Grand Prairie, TX - There's an adage that says " Don't put all your eggs in one basket." It's a motto that new Plano Pro Staffer Mike Barksdale lives by. "Mike Barksdale is one of the most talented and accomplished guides on the West Coast and we're thrilled to add him to our team," said Chris Russell, Marketing Director of Plano Synergy's Fishing Division.

"Being diversified is key to being successful with our constantly changing fishery," shared Barksdale. Barksdale (fishonextreme.com) goes wherever the hot bite is and is prepared to fish the ocean or rivers. He typically begins the season in March in Northwest Washington fishing for salmon, rockfish and halibut using a combination of drifting and trolling. He then transitions back to his home waters of Astoria, Oregon in June where his parents introduced him to fishing. Beginning in August, Barksdale can be found plying the waters of the mighty Columbia River upstream of Buoy 10 in search of salmon. In the winter, Barksdale enjoys fishing tournaments in destinations like Cabo San Lucas. "Most people don't believe it, but I'm still working then!" he joked.

Barksdale said his favorite type of fishing is whatever provides the most action. I don't care if it's tuna, sturgeon or albacore, if there's a hot bite where we're jumping 20 to 40 fish a trip, I'm in heaven."

A huge part of Barksdale success is being organized. "I might be jigging or trolling flashers or cut-bait rigs all in the same day," explained Barksdale, "so it's imperative that my tackle is organized. I'm a big fan of the Rustrictor™ StowAway 3700 series storage boxes. The fact that the StowAways come in thin, regular and deep versions really suits my needs for tackle storage. Because they utilize Rustrictor™ 360 degree corrosion prevention technology, I'm not worried about rust when I'm fishing saltwater."