Gettys Brannon: Our Advocate in the Palmetto State

When I met Gettys Brannon a decade ago, he was fresh off a hyper-successful career in college fishing at the University of South Carolina, trying to make his way in the fishing industry. He was working for BASS as a jack of all trades, doing whatever he could to gain a toehold, but unlike some of his contemporaries he had his sights set higher. He went on to found the South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance, an advocacy organization working to protect and grow South Carolina’s boating and fishing industry through advocacy, education and stewardship.

Unfortunately, your perception of someone is often based on where and how you first knew them – so until I saw Gettys fully in his element last week, I had no idea just how influential and connected he’s become. Of course I’d seen the evidence online, but seeing it in person made all the difference.

Gettys was kind enough to set up a meeting with one of his constituent boatmakers for my friend Shane Jarvis from Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. No questions, no hesitation, he just made it happen. There are few people who could have done that so easily, but obviously he has major political and business juice within the state and withing the industry.

I got to see more of that later in the day when I attended a reception for the SCDNR with him. He was in the midst of advocating for a major piece of legislation and everyone – literally, everyone – wanted his ear, either to thank him for his tireless efforts or to offer him advice. If he’s not the most well-connected person in the state, I’d like to see someone with more juice and credibility.

After over two decades hovering around the fringes of the fishing industry, I’ve seen people come and go. I’ve seen “sure things” struggle, and also-rans become successful. What I’ve learned most of all is that your skills and knowledge often matter less than your network. Any success and nearly all of the opportunities that I’ve had have arisen because I’ve surrounded myself with dedicated people who make me look good. Gettys Brannon is one of those people. He may have come the furthest of all, and I’m pretty sure we’re just in his earliest acts.