each, but in rodeo it’s a dang site more real. Both have amazing similarities. Both are very political. “Rodeo people are great people,” says Clem. “They are throwbacks to farmers and stockmen. They know about good years, bad years, good winters, bad winters. They have a fraternity, and it’s a great fraternity. “I was in politics 20 years and I think I’m known more for rodeos than politics, and that kind of bothers me. I like politics. “But,” Clem concludes, “people have been awfully good to me. And it was interesting working with people.”
MINI BACON & BLUES • 1 pound Certified Angus Beef ® ground beef • 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 1 head roasted garlic • Leaf lettuce • 8 mini rolls or buns • 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped • 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese Preheat grill on high. When hot, reduce temperature to medium. Divide ground beef into 16 equal pieces and shape into flat patties. Combine blue cheese and bacon; place 1 heaping tablespoon on each of eight patties; top with remaining patties. Press edges together and reshape. Grill 5 to 6 minutes for medium rare. Place lettuce on mini buns. Top with burgers, roasted garlic and a dollop of mayonnaise; serve.
HAM QUESADILLAS Serves 4 to 5 • 2 cups shaved ham • 2 teaspoons chili powder • 8 flour tortillas • 8 ounce can corn, drained, or one cup frozen corn • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese In a large bowl toss ham, corn, chili powder and cheese. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place one flour tortilla in skillet; layer with about 1/2 cup of the ham mixture to within 1/2 inch of edge of tortilla. Top with another tortilla. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, turning after 2 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove quesadillas from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Cut quesadillas into wedges to serve.
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 19 Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 19
Teen’s training in Kids Fire Safety Trailer put to the test when
An Ordinary Day
GOES UP IN
SMOKE By Mike Nichols
20 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
You’re a teenager and responsible for your younger siblings after school each day until your parents get home from work. It’s sometime after 3:30 p.m. when you and your siblings exit the bright yellow school bus and go into your home. Inside, you hit the computer and your siblings switch on the television to their favorite afterschool program – a scenario very similar to others in thousands of Oklahoma homes each day. However, something was frighteningly different late last year as the after-school ritual began its daily run on 50-degree-plus fall day in Stephens County. rittany Carter is a shy, quiet-as-a-mouse 13-year-old seventh grader who attends Bray School east of Marlow. She has twin 10-year-old brothers, Cameron and Caden. On Nov. 30, 2007, Brittany and her brothers got off their school bus and went into their rural home – the same routine as every other school day. “Something was weird,” Brittany remembers. The petite, blue-eyed teenager left her computer to investigate the cause of her apprehension. When Brittany entered the utility room, flames were flickering from the ceiling and smoke was beginning to permeate the air. She closed the door on the utility room behind her and went to her brothers as smoke detectors in the Carter home began blurting out their ominous drone. Brittany and her brothers, one barefoot and the other who’d shed his shirt, exited the home. “I told them to get out and get away from the house,” Brittany remembers. Her brothers obeyed without hesitation. The trio exited and assembled safely near the roadway before Brittany used her cell phone to dial 911, and then sent her brothers to grandmother’s house just down the road. She phoned her dad, Tommy, after calling 911. “It scared me,” remembers Tommy. “I came straight home. I was glad everyone was all right. I’m proud of her, and she knows it!” Brittany’s immediate, yet stoic response to the life-threatening event kept everyone safe from the flames that left the family home in ashes. “She did something!” declares Judah Sheppard, south central agent with the Oklahoma Fire Marshall’s Office. “She smelled an odor. She went to investigate and saw fire in the utility room ceiling. She shut the door and got her brothers out.” He said Brittany’s seemingly simple – yet uncommon – reaction to situation was one the Oklahoma fire fighting community would like to see more of. Far too many people, Judah says, attempt to save “things that can be replaced” if a blaze breaks out in their home. He’s seen the tragic results too often – people returning to a smoke-filled home to retrieve a picture or some other keepsake only to be overcome and
