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Forged on a Foundation of Walleyes |
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Whitewater Fishing is now the de facto apparel sponsor for the Minnesota Tournament Trail |
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (April 17, 2025) – Preeminent fishing apparel manufacturer, Whitewater Fishing, is pleased to announce that it has signed on with the Minnesota Tournament Trail (MTT) as the circuit’s sole apparel sponsor. MTT approached the company, and given the trail’s history, activity, and enthusiasm with the upper Midwest walleye crowd, Whitewater Fishing was proud to work out a sponsorship deal. Thus, moving forward from Red Wing this past weekend through the MTT Championship on Lake of the Woods in September and the Director’s Cup Shootout, also on LOTW in October, you will be seeing a lot of anglers clothed in the very best fishing apparel on the market from Whitewater Fishing. Speaking of the Minnesota Tournament Trail, it’s a competitive Minnesota walleye tournament series founded over 20 years ago by Mike and Renee Holt. The Holt family grew the series over the years by providing their anglers with the best experience in the state and an opportunity to qualify for a championship event where all qualified teams compete for a boat, motor and trailer package. In 2023, Norman Kester, owner of RLVNT Sunglasses and Mad Scientist Tackle, purchased the series from the Holts with the goal of building the MTT into the premiere grassroots walleye tournament series in Minnesota and beyond. |
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“We are honored to partner with Whitewater Fishing as our exclusive garment sponsor,” says Kester. “Whitewater will also be the official sponsor of our live take-offs at each of our tournaments in 2025.” “It was a natural fit,” says MTT Tournament Director, James Stevenson. “We were looking for an apparel company that offers a step above in fishing apparel and all our research led us to Whitewater. From the very best cold weather gear like the Great Lakes Pro Insulated suit to rugged rain gear to UV protection for our summer tournaments, they offer it all. From our staff to competitors, every MTT angler will have to opportunity to sport the best fishing apparel available today.” Whitewater Fishing/NEXUS brands CEO, Aaron Ambur, offers: “Whitewater Fishing is pleased to partner with the Minnesota Tournament Trail (MTT) as the premiere fishing apparel sponsor for the 2025 tournament season. The MTT represents a large cross-section of competitive walleye anglers from all walks who have the same need in apparel – the ability to withstand whatever elements they encounter – whether that’s rain, snow, and cold in their April river tournaments or full-on sun throughout the summer and inclement conditions again in the fall. Designed by great lakes anglers themselves and the country’s top walleye pros, a group relentless in their pursuit, Whitewater apparel not only withstand the elements but offers athletic wear performance with range of motion, easy movement, and a transparent build you hardly realize you’re wearing. Again, we’re glad to sponsor MTT alongside Lowrance, EGO Fishing, and other top names.” |
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What Makes Whitewater Fishing Apparel So Great? Gone are the days of patchwork fishing apparel for inclement conditions like rain, sleet, snow, wind, and waves. And up until the introduction of the Whitewater Fishing brand a few years ago, most fishing outerwear felt boxy and lacked the fabric combinations that provide everything today’s athletic angler demands: supreme fit, articulation, waterproofing, warmth, moisture wicking, breathability, durability, wind and sun protection, and especially, mobility. Mobility is the kicker that makes Whitewater fishing apparel stand out from the crowd. Retail racks brim with apparel that promise great water resistance, warmth, and durability, but most are rigid, making bending over to pick up a jig, climb over a boat gunnel, adjust electronics, or land a fish difficult. So, Whitewater Fishing took design to the granular level, making mobility the key feature in every piece of apparel. They heard it from bass, walleye, muskie, and Great Lakes guides, tournament anglers, and avid multispecies anglers: We want sun, wind, water, and cold protection, but a fit that responds to movement. Today’s anglers are very active; sitting on a wooden bench running a tiller with one hand and dragging a rig behind the boat is pretty much history. |
