Riding Shotgun with the Pros: Feat. Ben Burmeister

This week on the Timberline Bass Podcast, I sit down with Ben Burmeister, a guy who has experienced the fishing industry from just about every angle.Ben is the owner of Cast Again Tackle, runs the Wolf River Bass Club, and has spent time behind the camera covering professional tournament fishing for both Head2Head Fishing and the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL). We also catch up with Ben after his trip to ICAST 2026 and get his perspective on what caught his attention, where the tackle industry is headed, and what anglers should actually be excited about.We dive into what it takes to build and grow a tackle company, the challenges of developing products anglers can trust, and what Ben has learned from being around tournament anglers both locally and at the professional level.Cast Again Tackle itself has an interesting Wisconsin success story. The company began in 2020, moved into manufacturing its own tackle in 2022, later acquired Crooked Creek Tackle and its Salty Tube lineup, and continued expanding with the acquisition of Dem Jigs. Today, Cast Again offers everything from tubes and tube heads to Ned heads, jigs, weights, hooks and more, with many products made right here in Wisconsin. (Cast Again Tackle⁠)In This EpisodeHow Ben got started in the fishing industryThe story behind Cast Again TackleBuilding and growing a Wisconsin tackle companyProduct development and what makes a lure worth bringing to marketRunning the Wolf River Bass ClubBen’s experiences filming professional tournament fishingWhat happens behind the scenes at an NPFL eventLessons learned from watching professional anglers up closeICAST 2026 and the products and trends that stood outWhere Ben sees the fishing and tackle industries headingThe Wisconsin bass fishing scene and the anglers coming out of the NorthCheck Out Cast Again TackleSupport Ben and check out Cast Again’s lineup of Wisconsin-made fishing tackle:Cast Again Tackle — Official Website⁠