added to fire fatality statistics. “Smoke from fire and the confusion it causes inside homes is sometimes more dangerous than the actual blaze,” says Judah. “Thick smoke makes it impossible to see, and two or three gulps of heavy smoke will take you down.” Brittany’s response to the situation is a direct result of training she received – training in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Kids Fire Safety Trailer. “It was taught to me,” Brittany remembers, recalling the day the Kids Fire Safety Trailer made a stop at Bray School when she was a sixth grader. “If there’s a fire, you get down and find a way out of the house. You get down and get low,” she said, recalling what she learned the day the OFB Kids Fire Safety Trailer visited the Bray campus. “What she did instinctively, I attribute to the education she received (in the Kids Fire Safety Trailer),” said Judah. “It made me feel good,” says Brittany, “because I knew what to do that day. I was scared, but I did not panic. I just got everybody out of the house.” Brittany and more than half a million other Oklahoma youngsters have received the fire safety training in the trailers since 1999, when the first one was put into service. A second trailer was put into service in 2001 when the Safety Department found it could not meet all the demands for 1174495 fire safety programs with just one trailer. “Our Kids Fire Safety trailers are specially equipped trailers where children go through an interactive program to learn about home fire safety in a realistic setting,” said Justin Grego, OFB Safety Director. “One of the primary lessons we teach is getting out of the residence safely when there is a fire. We want the kids to remember to keep low because of the toxic fumes present in smoke and assemble outside safely away from the blaze. “It is extremely gratifying to learn of a story like Brittany’s,” said Justin. “I believe education is a powerful tool and a potential lifesaver. “Brittany’s story reinforces my opinion. When you see a youngster like Brittany come through in a crisis you know you’ve done your job correctly.” FB’s Kids Fire Safety Trailers are the only privately owned ones in the state. Two or three of the state’s largest cities have similar trailers for their fire departments to use to educate children in those cities. “There was nothing for most cities and towns until Farm Bureau started its program,” said Judah. “The rural areas don’t get much exposure. Our rural and volunteer fire departments don’t have the fire houses, and these (the two Farm Bureau provides) are a tremendous asset.” “The rural fire departments rely on us for training,” says Grego. “The firemen love it. The trailers are tremendous teaching tools for the children.” Farm Bureau’s two trailers are on the road of a minimum 30 weeks per year. Each trailer can accommodate up to 300 children per day for the fire safety training. “Fires claim 5,000 Americans each year,” says Grego. “Oklahomans have the highest risk in the United States of dying in a fire, with
Far left: Brittany Carter is a seventh grader at Bray School, where spelling is her favorite subject. She’s also active in cheerleading, basketball and softball. And the 13-year-old is a reluctant, but deserving heroine. Relying on training she received in OFB Safety Service’s Fire Safety Trailer, she and her twin brothers promptly evacuated their family’s blazing home. Above left: Brittany Carter’s quick action when a fire broke out in her home drew accolades from Oklahoma Fire Marshall agent Judah Sheppard. He was so impressed that he convinced the Fire Marshall’s office to name her an Honorary Fire Marshall. She is only the 55th person in state history to receive the designation. Judah also secretly arranged an all-school assembly at Bray where Brittany’s actions were recognized in front of the school’s 400 students. Above right: Brittany Carter and her dad, Tommy, pose with the certificate naming her an Honorary State Fire Marshall. Brittany’s action saved her and her brothers from harm in a home fire. Dad says, “I’m pretty proud of her, and she knows it!”
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 21
children at the top of the scale. That statistic alone illustrates the need to increase fire awareness. “Children who go through either of our trailers are taught important lessons such as the use of smoke and carbon dioxide detectors, fire dangers in the home, implementing and practicing a home fire escape plan and contacting emergency services.” While Brittany is quiet, she’s not shy about recommending the OFB Kids Fire Safety Trailer. “I would recommend my friends going through, and I would like to do it again,” she says. “Her actions changed everything,” says Judah of Brittany’s correct response to the fire in her family’s home.
Above top: Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Services put this second trailer on the road in 2001 when demands for fire safety programs were more than could be met with just one trailer. Another new fire safety trailer will be put on the road soon to replace the one purchased in 1999. Above Bottom: Youngsters are shown in an exit drill, which is a part of the training they receive in the OFB Kids Fire Safety Trailer. Above right: Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety Director Justin Grego stands on the exit ladder of a Kids Fire Safety House. Thousands of Oklahoma youngsters have gone through the trailers, and have been educated on basic fire safety in their homes.
22 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
he Fire Marshall agent was so impressed that he went to his superiors with Brittany’s story. The Oklahoma State Fire Marshall, Robert Doke, concurred. On Dec. 14, 2007, Brittany’s name was added to the brief, but distinctive list of those named Honorary Oklahoma State Fire Marshall in ceremonies in Oklahoma City. Only 54 other Oklahomans have earned that honor since statehood. Judah also secretly arranged for an assembly at Bray School, where he honored Brittany in front the entire student body. She had told only a couple of her closest friends about the incident. “When we do the programs in the trailers, we hope the children never have to put the information we present to use,” says Grego. “But it’s certainly good to know that our message is getting through to those youngsters, and they know how to use it.”
