Look who's speaking at Pond Boss VII!

We can't wait to see you in October for the Pond Boss VII Conference & Expo. We've got a great program lined up for you. Check out our speakers below. 

 

Marty Stone - Keynote Speaker

Our keynote speaker for Pond Boss VII is Marty Stone. He’s highly respected in the professional bass fishing industry and is currently the color analyst for Major League Fishing. He’s a fantastic family man, loves baseball and has a heart for our military. Living in Fayetteville, North Carolina gives him the opportunity to interact with America’s finest.

After 23 years of fishing professionally in B.A.S.S. and FLW, Marty Stone has truly retired for good this time. Marty will tell anyone within ear-shot that he is one of the luckiest angler to ever hold a rod and reel. During his fishing career, he amassed more than $1,000,000 in winnings, qualified for four Bassmaster Classics, four FLW Cups, and was a two-time Elite Series winner. He was runner-up in AOY on the FLW Tour in 1997 as well as the B.A.S.S. Elite Series in 2005. 

Now Marty taps into that fishing experience and knowledge as the Major League Fishing on-the-water analyst. You can’t truly pull the competitor out of him so when he is not sharing his expert insight on some of the best anglers in the world, you will still find him on the water competing in local bass tournaments around his home state of North Carolina. It’s an honor and pleasure to have Marty as our keynote speaker, but it’s a greater honor to call him friend.

Michael Gray

Session 1: It All Starts With Water

From his home base in middle Tennessee, Michael Grey has always loved playing in the dirt and for 20 years has made his living doing that very thing. He thanks his dad for bringing him into the family business and sending him on his way. During these years, Michael has performed all types of dirt work from home sites to roads and riding arenas. But his true passion is in lake and pond construction where his fascination for dirt and water come together. Michael is a self-taught (meaning he pays for his own mistakes) individual who studies hard on what he loves. Some great mentors and hands-on experience have brought Michael to where he is today specializing in lake and pond construction.

 

Mike Otto

Session 1: It All Starts With Water

From his home base of Lindsay, Texas, Mike Otto is considered one of the premier lake builders in the United States. His career started as a teenager, assisting building golf courses all over America, from Colorado to Florida and Texas. He started Otto’s Dozer Service in 1979 and has been clearing land, building house pads and creating great fishing lakes ever since. Otto owns 50% of Pond Boss magazine and has been a staff writer since 1994. Mike’s wife, Jane, is extremely tolerant of his dusty clothes and weird hours. They have three children and four grandchildren. Mike’s happy that his grandchildren like him.

 

 

 

Dave Sefton

Session 1: It All Starts With Water

Dave grew up on a small farm in south-central Illinois. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enjoys shooting sports. He is employed by Illinois Dept. of Transportation. He uses his own property to provide ponds that support plants, fish and wildlife, not only to preserve, but also to teach. He immensely enjoys his hobby—helping preserve nature’s heritage, voluntarily using his resources, land and equipment to help provide the means to do so, and help teach young people (and adults) about nature’s gifts and ways to protect and preserve them. He began his own business in the early ‘70’s. He also donated many hours of labor and machinery to help with community and county projects. He also worked with residents for a safe water supply. Most of all, he has turned his 48+ years of experience as an equipment operator reshaping Mother Earth into a hobby of designing and building unique custom ponds.

Todd Watts

Session 1: It All Starts With Water

Todd Watts is Senior Vice President, Wealth Management with Merrill Lynch, 1989-Present, Graduate University of Charleston, B.S. Finance. He’s a pilot, loves NASCAR, hunting and fishing. Todd is passionate about lake design and fisheries management. His recent exercise in building his own fishing lake shows his fervor and ability to research, design, and execute the best cutting-edge plan.