09/02/2026
I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, and the truth is, I’m at a loss for words.
With Kelli’s permission, I want to share that Wayne Wright passed away.
Wayne was just one of those people that when you were around him, you knew you were in the presence of a better person than yourself.
When I put together the very first ETX Outdoors Field Team and saw Wayne’s name come through, I remember being absolutely astounded. First, that Wayne Wright even knew who I was. And second, that he wanted to be a part of something I was building.
But Wayne saw the vision. He believed in it, he was proud to be a part of it, and I will always be proud that he was one of the people who helped start it.
The conversations with Wayne were always easy. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit beside him and talk for several hours. We talked about life, fishing, ETX Outdoors and everything in between. It felt like talking to a father figure, a friend and a mentor all at the same time. I could have sat beside his bed all day and just talked to him.
I’ve thought a lot about that conversation since then.
We put so much importance on hunting and fishing and all of these things we love about the outdoors. But in the grand scheme of things, none of it is really that important on its own.
It becomes important because of the people we do it with.
It’s the people we meet, the friendships we make, the time we spend together and the memories we get to carry with us when that time is over.
Wayne was one of those people who made it important.
I don’t really know how to end this because I don’t know how to put into words what it means to lose someone like him. I just know I’m incredibly grateful that Wayne Wright knew who I was, that he believed enough in what I was building to put his name beside mine, and most of all, that somewhere along the way I got to call him my friend.
There will always be a place for Wayne in ETX Outdoors. He was there at the beginning, and he’ll always be part of this story.
I’m going to miss you, Wayne.
Rest easy, Stormin Norman Fishing
Crappie Anglers of Texas
Bi-State Crappie Club
