Indaco Metals is officially a sponsor of Austin Cranford Fishing for the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series season, and we couldn't be more fired up about it.
Austin is a pro angler out of Moore, Oklahoma, and this is his rookie year on the Elites, the highest level of professional bass fishing in the country. He earned it the hard way, and we're proud to be in his corner as he steps onto the biggest stage of his career.
We’ve known Austin for a while through the local jackpot tournament scene — the kind of Oklahoma bass circuit where our COO and a few of our sales guys have spent a lot of weekends on the water. Relationships built one early morning and one weigh-in at a time.
He also happens to know our world. Austin works for McRay Roofing here in Oklahoma, used to own a metal building company, and spent time welding before that. In fact, back when he was building shops, he bought his supplies from Indaco. So when he walked through our Shawnee headquarters earlier this month, it was genuinely full circle. That matters to us. We'd rather partner with someone who actually gets what we do than slap a sticker on a boat and hope for the best.
Here's Austin's post from his HQ tour on March 4:
"Took a tour of the @indacometals headquarters in Shawnee Oklahoma. I used to build metal buildings back in the day so kind of full circle walking around this place. When you get ready to build your dream shop give them a call!!"
Austin earned his Elite Series spot the hard way. He finished fourth in the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier points race, closing it out with a fourth-place finish at Lake Okeechobee to clinch his invite. He'd been knocking on the door for several years before everything finally clicked in 2025.
That's the kind of story we like being part of. Getting in on the ground floor with someone who's grinding for it — not jumping on a bandwagon after the fact. Our name is on his boat, on his truck, and on his jersey, and we're hoping to grow right alongside him.
When Austin announced his 2026 sponsor lineup on YouTube, here's what he had to say about us:
"Every single bass boat, every single truck, every single four-wheeler — guess what? You gotta have a shop to put it in. Indaco Metals out of Shawnee here in Oklahoma has decided to be a sponsor for Austin Cranford Fishing in 2026. They are local. They are bass fishermen. The owner has been following me for several years. I used to own a metal building company — that's who I bought my metal from. Support the companies that support the fishing industry."
Give the full announcement a watch. It's a good look at the whole team backing him this season:
The 2026 Elite Series kicked off on Alabama's Lake Guntersville on February 5, and the tournament trail winds through six states with a $100,000 first-place prize at every stop. Austin will be representing Oklahoma (and Indaco) at every one of them.
The best way to keep up with him is to follow him directly:
Give him a follow, cheer him on, and if you spot the Indaco logo on TV this season, you'll know where it came from.
Good luck out there, Austin. We're pulling for you.
Thinking about your own dream shop, boat shed, or barndo? Get in touch with the Indaco team. We'd love to help.
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