It’s time to ring in 2019, but it’s also time to look back at 2018. While there was a repeat winner of the Bassmaster Classic for only the third time along with a great number of other extraordinary events, the year was dominated by the 50th anniversary of B.A.S.S.
The Daily Limit counts down its top 10 posts from the year – heavy on the Golden Anniversary – but let’s start with a couple stories that deserve honorable mention. The first is on Billy Meyers, a B.A.S.S. roadie who’s just another of the friendly faces interacting with anglers at the variety of tournament venues. Bassmaster anglers for years have espoused that the organization is a big family, and Meyers is one who helps you feel part of that.
The second honorable mention is one of those geek jobs, as, after seeing a number of angler encounters with alligators, the Daily Limit was curious as to how gators interacted with bass, especially since there seems to be at least one Bassmaster event in gator country every year.
The third is on Gerald Swindle. He finished 10th in the Classic, but he accomplished his goal to fish Championship Sunday and, if not for a mechanical malfunction, might have been in better position to win.
Now on to the top 10 countdown.
10. Prayers for guardian angel
“Mr. Fisherman Walker” is how Brandon Ardister’s youngest son addresses David Walker in family prayers. Walker is included in their nightly ritual because, during practice for the 2015 Classic, he became the family’s guardian angel by saving Ardister from drowning in Lake Hartwell. This story was revisited upon the Classic’s return there in 2018.
9. Lee’s Classic perspective
A number of anglers have been overcome with emotion when they accomplish something fantastic in the bass fishing world, like winning. So it goes that young Jordan Lee, 26, was a tearful mess at times after becoming only the third angler to win back-to-back Classics. Yeah, you bet there’s crying in fishing.
8. Doggonit to dreamland for Mercers
The arrival of a service dog for Dave Mercer’s autistic daughter turned tragic for a while. The Bassmaster emcee had been riding the high of becoming the youngest inductee into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame when the frightened pooch ran away, which resulted in a search that helped restore faith in humanity. Click here for the Hollywood ending.
7. ‘Normal … nothing else’
Hunter Baughman lost much of his limbs to a childhood illness, and while he’s said he wants to be treated just like everybody else, it’s getting harder when he keeps making big steps in bass fishing. After winning the Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament on Millwood Lake last summer, the well-known stick on the Arkansas River is proving he’s something special.
6. The Great Japanese Fisherman
With the most success of any foreign-born tournament angler, Takahiro Omori has earned the moniker “The Great Japanese Fisherman.” The 47-year-old has seven Bassmaster victories, including a Classic, and he won the 2018 opener to become the 15th angler to eclipse $2 million in B.A.S.S. earnings.
5. From Jumpsuits to Jerseys
The clothing of fishermen has evolved since 1968, and anglers who have experienced much of it – Rick Clunn, Guy Eaker and Davy Hite – offer some insight as to why one trend started and why others gave way. Almost 100 years ago, a lot of fishing was done in suits and ties, but the anglers say today’s computer-generated, high-tech jerseys are the best they’ve ever had. Read and see the evolution.
4. Ranger Boat visits White House
In July, at the invitation of President Trump, Ranger Boats sent its latest model along with Jimmy Houston to the White House for a function heralding American products. There, proven in the photo above, two of the most recognizable hairdos in the world came face-to-face. “When he walked up, I told him, ‘I like your hair,’” Houston said. “He said, ‘Well, I like yours, too.’” See what else happened here.
3. Getting the big picture
All kinds of wild things occur at the Classic. The photo ops seem endless. Then there’s getting five luminaries of the sport in one photo. Of course, Chris Lane was at the sponsor party and knew the significance of the shot, and even mentioned it’s tough to get those guys together. “They’re all legends,” he said. “You’ll probably never see those guys together again.” See the photo and read all about it here.
2. Rollin’ with Roland Martin
A look back at the history of B.A.S.S. would not be compete without a mention of The Great American Fisherman. Roland Martin was among the pioneers of pro bass fishing and remains the record-holder with nine B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year titles. But how he got started, particularly his early acumen with reading maps and dissecting bodies of water before it became widespread, is unearthed.
1. Great Scott! It’s been 50 years
Much of what Ray Scott accomplished in starting and running B.A.S.S. has been chronicled in one fashion or another. There’s some historical significance when an angler like Roland Martin offers method to Scott’s madness, like how he got in a tub every night and doodled in a notepad.
“If you looked at his old scrap book, about 99.9 percent of it was useless dribble,” Martin said. “But a lot of dribble, tons of dribble. The whole notepad would be full of stuff. But out of that came some fantastic ideas. Out of that came all of what you see today. The whole evolution of B.A.S.S. itself came from those early visions of Ray Scott.”
Many of the anglers quoted for the story noted bass fishing might not have grown to what it is today without Scott, and it was his particular talents that propelled the entire industry so quickly. Many owe their livelivhoods to him, saying they wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for him.
Read Great Scott!