Alton Jones, a B.A.S.S. Elite Series pro angler, of Waco, Texas, used Ardent’s XS1000 baitcasting reel to win the 2008 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, near Greenville, South Carolina.

Ardent, a new American-owned company located in Macon, Mo., produces the only brand of casting and spinning reels made in the U.S.A. and sold in the U.S.A.

“Alton could have had his pick of any brand of reel in the world, but he chose Ardent,” said Michael J. Brooks, President and C.E.O. of Ardent.

“Alton Jones is one of the many professional and amateur tournament anglers who have switched to Ardent, after once using foreign reels, because of Ardent’s unparalleled high performance and industry best warranty,” Brooks noted.

“I have been fishing the Ardent XS1000 exclusively for over two years because it casts farther than any other reel on the market,” said Alton Jones. “I used that extra casting distance to win the Classic. I have used every brand of reel available, and the performance of Ardent is simply the best.”

Alton Jones relied on Ardent’s XS1000 to turn his three-day Lake Hartwell performance into a stunning victory with a total of 49-pounds, 7-ounces of bass, more than five pounds over the runner-up’s total.

When Alton Jones used Ardent’s XS1000 baitcasting reel to win the 2008 Bassmaster Classic it proved that a U.S. manufacturer of premium fishing reels can go toe-to-toe with foreign manufacturers and win every round. The stage doesn’t get any bigger, nor does the spotlight get any brighter than that of the Classic. Yet on that stage and beneath that spotlight Ardent’s XS1000 baitcaster, thanks to Alton Jones, emerged a star by exceeding all other competitors’ reels in performance, reliability, durability, and comfort, even when gripped for hours on end.

Alton’s Bassmaster Classic championship is as important a victory for U.S. manufacturing as it is for professional sports. “Purchase an Ardent reel and you’ll not only improve your own fishing performance, you’ll also be supporting the U.S. economy by creating manufacturing jobs right here in the U.S.A.,” said Michael J. Brooks.

The Ardent XS1000 reel and Ardent’s #1 rated synthetic lubricants Ardent Reel Butter Oil and Grease are available through a rapidly growing network of authorized dealers in the U.S. and Canada.