A Classic Return To South Carolina

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
by Ray Scott

It was 35 years ago in October that the third Bassmaster Classic was held in McCormick on Clarks Hill Lake. Times have changed since then, notably the prize money – a $l5,000 top prize back then versus $500,000 today (and a total purse of nearly $l.2 million). Still, in 1973 in most people’s minds, $15,000 was a heck of a lot of money just to “go fishing”

And then there’s the press coverage. We were still luring a large contingent of outdoor writers onto our “mystery flights” and holding them captive for the duration of the competition. I don’t recall many complaints however, and they got our story out in entertaining and informative fashion.

Photo: Ray Scott Outdoors An unidentified Bassmaster Classic guest tries to tackle a greased pig at barbecue festivities in South Carolina in l973. Ray Scott had already bitten the dust in the background. Homer Circle and Classic contender Ricky Green went on to win the contest.

One thing has always stayed the same – the excitement and the competitive spirit of bass fishing’s Super Bowl never changes. Thirty-five years ago I saw the same passion and gut determination in the eyes of those Classic anglers as I see now – just change the clothes and the backdrop. Some things don’t change.

We were still charting our course in 1973. Every year the Classic was hammered and honed into something bigger and better and safer, and the third classic was notable for a number of things.

In my reckoning, the greatest thing we did that year was to provide a berth for a single BASS Federation Nation angler – Wendell Mann of Snow Camp. S.C. It was a tribute to the grassroots BASS boys and it was a “Cinderella” angle that added depth and human interest to a contest that could easily have become too slick and out of reach. What spectator-angler cannot identify with these “weekend fishermen” who fight their way through a never-ending series of local, regional and national tournaments to stand on the Classic stage?

And who can forget the year (1994) a Federation angler – 23-year-old Bryan Kerchal – won the Classic in nearby Greensboro, N.C. It can happen again – a Federation Nation angler walking off with the Classic championship..

I fondly recall another “first” in the ’73 Classic. It was the first – and the last – year we had a “greased pig” contest. It was the custom of the early Classics to provide fine dining and nightly entertainment for the entire Classic contingent, as we were usually more or less stranded in some pretty out-of-the-way places. So on one night in rural South Carolina, we decided to have an old-fashioned country barbecue. As we often did, we “dressed” for the occasion.

That night we were in blue jeans and bib overalls and I had arranged for a small greased pig to be placed in a nearby barn. There, in the center corral, a few brave men tried to tackle the slippery rascal. It was a spectacle people still talk about it.

Believe it or not, the always neat and immaculate Mr. Homer Circle won the event, along with pro Ricky Green. The pig was fine, but we came out a little worse for wear.

Another guest who tried to catch the elusive critter was country music legend and bass fisherman Roy Clark. He came to entertain our crowd one night. Knowing I was struggling, he would not take any money for his performance, so I gave him my best cowboy hat. Years later, he would tell me how far and wide that hat traveled, including the Soviet Union. He was a great friend to BASS

Rayo Breckenridge, a cotton farmer from Paragould, Ark., took home the Classic title out of a field of 26 fishermen that included Bill Dance, who stayed hot on his tail. Rayo boated 27 bass that weighed 52-08 and edged out Bill, who caught his l0-bass limit everyday and weighed in a total of 48-14.

In one of those interesting Classic sidelights, Rayo had a close call on the final day when his engine wouldn’t start. Fellow competitor Roland Martin gave him an on-time ride home to the weigh-in.

Roland was already a hot shot on the BASS tournament trail and would become a genuine bass fishing superstar, qualifying for 25 Classics and winning the Angler of the Year (AOY) title nine times. Ironically, he was never a Classic winner, but he graciously gave a ride to one on that autumn day in South Carolina.

Note: To read more about the inspiring story of Ray Scott and the multi-billion-dollar sportfishing industry he created, order Robert Boyle's biography, Bass Boss, at RayScott.net, or call (800) 518-7222..