50th Anniversary of B.A.S.S.

By the numbers: Bill Dance

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Numbers tell a story … especially in the sports world. For decades, writers, announcers and fans have used numbers to evaluate their favorite athletes, to support or oppose them for various honors and awards and to argue about their place in history. Professional fishing has mostly been an exception. Statistics have seldom been used to write or talk about anglers except for the basics — pounds and ounces, tournament wins, prize money. Assessing anglers across different eras, with different creel limits and different tournament formats has looked less like comparing apples and oranges than comparing apples to almonds. <p> <em>All captions: Ken Duke</em>
Numbers tell a story … especially in the sports world. For decades, writers, announcers and fans have used numbers to evaluate their favorite athletes, to support or oppose them for various honors and awards and to argue about their place in history. Professional fishing has mostly been an exception. Statistics have seldom been used to write or talk about anglers except for the basics — pounds and ounces, tournament wins, prize money. Assessing anglers across different eras, with different creel limits and different tournament formats has looked less like comparing apples and oranges than comparing apples to almonds.

All captions: Ken Duke

It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. Numbers ultimately speak the same language, and — properly understood and nuanced — they can work to tell a compelling story, to illuminate where there was darkness and to support where there was only guesswork.
It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. Numbers ultimately speak the same language, and — properly understood and nuanced — they can work to tell a compelling story, to illuminate where there was darkness and to support where there was only guesswork.
Perhaps no angler can be better served with a statistical analysis of his career than the legendary Bill Dance, who recently turned 78. He was bass fishing’s first superstar and is almost certainly the best-known angler in America. But most know him only as a friendly image on their television screen — a victim on voluminous blooper reels — not as the top competitor he was in the early days of tournament bass fishing.
Perhaps no angler can be better served with a statistical analysis of his career than the legendary Bill Dance, who recently turned 78. He was bass fishing’s first superstar and is almost certainly the best-known angler in America. But most know him only as a friendly image on their television screen — a victim on voluminous blooper reels — not as the top competitor he was in the early days of tournament bass fishing.
As B.A.S.S. celebrates its 50th anniversary, here’s a look back at his career, by the numbers.
As B.A.S.S. celebrates its 50th anniversary, here’s a look back at his career, by the numbers.
1 — Bill Dance caught the first bass in Ray Scott’s All-American tournament on Beaver Lake (1967), where he finished second. The All-American came before Scott founded B.A.S.S., and Dance was running a boat with a significantly larger outboard motor than any other in the field. When he caught a bass on his first cast, he looked back to see the competition still motoring his way.
1 — Bill Dance caught the first bass in Ray Scott’s All-American tournament on Beaver Lake (1967), where he finished second. The All-American came before Scott founded B.A.S.S., and Dance was running a boat with a significantly larger outboard motor than any other in the field. When he caught a bass on his first cast, he looked back to see the competition still motoring his way.
2 x 3 — Several anglers have won back-to-back B.A.S.S. events, but only Dance has done it three times — in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
2 x 3 — Several anglers have won back-to-back B.A.S.S. events, but only Dance has done it three times — in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
3 — Dance is the only angler in history to lead in B.A.S.S. prize money for three consecutive seasons — 1968 ($7,065), 1969 ($5,070) and 1970 ($6,710). Those numbers don’t look big today, but they were the best anyone posted in the first three years of the sport’s modern era.
3 — Dance is the only angler in history to lead in B.A.S.S. prize money for three consecutive seasons — 1968 ($7,065), 1969 ($5,070) and 1970 ($6,710). Those numbers don’t look big today, but they were the best anyone posted in the first three years of the sport’s modern era.
3 (part 2) — Dance was the first B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (1970) and is one of five anglers to win three or more AOY titles (1970, 1974 and 1977). The others are Roland Martin (9), Kevin VanDam (7), Mark Davis and Aaron Martens (3 each).
3 (part 2) — Dance was the first B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (1970) and is one of five anglers to win three or more AOY titles (1970, 1974 and 1977). The others are Roland Martin (9), Kevin VanDam (7), Mark Davis and Aaron Martens (3 each).
4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 — Dance was the youngest angler in B.A.S.S. history to reach 4 wins (28 years, 11 months, 21 days), 5 wins (29 years, 9 days), 6 wins (29 years, 6 months, 5 days), 7 wins (29 years, 11 months, 20 days) and 8 wins (30 years, 1 month, 8 days). He also holds the record for most wins before the age of 30, with seven.
4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 — Dance was the youngest angler in B.A.S.S. history to reach 4 wins (28 years, 11 months, 21 days), 5 wins (29 years, 9 days), 6 wins (29 years, 6 months, 5 days), 7 wins (29 years, 11 months, 20 days) and 8 wins (30 years, 1 month, 8 days). He also holds the record for most wins before the age of 30, with seven.
8 (again) — Dance won eight of the first 20 B.A.S.S. tournaments (40 percent), including the first B.A.S.S. team tournament (there have been only two) on Lake Eufaula (Alabama) in 1969.
8 (again) — Dance won eight of the first 20 B.A.S.S. tournaments (40 percent), including the first B.A.S.S. team tournament (there have been only two) on Lake Eufaula (Alabama) in 1969.
