You CAN Go Home Again

Wednesday, April 7, 2004
by Ray Scott

The new ESPN/BASS management has invited me to "come home" to BASS, and it is with great enthusiasm that I have accepted the invitation to return to the organization – the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society – I founded and crafted over 36 years ago.

As the B.A.S.S. founder, and like a proud parent – even after stepping off the Bassmaster stage in 1998 – I've watched with pride as the organization transitioned into the 21st Century. The "new" BASS has a bright future, and I'm excited to once again be associated with the world's leading authority on bass fishing.

In making the announcement, Dean Kessel, BASS VP and general manager said: "Pride and passion are key ingredients in the BASS recipe for success, and Ray recognized this back in 1968 when he created what would become our sport's largest fishing organization." And it was indeed pride and passion that propelled the phenomenal growth of B.A.S.S.

Over the course of time, several "poets" (i.e., writers) have made passing attempts to capture the meaning and success of the B.A.S.S. organization. Sporting Classics Magazine, in its Jan.-Feb. 1996 issue, described me as the "messiah of bass fishing, who with his first tournament over a quarter-century ago, ignited a billion-dollar industry that has touched the lives of every angler in America."

Even today I want to express appreciation to the writer, Richard Behm, for granting me such status. But make no mistake, we're all very human here with the smell of the outdoors on our hands. But he did capture the collective passion for the sport.

And he did tap into a spiritual motivation behind my decision to return to BASS. My primary objective is indeed to provide a renewed spiritual and motivational voice to the organization, and to build pride and participation in the BASS experience.

As to Ray Scott's "new role" with BASS, I've never stopped being the founder and I am thrilled to be back helping BASS any way I can. I've never wavered from my great affection for the dedicated B.A.S.S. member, and especially the Federations, and look forward to growing our sport.

For openers, I'm excited about the timing of my reunion with BASS. The BASS Federation Championship is scheduled for April 22-24 at Oklahoma's Lake Keystone, and I'm truly looking forward to the event in Tulsa. This will be a grand opportunity to get up to speed with the state Federations' leadership and learn firsthand their plans and projects – and how Ray Scott can lend a hand.

Tulsa is a great venue. It's alive with bass fishing history. Among many claims to fame, it's the home of my best friend, Don Butler. Don founded the Okiebug Co. years ago, and won the 1972 Classic on his S.O.B. (Small Okie Bug spinnerbait).

More important to me, he was my personal friend and cheerleader in mighty uncertain times. He had enough confidence in me and what I was doing to become the very first member and life member of BASS. No doubt about it, Tulsa is a very special place to me.

And there's no better place for the Federation Championship. Okay, I'll confess. I've always had a special interest in the Federations and BASS clubs. No group of bass anglers is more committed to the bass fishing resource, conservation, the environment and particularly to getting youngsters involved in our sport. The future looks especially bright, with veteran Don Corkran at the helm as Federation director, and an exceptional young man in charge of youth programs, Stacy Twiggs.

Without BASS clubs and the state Federations' involvement, the Bassmaster CastingKids program would be underwater. But interest among youngsters is on the rise, thanks to Don and Stacy and the many weekends and the generous time donated by BASS club members to teach the eternal lessons of the angler. Kids are the future.

The math is simple. By building the BASS membership, the force for fishing can grow. In the past, our Bass Anglers Sportsman Society has battled the business of pollution, worked to improve water quality and supported legislation or legislators with clean-water measures. As a group, our best efforts must continue. The greater the membership, the stronger our voice.

Naturally, I've been asked: "How does BASS compare today to years ago?"

When 106 fishermen from 13 states showed up for the first All-American Invitational in 1967 at Beaver Lake, Ark., not a soul could see the future. There was no crystal ball. No one could imagine the scope and the extent to which bass fishing would grow. The entry fee was $100, the total prize fund around $5,000. Now, thanks to ESPN's efforts with BASS, the pros are fishing for some real money, like the $1.6 million the new Bassmaster Elite 50 qualifiers will fish for in a no entry fee, four-event series.

ESPN has broadened the horizons of the BASS organization dramatically. The Bassmasters on ESPN2 reaches untold numbers of potential bass anglers.

As the revived "ambassador" for the organization, our mission is to convert as many as possible to the bass fishing "religion."

Still, I can't help but wonder what if things had been different in 1967 at Beaver Lake?

As Mr. Frost wrote in some of my favorite verses in "The Road Not Taken":

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

A lot of anglers have taken that road with me, some to fame and fortune. What a great trip it has been. And even greater adventures lie ahead.

Stay tuned.