How I Got Started

With nearly 20 years working in both the Fresh and Saltwater fisheries fields in Oklahoma and Texas, and the last 5 years running his own charter fishing business out of Galveston, TX, Derek spends a lot of time outdoors.  Being from Oklahoma, Derek grew up fishing the many lakes and streams all across the state for anything and everything. Not until moving to Texas in 2004, did the world of hunting start to take hold. After being successful in harvesting some truly nice whitetails over the years, turkey hunting really became his main passion in the woods. 

With so much time on the water and in the woods and Derek and his wife Charriss’ kids getting old enough to start going on the boat fishing and to the deer woods, Derek’s wish for their kids was to give them every outdoor experience possible.  Both Hadley and Trevor love going fishing and Hadley started going turkey hunting with her dad and fell in love with being in the woods. 

Sharing the passion of being outdoors and making an impact in young people’s lives has really been a huge part of Derek and his wife Charriss’ lives the past 10 years.  Volunteering with the Texas Brigades since 2010, as camp instructors in the program’s summer youth conservation and leadership development camps Derek and Charriss have been able to mentor and educate hundreds of young conservationists from all across Texas.  In 2016, they formed the Coastal Brigade, the newest camp with Texas Brigades, in Galveston with the help of some of the best marine biologists and fishing conservationists from Texas and Florida. 

Along with his work with the Brigades, Derek is also heavily involved with his local NWTF chapter which focuses heavily on getting youth from inner city communities around Houston into the outdoors.  Being able to volunteer with so many amazing people, hearing their stories on why they have chosen to give back and seeing the impact that this has had on these kids, has really led to the reason behind the podcast.  Derek is sharing these stories from people making an impact in the hunting and fishing industry and those in communities all across the U.S.