Meet Rick Provence III of Cast Cray Outdoors LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Provence III.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The Cast Cray Story

I’ve been fishing for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are spending time on the water with my family, learning the sport from generation to generation. Those days created a passion that has stayed with me my entire life. Fishing has never just been a hobby—it has always been where I feel most at home.

Today, I work harder than I ever have, and truthfully, I make less money than I did in my previous career. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because every day I get to wake up and live my passion. Helping people catch more fish, creating innovative products, educating anglers, and introducing kids and families to fishing is more rewarding than any paycheck ever could be.

Just before COVID-19, we were in the screen-printing ink manufacturing business. As a side hobby, we began making artificial fishing lures for local anglers using our own proprietary raw material formulations. We quickly discovered that many of the same components used to manufacture high-quality screen-printing inks were also ideal for producing premium soft plastic fishing baits.

When the pandemic arrived, everything changed. Demand for screen-printing products slowed while fishing exploded in popularity as people looked for safe outdoor activities. We made the decision to go all-in on manufacturing fishing baits, and we’ve never looked back.

Although Cast Cray began as a bass fishing brand, we soon found our true niche in crappie and panfish. As our products gained a loyal following, our social media channels—@CastCray on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube—grew rapidly, introducing our brand to anglers across the country. At the same time, our online store experienced tremendous growth.

A few years later, we purchased a 27,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Sebring, Ohio, where we operated for two years. When we received an offer for the property that was simply too good to pass up, we sold the building and constructed our own custom manufacturing facility on our family farm.

Today, we manufacture more than **14,000 products** and ship them to anglers around the world. Customers are also welcome to shop in person or pick up online orders at our manufacturing headquarters:

**Cast Cray HQ**
12616 Union Ave. NE
Alliance, OH 44601

We also opened **Cast Cray PLX Bait & Tackle** in the heart of Ohio’s Portage Lakes region. The store features our complete lineup of Cast Cray products, along with live bait, tackle, and everything anglers need for a successful day on the water.

**Cast Cray PLX Bait & Tackle**
656 W. Turkeyfoot Lake Rd.
Akron, OH 44319

## What Makes Cast Cray Different

* **The Real Life Series™** – Our most innovative product line. We take real live bait, freeze-dry it, and infuse it into a soft plastic version of itself. Current offerings include Maggots, Wax Worms, Minnows, and Red Worms, with a Stonefly version launching soon.

* **Real Fishing. Real Education.** – We produce two family-friendly fishing shows every week on our YouTube channel, sharing honest fishing adventures, educational content, and product demonstrations with a silly fun spin.

* **The RP3 Signature Crappie Stick** – In partnership with B’n’M Poles, we’ve developed the RP3 Signature Crappie Stick, an incredibly versatile rod designed specifically for Midwest crappie anglers. We are soon launching another rod that is longer for jigging called the RP3 Jigging Stick.

* **One of the Largest Soft Plastic Selections in the Industry** – We offer one of the most extensive soft plastic bait lineups available. In our crappie lineup alone, we produce over **30 bait styles in more than 70 colors each**, creating thousands of possible combinations.

* **Pocket Kits** – We simplify bait selection by offering kits tailored to specific fishing conditions, including Sunny Days, Stained Water, Tight Bite Days, Cold Fronts, Dock Fishing, and many more.

* **Cast Cray Cares** – Giving back is at the heart of everything we do. Through our charitable initiative, Cast Cray Cares, we provide free fishing tackle and educational opportunities to youth fishing programs across the United States. We’re proud to give away more packs of baits than we sell, and we’re on pace to donate approximately **3 million packs** this year alone.

At Cast Cray, our mission is simple: **create innovative fishing products, educate anglers, inspire the next generation of anglers, and help people build the same lifelong memories on the water that first inspired us.**

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting with very little has meant that our team has had to earn every opportunity through hard work, long hours, and relentless determination. The fishing tackle industry also has a relatively low barrier to entry, which means new competitors are entering the market every day. Standing out requires constant innovation, and creating a true competitive edge has been one of our biggest challenges.

Because of that, we’ve focused heavily on selling directly to anglers through our website and our own retail stores. That direct relationship allows us to educate customers, gather feedback, and continually improve our products. However, one of our biggest goals is to build stronger retail and distribution partnerships with businesses that share our passion for helping anglers succeed.

We believe our products deserve to be on more shelves across the country, and we’re excited to continue building relationships with retailers and distributors who value innovation, quality, and the fishing community as much as we do.

What matters most to you? Why?
One of the things I enjoy most is teaching anglers how to understand the fish they’re targeting rather than simply hoping to catch them. I love helping people recognize seasonal patterns, fish behavior, habitat, and proven techniques so they can approach every trip with confidence and a plan instead of just casting and hoping for the best.

Watching someone connect the dots and become a more knowledgeable angler is incredibly rewarding. Catching fish is exciting, but helping someone understand *why* they caught that fish is even better.

Giving back is also a core part of who we are. While building a successful business is important, our greatest motivation is inspiring others to discover a lifelong passion for fishing and the outdoors. We want to encourage families to spend more time together on the water, help young anglers build confidence, and create memories that last a lifetime. If our products and our teaching can help someone fall in love with the process—not just the catch—then we’ve accomplished something far greater than making a sale.

Pricing:

• $4.49 per Crappie Pack
• $6.49 per Bass Pack
• $69.99 = RP3 Crappie Stick Fishing Pole
• Real Life Series = $5.99 per can

Contact Info:

• Website: https://castcray.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/castcray
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/castcray
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/castcray