Ranger Boat History

Kevin

Senior Fisheman
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Location
Craig, Colorado
Best Catch
12lbs
Boat
Charger
#1
From the fast-paced drama of America's toughest tournament trails to quiet, welcome respites with family and friends, the sport of fishing has traveled far from the cane poles and hollow perceptions of days gone by. Alongside that transformation, Ranger Boats has built a solid reputation for premium quality and unmatched value while strengthening families, fishing and personal dreams.




With almost three dozen models and 9 different series, it's a legacy of leadership that continues to grow.

The beginnings of Ranger can be traced to 1968 when founders Forrest and Nina Wood were operating a successful fishing guide service on Bull Shoals Lake, the White River and Crooked Creek. Guiding from large, heavy, wooden boats, Forrest's long hours and years of guiding taught him the value and real need for a design which was comfortable, efficient, and most importantly… demonstrated unquestionable quality. With those merits in mind, his dream to build a quality fishing boat began.

Forrest wanted his boat's strength, integrity, and commitment to be reflected in a single name. A patriot and cowboy at heart, he looked to the legendary reputation of the U.S. Army Rangers and the rugged western heritage of the Texas Rangers. Today, the dream he set in motion proudly carries the hard-earned badge and fierce reputation of 'Ranger'.




From the start, Forrest Wood's ideas were straightforward and confident. Napkins, scrap paper and anything to write with were his design templates. Listening closely to anglers and customers was his engineering plan. His initial designs were so well accepted by other guides and anglers that the business soon took off in earnest.

The original (6) boats were built in what is now the City Hall in downtown Flippin, Arkansas. Manufacturing was then moved to an unoccupied dance hall on the edge of town that had been known as the "Silver Star" when Marion County was temporarily a "wet" county during the construction of Bull Shoals Dam. In 1969, orders expanded to 600 boats and in 1970 production doubled to 1200 boats, each selling for $1,000 complete with lights and steering. Demand was good and orders were streaming in.

To read more:

http://www.rangerboats.com/staticpages/heritage.cfm