KTS-8 7.375x9.75C
1/23/08
7:14 PM
Page 1
NEW SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
New lure’s catch rate may be too high for some tournaments. Out-fishes other bait 19 to 4 in one contest. Uses aerospace technology to mimic a real fish. ORLANDO, FL— A small company in Connecticut has developed a new lure that mimics the motion of a real fish so realistically eight professionals couldn’t tell the difference between it and a live shad when it “swam” toward them on retrieval. The design eliminates wobbling, angled swimming and other unnatural motions that problem other hard bait lures. It swims upright and appears by Charlie Allen to propel itself with its tail. Curiously, the company may have designed it too well. Tournament fishermen who have used it said it’s possible officials will not allow it in contests where live bait is prohibited. They claim it swims more realistically than anything they have ever seen. If so, that would hurt the company’s promotional efforts. Winning tournaments is an important part of marketing a new lure. Fish would probably prefer to see it restricted. I watched eight veteran fishermen test the new lure (called The KickTail®) on a lake outside Orlando FL for about four hours. Four used the KickTail and four used a combination of their favorite lures and shiners (live bait). The four using the KickTail caught 41 fish versus 14 for the other four. In one boat the KickTail won 19 to 4. The KickTail also caught bigger fish, which suggests it triggers larger, less aggressive fish to strike. You can see why the company needs to get it into tournaments. An almost 3 to 1 advantage can mean thousands of dollars to a fisherman, and hundreds of thousands in sales to the company. The KickTail’s magic comes from a patented technology that breaks the tail into five segments. As water rushes by on retrieval, a littleInventor Scott Wilson known principle called lands a 10-pounder. aeronautical flutter causes the tail to wag left and right, as if the lure were propelling
Swims with its tail.
New lure swims like a real fish--nearly triples catch in Florida contest. itself with its tail. Unlike other hard baits, the head remains stationary—only the tail wags. A company spokesman told me this. “Fish attack live things, and they determine if something is alive by watching its movements. Marine biologists will tell you that the more a lure swims like a real fish, the more fish it will catch. Well, the only live thing the KickTail doesn’t do is breathe. It’s better than live bait! It lasts longer and it never hangs half-dead from a hook. It’s always swimming wild and free. Fish can’t stand it. We’ve seen fish that have just eaten go for the KickTail. It’s like having another potato chip.
Increases catch almost 3 to 1. “To make the KickTail even more lifelike, we gave it a natural shad color and shaped it like the most prevalent bait fish of all, the threadfin. Game fish gobble up more threadfin shad than any other baitfish. “We knew the KickTail would out-fish other lures. It had to. Other lures wobble their heads and swim on an angle. But 41 fish to 14? That’s huge! I tell you, in ten seconds anyone who has fished a day in his life knows this little swimmer’s a home run. Fishermen reserved thousands of KickTails before we produced it! Here, reel it in and watch it swim toward you. Can you tell the difference between it and a live fish? (I said no.) Neither can the fish.
“The flutter technology also allows the KickTail to swim at the water’s surface. Other top water lures must be worked to have any live action, or have a bill that makes them dive on retrieval. Our diver version is the only deep crank bait that let’s you do tricks like ‘walk the dog.’ Twitch it at deep levels and it gives an irresistible, lifelike action. Other lures ‘dig.’ And there’s no need for rattles. The five tail segments click together as you pull it through the water, calling fish from a distance.” Whether you fish for fun or profit, if you want a near 3 to 1 advantage, I would order now before the KickTail becomes known. The company even guarantees a refund, if you don’t catch more fish and return the lures within 30 days. There are three versions: a floater for top water, a diver and a “dying shad” with a weed guard for fishing lily pads and other feeding spots. The company says it’s the only hard bait of its kind in existence. Each lure costs $9.95 and you must order at least two. There is also a “Super 10-Pack” with additional colors for only $79.95, a savings of almost $20.00. S/h is only $7.00 no matter how many you order. To order call 1-800-873-4415 (Ask for item # kt), or click www.ngc sports.com anytime or day or send a check or M.O. (or cc number and exp. date) to NGC Sports (Dept. KT-1260), 60 Church Street, Yalesville, CT 06492. CT add sales tax. The KickTail is four inches long and works in salt and fresh water. KTS-8
© NGC Worldwide, Inc. 2008
Dept. KT-1260
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 23