Bass Cat Boats, a leading manufacturer of tournament-ready, high-performance bass boats, has added veteran Japanese pro Shinichi Fukae to the company’s pro staff. Fukae is the only angler in bass fishing history to win Angler of the Year awards on two separate continents’ professional bass tours. Shortly after winning the Japan Bass Top 50 honor he claimed that same title on the FLW Tour in 2004.
Fukae, who currently fishes the Bass Pro Tour, has approximately $1.7 million in combined winnings across U.S. tours. While he’s generally thought of as a master of finesse techniques, his longstanding tournament record includes FLW wins at Okeechobee, Beaver Lake and Lake Champlain, a testament to his versatility. He has competed in a dozen Forrest Wood Cup championships and one Bassmaster Classic.
“This was a very big decision for me and I did not take it lightly,” Fukae said. “I visited the factory and asked a lot of questions. Everyone there was patient, and they welcomed me and my wife and explained the reason behind everything they do. It means a lot to me to be part of the Bass Cat family and I am confident that the boat will enhance and improve my on-the-water experience.”
The addition of Fukae is part of Bass Cat’s ongoing and rapidly-growing partnership with SDG (Showa Denki Group) Marine, Japan’s leading importer of high-performance bass boats.
“We are thrilled to add Shin to our team,” said Kevin Short, Bass Cat’s Pro Staff Director and head of International Sales. “He’s one of the most dedicated anglers I’ve ever met and he consistently does things that right way. Those skills and ethics are rightfully appreciated around the world.”
This year Fukae will run the Lynx, Bass Cat’s 20’8” wide-body. He was won over not only by its wave-defying capabilities, but also by the massive deck space and storage capabilities. “I have already stowed a bunch of my tackle in it and the hole shot still remains unbelievable.”
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