Strength From A Strong Foundation

Wednesday, June 15, 2005
by Ray Scott

The cameras will rightly focus on well-known pros – fishermen like Roland Martin and Rick Clunn and others. And out of the limelight will be five talented anglers who'll be deemed "long shots" by the outdoor press and outside observers. I'm talking about the five BASS Federation anglers I weighed in at Bay Lake, Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida, April 2005.

Here's the list of names to note: Ed Cowan, Gerry Jooste, Jami Fralick, Dave Palmer and Jess Hager.

Photo: Bassmaster.com Ed Cowan's one of five Federation anglers who'll fish the Classic, and according to Ray Scott, he's no "long shot."

But let me give you a quick history lesson in case you've forgotten the recent past. In 1994, a short-order cook from Connecticut qualified for the Classic through the BASS Federation. His name was Bryan Kerchal. Enough said. So if you're looking for a "Cinderella" story in Pittsburgh, look no further than these five individuals.

At the top of that list is Ed Cowan who lives in Pennsylvania. Ed was a close friend and traveling companion of the late Bryan Kerchal, who was the first to scale that Classic mountain. Cowan has fished the Ohio River before and qualified there for the BASS National Federation Championship in 2000.

Long shot? Automatically dismissing Cowan as a contender might be a huge mistake.

And there's Gerry Jooste, a good friend of mine from Zimbabwe who qualified for a record fourth Classic through the Federation Championship in April. I visited Gerry in Zimbabwe just last November while meeting with Maxwell Mashandure about the new African record bass from Lake Darwendale. But that's another great story.

Let me assure you, Gerry is no long shot, either. He's a superb fisherman who learned a lot about American waters through pros like Basil Bacon. But can you imagine traveling halfway around the world to fish unfamiliar waters?

Lately, controversy has surrounded these five Classic slots. In fact, a few well-known pros and members of the outdoor press have publicly stated they would like to see the Federation eliminated altogether from the Classic. My position? To eliminate the "Federation factor" would greatly diminish the spirit of the world's greatest bass-fishing event. It would make about as much sense as the PGA eliminating amateur slots at the U.S. Open.

This sport needs "gold at the end of the rainbow" and the Classic represents that and more to the 43,000 members of today's BASS Federation and the millions who identify with the "underdog." Taking away this pot of gold would defeat the purpose of this "everyman" sport and weaken the grassroots foundation upon which it was built.

Let me explain.

When I started the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society back in 1968, the first organized group of anglers to step up to the plate in solid support of the Society was the Chattanooga Bass Club with Harold Sharp leading the charge. Other bass clubs soon followed. Chapter members immediately became the foundation of BASS – volunteering their manpower for community-service projects, becoming our legislative watchdogs at the state and federal levels, introducing more people to this sport we love.

As more clubs came aboard, we formed the BASS Federation in 1972, as we know it today, with 19 independent state organizations (today there are 53 Federations), giving us power in numbers and a collective voice that could not be ignored by policymakers and politicians. And along the way, Federation members rallied support for youth programs, conservation initiatives and funding mechanisms for our fisheries.

Photo: Bassmaster.com Gerry Jooste qualified for a record fourth Classic through the Federation.

I'll share another fact about the Federation qualifiers at the Classic. They work as hard to get to the Classic as their professional counterparts.

Through hundreds of club tournaments across the nation every year, the top amateur fishermen begin to emerge from the masses and masses of winnable champions. These anglers then compete for a position on their individual state teams. The best fishermen from each state then travel to a BASS Divisional Championship. From these five divisional events, the top anglers then advance to the next level – the Federation Championship – where one lone angler finally emerges from each division.

It's a long and grueling proposition, involving 2 years of travel, time away from families and an unrivaled dedication to this sport. Consider, also, that they do all this on the weekends while holding down full-time jobs, without the possibility of any lucrative tournament win along the way.

In closing, let me share a little hard-won wisdom with you.
The secret behind quality construction is a rock-solid foundation. That's why bridges are built atop bedrock.

The same theory holds true for successful organizations – the best ones are built around individuals who share a common dream and commitment.

That's why the BASS Federation remains so vital to the success of the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society. This old house would have fallen down a long time ago without the men and women willing to get involved in the kind of efforts necessary to sustain our sport for everyone – not just BASS members.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. As founder of BASS, the Federation is my pride and joy. It's the heartbeat of bass fishing and one of my proudest accomplishments.

Sometimes, when outsiders look at our sport, they miss one of the most critical ingredients.

They see only the glorious bridge spanning the river. They miss the bedrock foundation below.

(It takes only six anglers to form an affiliated BASS club. If you're interested, click here to email me and I'll get you in the info you need.)