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Author Topic: Marlin Watkins  (Read 4902 times)

Offline sooner

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Marlin Watkins
« on: March 21, 2020, 12:19:24 PM »
Hello: as you know I don’t post much. I really appreciate all the fine folks on this forum and just want to clear up the facts about me not keeping a list anymore. When I kept a list I would go to the shop and look at list and feel obligated to make the calls people were asking for. My dislike for this was that someone would want a particular wood combination that in the past I had made some killer calls from. However once I had used the last of that wood the next tree I worked from did not have the same tonal quality. I would spend endless hours trying to make a world class call and it just wasn’t going to happen.  Therefore I did away with list. I’m making as many calls as ever and I’m using the woods that are making the best combinations I can make. I have lots of calls built from wood combinations that I want to make and when someone contacts me I can give them many combinations that I have on hand. This works a lot better for me and I think results in better quality of calls. I hope this ads clarity to where I’m at in my call making hobby. Thanks much

Offline rakkin6

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2020, 12:23:11 PM »
Makes complete and total sense to me.

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DE OPPRESSO LIBER

Offline Bama-slama

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2020, 12:31:01 PM »
Awesome! Was assuming you didn’t want bothered with selling calls unless at shows, thanks for clarifying Mr. Marlin!!  I’ll be burning your phone line up again real soon!!

Offline Greg Massey

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2020, 12:47:24 PM »
Totally understand , and your always making some killer calls. It's all about enjoying what you do in making calls and putting the best calls in our hands. Thanks Marlin ... Have great spring turkey season.

Online Mathews.1

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2020, 01:59:49 PM »
I totally understand what he is saying. I live a few hours away and just visited his shop with combos in mind. When you open that cabinet drawer and see those calls it’s so amazing. I walked away with two totally different combos than what I thought I wanted. Mora/persimmon and a beautiful ironwood/ blue mahoe. But the best part just like a lot of you have said in the past is just sitting there talking with Mr Watkins’s.

Offline wchadw

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2020, 03:15:49 PM »
Thanks marlin. Your calls are outstanding


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Offline Sir-diealot

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2020, 03:34:47 PM »
Thanks for the update. I will see you in August at Turkey Trot Acres
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. Arnold Schwarzenegger

John Koenig:
"It's better to live as your own man, than as a fool in someone else's dream."

Offline Spring Creek Calls

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2020, 04:46:19 PM »
Marlin has taken the perfect path in box call making, in my opinion. Match the lid to the box by ear not by a predetermined wood choice. He is the Godfather of call makers!
2014  SE Call Makers Short Box 2nd Place
2017  Buckeye Challenge Long Box 5th Place
2018  Mountain State Short Box 2nd Place
2019  Mountain State Short Box 1st Place
2019  NWTF Great Lakes Scratch Box 4th Place
2020 NWTF GNCC Amateur 5th Place Box
2021 Mountain State 3rd Place Short Box
2021 SE Callmakers 1st & 2nd Short Box
E-mail: gobblez@aol.com
Website: springcreekturkeycalls.weebly.com

Offline Yoder409

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2020, 05:19:20 PM »
Marlin has taken the perfect path in box call making, in my opinion. Match the lid to the box by ear not by a predetermined wood choice. He is the Godfather of call makers!

Marlin just called me about an hour ago. We had a nice little discussion about the individuality between 2 pieces of the same kind of wood and how it's nigh impossible to meet expectations when starting into a new stick of wood.  The reality is............you may get a half dozen KILLER calls from one piece of "X-wood" when using a "Z-wood" paddle.  The problem is............the next piece of "X-wood" may not work with a "Z-wood" paddle.  It might like "Y-wood".  Now folks' expectations of a "Z over X" call are dashed.

The way Marlin is doing things now............EVERYONE who lets HIM do HIS thing is going to get a world class turkey caller. 

Kudos to a master call builder and an all-around good guy !!!!!!!!! 
PA elitist since 1979

The good Lord ain't made a gobbler I can't kill.  I just gotta be there at the right time.....  on the day he wants to die.

Offline OHturkey85

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2020, 07:59:57 PM »
I totally understand what he is saying. I live a few hours away and just visited his shop with combos in mind. When you open that cabinet drawer and see those calls it’s so amazing. I walked away with two totally different combos than what I thought I wanted. Mora/persimmon and a beautiful ironwood/ blue mahoe. But the best part just like a lot of you have said in the past is just sitting there talking with Mr Watkins’s.
.   This exactly...I’m fortunate to live only about a little over an hour from Marlin and every time my number came up I would go and visit him. I always had a combo in my mind and would leave with something else to be honest I go home with a awesome turkey call but the time time spent with Marlin is priceless he’s one of the best call makers out there and one nicest guys you can meet.
Thanks Marlin....Ken

Offline BigSlam51

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2020, 08:13:10 PM »
I totally understand what he is saying. I live a few hours away and just visited his shop with combos in mind. When you open that cabinet drawer and see those calls it’s so amazing. I walked away with two totally different combos than what I thought I wanted. Mora/persimmon and a beautiful ironwood/ blue mahoe. But the best part just like a lot of you have said in the past is just sitting there talking with Mr Watkins’s.
.   This exactly...I’m fortunate to live only about a little over an hour from Marlin and every time my number came up I would go and visit him. I always had a combo in my mind and would leave with something else to be honest I go home with a awesome turkey call but the time time spent with Marlin is priceless he’s one of the best call makers out there and one nicest guys you can meet.
Thanks Marlin....Ken
Where are you at? I'm in stark county

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Offline OHturkey85

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2020, 08:15:25 PM »
I totally understand what he is saying. I live a few hours away and just visited his shop with combos in mind. When you open that cabinet drawer and see those calls it’s so amazing. I walked away with two totally different combos than what I thought I wanted. Mora/persimmon and a beautiful ironwood/ blue mahoe. But the best part just like a lot of you have said in the past is just sitting there talking with Mr Watkins’s.
.   This exactly...I’m fortunate to live only about a little over an hour from Marlin and every time my number came up I would go and visit him. I always had a combo in my mind and would leave with something else to be honest I go home with a awesome turkey call but the time time spent with Marlin is priceless he’s one of the best call makers out there and one nicest guys you can meet.
Thanks Marlin....Ken
Where are you at? I'm in stark county

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Ashtabula county
« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 08:27:09 PM by OHturkey85 »

Offline 3bailey3

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2020, 08:34:44 PM »
This one liked his masscar butternut today. 

Online Mathews.1

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2020, 08:54:30 PM »
I totally understand what he is saying. I live a few hours away and just visited his shop with combos in mind. When you open that cabinet drawer and see those calls it’s so amazing. I walked away with two totally different combos than what I thought I wanted. Mora/persimmon and a beautiful ironwood/ blue mahoe. But the best part just like a lot of you have said in the past is just sitting there talking with Mr Watkins’s.
.   This exactly...I’m fortunate to live only about a little over an hour from Marlin and every time my number came up I would go and visit him. I always had a combo in my mind and would leave with something else to be honest I go home with a awesome turkey call but the time time spent with Marlin is priceless he’s one of the best call makers out there and one nicest guys you can meet.
Thanks Marlin....Ken
Where are you at? I'm in stark county

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I’m in WV

Offline jed clampett

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Re: Marlin Watkins
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2020, 09:34:39 PM »
That makes perfect sense to me...all my calls have been outstanding!