by Melissa Fox
As the lyrics of the famed, and fan favorite, Whiskey Myers song “Stone” refer to – the highway has been Cody Cannon’s home for quite some time. However, when the world seemingly came to a halt as a result of the pandemic several years ago, Cannon, Whiskey Myers’ lead singer and guitarist, found himself off the road and needing a new creative outlet.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in the outdoors industry in some way,” says Cannon, “though touring with the band left little free time to explore this avenue.” He has always been passionate about fishing and “when designs for fishing lures just started popping up in my head – much like songs used to for me – I took that as a sign and ran with it.” Thus, it was the beginning of the Toad Thumper Lure Company.
Growing up in Neches, Texas, a rural community in the East Texas Piney Woods, Cannon’s fishing roots run deep. He says his best memories are fishing with his dad, grandfather and even great-grandfather from a very early age, “I guess you could say fishing is in my bones.” Cannon has fished some of the most legendary lakes all over Texas giving him plenty of first-hand experience in the sport he loves. When he realized he finally had the capacity to have a greater involvement in the fishing industry he called up his long-time friend Cody Tedford, a brand developer, and together they hit the ground running.
Tedford and Cannon both acknowledge that it was Cannon’s perfectionism which led to an entire year interval before bringing their products to the marketplace. “Cannon really is the ‘brains behind the brand’ and a juggernaut of a partner,” says Tedford, “he’s one of the smartest and the most creative people I’ve ever been around.” It is this dedication to producing high-quality lures that have led to the rapid growth they have experienced in a relatively short amount of time. Cannon believes that “we can make a superior product at the same price point as our competitors … we just have to work harder,” he states. Cannon gives the example of the design of their frog lures. “We didn’t reinvent the wheel – we just broke it down and looked at every single weakness in the designs of hollow body frogs and fixed them,” says Cannon. “Our uniqueness is just an obsession with perfection, making the very best products we can.”
And the numbers speak for themselves. In their first year Toad Thumper sold about 30,000 lures. In year two, they are on pace to more than quadruple that amount. They’ve entered over 1,000 stores across the United States including Wal-Mart, Tackle Warehouse, Pittman Creek and more. When asked what he sees in the future for Toad Thumper’s growth, Cannon says “I’m just focusing on doing this to the best of my abilities right now. That’s how I’ve always approached music and that’s how I’m approaching this as well.”
“I think we each bring things to the table that make us successful,” says Tedford of he and Cannon’s partnership. “Cannon brings a passion for fishing, creativity, a large network, and a perfection in design that, when coupled with my background of retail sales, distribution and branding, it makes for an excellent collaboration that has helped us experience this exponential growth in sales and popularity early on,” according to Tedford.
Their efforts have resulted in lures that are quickly becoming known as “the best on the market”. With household names like Jeff Foxworthy, Cody Jinks and Koe Wetzel touting Toad Thumper lures along with fishing world endorsements from Heath Sanders, Hal Shafer, Laramy Miller, Kyle Hall, Jason Conn, and many others, it’s no wonder the fishing industry is buzzing about the newest frog on the water. With a long list of both professional and recreational brand devotees, Cannon and Tedford acknowledge that “we’ve been very blessed to have a lot of awesome people support us in our new venture!”
When asked what Cannon envisions as the perfect day, it surprisingly doesn’t include fishing. “My perfect day would just be at home with my wife and kids, while I’m smokin’ ribs and watching the Dallas Cowboys win the Superbowl,” remarks Cannon. It may actually be more realistic though to continue to watch his lures fly off the shelves and take the top spot in the fishing industry than the Cowboys winning a Superbowl, but one can always dream.
Regardless of his favorite football team’s success, one thing is for sure – Cannon does know what success feels like. As frontman of the Southern rock band Whiskey Myers, Cannon and his bandmates have multiple chart-topping songs and albums and have a loyal following of music-loving fanatics worldwide. Now coupled with the creation of his increasingly popular fishing lures, Cannon is experiencing success across multiple industries. “My life is hectic,” Cannon says of his day-to-day schedule and when asked how he fits it all in – “ I just work a lot I guess! You gotta make hay when the sun’s shining.” It is this simplistic approach to living in the moment that Cannon finds himself in and remarks, “I am just thankful for where I am.”
Now that touring with the band has resumed and it’s back on the road as usual, Cannon makes time for fishing as often as he can. Recently, he returned from fishing in Arkansas with his good friend Mark Zona. “It was epic,” says Cannon, “That is a memory I will cherish forever.” Their trip was filmed and the episode will air on Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show on the Outdoor Channel next season.
If you grew up fishing in Texas, like Cannon, you may call big catches “thumpers”. If you are from Arkansas, like Tedford, you may call them “toads”. Either way, if you are a real fisherman, you know the meaning behind it. Just like true Whiskey Myers fans know all the lyrics to their songs, maybe keen fisherman know the prescription for catching the biggest, baddest fish out there is by using a Toad Thumper lure. For more information on where to purchase, visit www.toadthumper.co.