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Whitewater History Whitewater is part of the NEXUS family of quality hunting apparel brands that includes ScentLok, Blocker Outdoors, HARDCORE Waterfowl, and Tuo. Taken as a whole, that’s well over 100 years of soft goods product development expertise. The man at the helm of the Whitewater brand, Nexus Outdoors CEO, Aaron Ambur, is also a very experienced and passionate angler. Ambur grew up on a South Dakota farm and spent his formative years exploring local potholes and the larger Missouri River system catching marble eyes in his grandpa’s old tri-hull tiller with a modest flasher. “I was hooked on walleye fishing from grade school,” Ambur says, “and I learned early on that sometimes the best bites are during the worst weather. That still holds true.” Years later, Ambur went on to fish as a co-angler on the FLW; these days he spends a good deal of time pursuing big Great Lakes walleyes. “Whitewater designs didn’t come out of a vacuum,” says Ambur. “Personally, I’ve worn every rain suit out there over the years—just like our network of pros like Gary and Chase Parsons, Tommy Kemos, Jason Przekurat, Jim and Matt Schiefelbein, and guides who are on the water every single day.” |
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Ambur continues: “We also work on R&D with younger anglers who are very athletic in their fishing style—like B.A.S.S. Elite-winning, Jay Przekurat and Korey Sprengel. Then you consider the synergies with our hunting brands, and we have a soft goods brain-trust unlike any other company on the market.” The goal, states Ambur, was to create a brand that “braves the waves” – literal ones, and the increased activity levels modern fishing represents. “We staked our flagpole deep in the ground announcing what Whitewater stands for is handling inclemency on the water, no matter how extreme—whether that’s wind, cold, water, heat—while providing a completely unprecedented level of mobility and agility.” Ambur continues: “Where I fish most, here in the Great Lakes Region, the conditions are often unpredictable and ever-changing,” he says. “Our expanding line of Whitewater Fishing apparel gives anglers a toolkit of versatile pieces that help them brave the waves—the challenges Mother Nature throws at them—delivering more mobility, comfort, breathability, and durability, so they can fish longer, more often, and catch more fish.” |
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APPAREL DESIGN & FABRIC CHOICES THAT MOVE WITH (NOT AGAINST) YOU “I’ve been in the soft goods world for a long time, and I can say with 99% certainty that Whitewater is the very first company to integrate the stretch aspect into foul-weather fishing apparel for a sport that has become increasingly active and athletic, from weekend anglers to pros on tour,” says Ambur. Ambur says Whitewater delivers these advantages via the best materials, technologies, and tailoring, resulting in comfortable, high-quality garments that perform beyond anglers’ expectations. “We didn’t expand into fishing apparel because it’s simply another category we can fill,” he states. “That’s not our business model. We launched Whitewater Fishing apparel because – similar to our hunting apparel – we’re confident in our team’s ability to give anglers new options that offer them real advantages.” Although proprietary information, suffice to say that NEXUS/Whitewater has a team of designers second-to-none, versed in thousands of different fabrics, insulation materials, DWR waterproofing options, exterior laminates, components, stitching, seams, and unique exterior materials for reinforcing key body areas, etc. |
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APPLICATION #1: WALLEYE FISHING “Some walleye anglers are still trolling and vertical jigging sitting down, but what was once a stationary activity has turned into a very active casting game with the advent of forward-facing sonar. More walleye anglers are moving around the boat and fishing from the bow—and spot & stalk casting to fish they see on their screen. That’s a lot of movement—and our garments cater to that style of contemporary fishing,” notes Ambur. Ambur and legendary NEXT BITE host and walleye pro, Gary Parsons, were just discussing the needs of today’s walleye angler: “Not only do our garments provide mobility and ability, Gary brought up that they’re well-articulated, which is important because today’s anglers are moving their arms and legs all the time and there’s a lot of energy being spent, which has been restricted in foul weather suits of the past, many of which were bulky and stiff. Our suits create less fatigue, which results in an angler being able to fish longer in poor conditions.” Previously, anglers were forced to choose toughness over comfort. Now, integrating stretch into the equation, Whitewater apparel is a paradigm shifter that provides anglers the best of all worlds. “Having tested every foul weather fishing suit out there, I was frustrated with the experience. It’s kind of like owning a 1-ton truck. They have great suspensions and are beasts, but they’re built for one mission in mind. Foul-weather fishing gear has been that 1-ton truck. We sought to design that fishing vehicle that has the durability and toughness of a 1-ton, but with ease of movement, agility, 100% waterproof performance, and a great weight-to-warmth ratio,” adds Ambur. |