10.4 percent — During his relatively brief tournament career (1967-80), Dance fished 77 B.A.S.S. events, winning eight (10.4 percent). No other angler can match that winning percentage. The next best B.A.S.S. career winning percentages (of anglers with at least 50 B.A.S.S. events under their belts) belong to Kevin VanDam (8.0 percent), Roland Martin (6.3), Denny Brauer (5.6) and Larry Nixon (5.4). Everyone else is below 5 percent — less than half of Dance’s number.
10.4 percent — During his relatively brief tournament career (1967-80), Dance fished 77 B.A.S.S. events, winning eight (10.4 percent). No other angler can match that winning percentage. The next best B.A.S.S. career winning percentages (of anglers with at least 50 B.A.S.S. events under their belts) belong to Kevin VanDam (8.0 percent), Roland Martin (6.3), Denny Brauer (5.6) and Larry Nixon (5.4). Everyone else is below 5 percent — less than half of Dance’s number.
15.2 percent — That’s the percentage of votes Dance received in ESPN’s Greatest Angler Debate back in 2005. He finished third behind Rick Clunn and Roland Martin, but it makes serious fans wonder what he might have accomplished and where he might have ranked had he competed longer. Nevertheless, he finished third even though he hadn’t fished competitively in 25 years.
15.2 percent — That’s the percentage of votes Dance received in ESPN’s Greatest Angler Debate back in 2005. He finished third behind Rick Clunn and Roland Martin, but it makes serious fans wonder what he might have accomplished and where he might have ranked had he competed longer. Nevertheless, he finished third even though he hadn’t fished competitively in 25 years.
47 percent — Between April 1968 and November 1970, Dance won 47 percent of all B.A.S.S. tournaments (eight of 17). It’s a success rate that will never be matched.
47 percent — Between April 1968 and November 1970, Dance won 47 percent of all B.A.S.S. tournaments (eight of 17). It’s a success rate that will never be matched.
67.5 percent — That’s how often Dance finished in the top 10 in B.A.S.S. competition — far better than anyone else in history. Kevin VanDam has been in the top ten 37 percent of the time. Roland Martin did it 34 percent of the time … and the fields were typically much larger in Dance’s time on tour.
67.5 percent — That’s how often Dance finished in the top 10 in B.A.S.S. competition — far better than anyone else in history. Kevin VanDam has been in the top ten 37 percent of the time. Roland Martin did it 34 percent of the time … and the fields were typically much larger in Dance’s time on tour.
$57,134.42 — This figure represents Dance’s career B.A.S.S. tournament winnings. If it seems remarkably low, it wasn’t — not for the era. There just wasn’t much money in competitive fishing in the 1960s and ’70s, so Dance left it to pursue television, where he’s become the sport’s most famous and popular angler.
$57,134.42 — This figure represents Dance’s career B.A.S.S. tournament winnings. If it seems remarkably low, it wasn’t — not for the era. There just wasn’t much money in competitive fishing in the 1960s and ’70s, so Dance left it to pursue television, where he’s become the sport’s most famous and popular angler.
39 years, 9 months, 20 days — Dance retired from the tournament trail at 39 — an age when most bass pros are just hitting their strides. Kevin VanDam collected more than half of his 25 wins and four of his seven AOY titles after the age of 40. Could Dance have continued to put up impressive numbers on tour into his 40s, 50s and beyond? The facts that he was still qualifying for Bassmaster Classics, still making runs at AOY … and is still making great fishing television 38 years later answers the question with an emphatic “Yes!”
39 years, 9 months, 20 days — Dance retired from the tournament trail at 39 — an age when most bass pros are just hitting their strides. Kevin VanDam collected more than half of his 25 wins and four of his seven AOY titles after the age of 40. Could Dance have continued to put up impressive numbers on tour into his 40s, 50s and beyond? The facts that he was still qualifying for Bassmaster Classics, still making runs at AOY … and is still making great fishing television 38 years later answers the question with an emphatic “Yes!”
Of course, the greatness of Bill Dance cannot be quantified in pounds and ounces, dollars and cents, percentages or tournament wins, but the numbers that help to describe his career reveal something of his accomplishments and put his dominance in perspective.
Of course, the greatness of Bill Dance cannot be quantified in pounds and ounces, dollars and cents, percentages or tournament wins, but the numbers that help to describe his career reveal something of his accomplishments and put his dominance in perspective.
Many of the numbers Dance posted in his career have been eclipsed. (Other anglers have won more tournaments and AOY titles.) But others will never be matched. (No one will ever again win 47 percent of all tournaments for a two and a half year stretch, or win more than 10 percent of all tournaments in a career.)
Many of the numbers Dance posted in his career have been eclipsed. (Other anglers have won more tournaments and AOY titles.) But others will never be matched. (No one will ever again win 47 percent of all tournaments for a two and a half year stretch, or win more than 10 percent of all tournaments in a career.)
The sport has grown and evolved in the 50 years since Bill Dance came on the scene, blazing a trail that’s been followed by Roland Martin, Rick Clunn, Larry Nixon, Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Aaron Martens and hundreds more. But the marks Dance made and the numbers he posted are indelible and forever demand respect.
The sport has grown and evolved in the 50 years since Bill Dance came on the scene, blazing a trail that’s been followed by Roland Martin, Rick Clunn, Larry Nixon, Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Aaron Martens and hundreds more. But the marks Dance made and the numbers he posted are indelible and forever demand respect.

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