There are so many milestones in Forrest Wood’s life that deciding which one has made the biggest impact is difficult. They meld together, each one as important as the next.
His first boat, though, could be credited as spawning what one-day would become Ranger Boats. This boat was a dilapidated wooden boat Wood found in a logjam on the White River. He was in high school at the time and although he lived along the banks of the White River, there was never much time or opportunity to fish. That changed some when Wood and a friend found the hull of a boat sticking out of the muddy water of the White River. In that boat, they saw opportunity.
Wood remembers sneaking a boat paddle out of the family’s woodshed one night and stealing off to the White River to uncover the treasure he and his friend had found.
“I can remember dodging giggers (spear fishermen) with lights as we pulled the boat upstream,” Wood said.
With the boat securely on shore, the two dried it out, recaulked the seams and the forerunner of the first Ranger Boat was used to float the White River for smallmouth bass. The two bought an Elto Twin outboard motor for $5, allowing them to extend their fishing range and hone the fishing skills that one day would further shape Wood’s life.
Even then, Wood was coming up with ingenious ways to make a fishing trip easier. The outboard was heavy, making it difficult to haul up and down the steep banks of the river. To cut down on the hauling time, Wood chopped out a door in a hollow sycamore tree, added hinges and a clasp, and the motor was stored there after each trip. His ability to make the fishing day simpler by adding comfortable seats and roomy compartments in later day Ranger Boats was one of the simple strategies that made his boats sell.