You are an avid fisherman. Is that what led you to Regulator?
I spend a majority of my free time either with my wife and 1 year-old daughter or out fishing – offshore and out in the sound locally in Edenton. I spent a lot of my teenage years and early 20’s fishing in tournaments on a Regulator 23, 26, and 32. I am lucky to have had a lot of experience aboard Regulators, and I love talking with fellow anglers and boaters in my daily work.
With Regulator’s “ask me anything” Customer Service policy, you must be underwater at times – how many calls do you field?
We average anywhere from 100-120 calls each week on anything from placing orders for parts to technical questions on various areas of the boat. I work with Al Partin, who has been in the Customer Service department for more than 20 years, so I learned a lot very quickly.
So you fish a Regulator 25 and also…a competitor’s boat?
(Laughs) Yes, I do fish other boats. Typically when going offshore, I fish with a friend out of Oregon Inlet or Hatteras Inlet for Yellowfin, Blackfin, Wahoo and Dolphin, with an occasional Blue Marlin, Sailfish, or White Marlin. We also do some bottom dropping for Triggerfish, Tilefish, Seabass, and Grouper. He owns a center console manufactured by one of our competitors, which has helped me see the functionality of certain features, good or bad, through the eyes of a fisherman.
As for fishing Regulators, our VP of Operations here at Regulator, Keith Stevens, recently purchased a 25, and wanted to get into offshore fishing. I happily obliged. We started by taking his boat out into the Albemarle sound and fishing for Rockfish, just for him to get a feel of his new boat, but we have since started going offshore.
We understand the 25’s maiden offshore voyage tested her mettle?
We took her out of Oregon Inlet in May of last year at 4:30am. We had very low visibility following charter boats out and encountered 4-5ft cresting waves as we broke the Inlet. I put the bow into them, and the 25 laughed, plowing through and landing softly. Never once were we worried or bracing for impact. These are the waters Regulator was built for, and it was exciting for Keith to experience this as a new owner, rather than just part of the Regulator team.
Once we got through the Inlet, we ended up catching a few Dolphin and Blackfin Tuna about 35-40 miles out. Since the first trip, we have been a few more times, with a highlight of catching a very nice Wahoo.
Any favorite features of the Regulator 25?
My favorite features on the 25 are, first and foremost, the ride. It really is second to none. The fishability on the 25 is also great – plenty of rod holders to accept a spread of 6-7 lines out at once, and room to move around while fighting a fish and clear lines without rubbing elbows and bumping into things.
I love any chance to fish, but fishing the 25 is a real treat, and it absolutely helps me relate to and help our customers.
We have an open door/open call policy at Regulator HQ! Our factory is open for tours and our Customer Service department is on call Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm EST. Call 252.482.3837 to ask us anything or email nichole.hughes@regulatormarine.com to book your tour! Plus, always feel free to share your fishing & boating stories, photos & videos with our team by emailing bobby.layden@regulatormarine.com.
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