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Another major factor that has gone into all Whitewater fishing apparel is breathability. “Not only have existing suits been stiff, they’ve been like wearing a sandwich bag with little or no wicking or breathability. You end up sweating, getting clammy, and cold again, no matter how much bulk and insulation. So, breathability has been a huge design focus for us in all our apparel – from our warm-weather to cold-weather gear.” Besides extremely high DWR waterproof ratings, Whitewater’s foul-weather gear also possesses an amazing level of windproof functionality, as perfectly demonstrated in the company’s Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bib — and it’s insulated counterpart. “I don’t think there’s been a walleye fishing suit designed yet that compares to our new Great Lakes Pro,” says Ambur. “It’s waterproof, offers excellent visibility, stretch, and unprecedented protection against the wind walleye anglers routinely face.” APPLICATION #2 – BASS, MUSKIES, ICE, & BEYOND While in development with walleye pros and guides fishing some on the baddest, big waters in the country, Whitewater gear is far from walleye-centric. From warm weather apparel perfect for saltwater and southern fishing to a suit warm and agile enough for ice, Whitewater covers the needs of all anglers. As you read this, professional bass anglers are starting to fish early-season tournaments—and with that, facing colder temps which make Whitewater apparel like the Torque Heated Vest, Tamer Jacket & Bib, Buoy Hoodie (DWR treated), Riparian Jacket & Bib, and new Great Lakes Pro Jacket & Bib perfect. |
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Whitewater Great Lake Pro Jacket & Bib “The Great Lakes Pro is like our initial Great Lakes suit, but on steroids,” says Ambur. “For the angler who wants that one suit that will do it all during midwinter on the river, full-on ice fishing, or spring and fall fishing anywhere for anything, this is the suit,” states Ambur. In terms of features, the Great Lakes Pro has an increased DWR rating over the Great Lakes suit, is founded on a proprietary three-layer fabric, and features specifically-located pockets, as well as Aqua-Guard zippers, D-rings, waist-high zippers on the bib, and more. “In a couple words: it’s clean and streamlined,” says Ambur. “And you get a level of stretch unprecedented in a three-layer suit, while still being lightweight and athletic in form and function. The Great Lakes Pro Jacket and Bib is our team’s two-year product development effort designing the ultimate foul-weather fishing suit for hardcore anglers.” As far as Great Lakes Pro’s waterproofing, after 30 years in outdoors soft goods, Ambur understands apparel industry guidelines, specifications, and ratings like the back of his hand. “From the first days of spraying Camp Seal on everything to what’s happening today, I’ve been there. With the Great Lakes Pro, I was beta testing our first production samples in long, cold showers at home. My wife thinks I’m crazy. But I wanted to find out if we were really getting it right before any of our pros took it out on the ice and water.” Ambur continues: “All I can say is we got it right, and it’s our own special sauce, unlike anything competitors are doing with waterproofing.” Lastly, Ambur points out that the Great Lakes Pro has another unique design feature asked for by walleye and bass fisherman alike, a higher hood collar that extends just below the nose so when anglers are running full-tilt to spots down lake, the water and wind doesn’t hit their face. |
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ABOUT WHITEWATER Whitewater performance fishing apparel gives anglers distinct advantages whenever Mother Nature’s unpredictability conspires to ruin angling adventures. Whether faced with wind, rain, snow, sun, or extreme temperatures, Whitewater apparel equips anglers with the ability and confidence to overcome the elements, so they apply their focus and energies on fighting fish, not the conditions. Whitewater is a brand by Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. Learn more and order at whitewaterfish.com. |