A lot has been said about the rift between the The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF Inc.) and BASS/ESPN since BASS/ESPN publicly announced the retraction, or revocation, of the BASS memberships of the TBF Inc. board of directors and BASS division representatives in Don Rucks' "An Open Letter to Federation Members." Many people of note have gotten involved.

One of the more famous of these people is the founder of B.A.S.S., Mr. Ray Scott. While my colleagues and I have the fondest regard for the contributions that Mr. Scott has made to the world of tournament bass angling and to the preservation of the sport – let's face it, bass angling arguably would not be where it is today if it wasn't for Ray Scott – we take particular offense to his recent comments:

> "I looked at (TBF Inc.) then as a growing cancer on the end of the extremity, and recommended it be removed and not be allowed to grow further to disrupt BASS and the BASS-Federation relationship."

> "I recommended that (the divisional reps) be done away with 2 1/2 years ago. We had one of the first-ever meetings with these 'representatives,' and it was my recommendation that they be released that night and that BASS communicate with the Federation member clubs and Federations directly."

> He also stated that we, the TBF Inc. officers, are greedy and power-hungry.

First of all, I think a little background on these individuals who are supposed to be "a cancer" is in order.

> Robert Cartlidge is, or was, a life member of B.A.S.S. He's devoted over 20 years in the service of the Oklahoma and national Federations. He has served the Oklahoma Federation in the positions of environmental director, tournament director and president. For the past 4 years he has been the Central Division representative, and in 2003 received the B.A.S.S. Federation National Outstanding Service Award.

> Chuck Rolfsmeyer has been a member of B.A.S.S. and the Federation in Wisconsin since 1986. He has served that Federation as conservation director for 7 years and as president for 7 years. He also has served as the Northern Division representative for the last 4 years. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Bass Federation, at which time he also received a letter from B.A.S.S., and (former BASS Federation director) Don Corkran which stated: "Your dedication, hard work and devotion to the founding principles of B.A.S.S. make you the ideal recipient for the Wisconsin Bass Federation lifetime achievement award."

> Roger Fitchett has been a member of B.A.S.S. since 1968 and a life member since 1985. He joined the Virginia Federation in 1979 and has served that organization in the positions of region director, secretary and president, a post he's held since 1994. He was one of the original B.A.S.S. division representatives.

> Charles Mitchell has been member of the Federation ranks and B.A.S.S. since the late '80s, and has served the Tennessee Federation in the positions of director, treasurer, conservation director and president. He also serves as the Southern Division Federation representative.

> I, Gary Bradford, have been involved with the Federation since 1993 and was a member of B.A.S.S. in the mid-1970s. I have served the California Federation in the position of region director and have been president for the past 6 years. I am also the Western Division Federation representative.

> Mike Dunkerley has been a life member of B.A.S.S. since 1978 and has served the Pennsylvania Federation as a club president, state secretary and most recently as the state president. As the president of the Pennsylvania Federation, he coordinated the huge manpower requirements that were required to pull off this year's Bassmaster Classic and Junior Bassmaster Championships held in Pittsburgh. He is the current Mid-Atlantic Division Federation representative.

> Joe McKinnon, the current Eastern Division Federation representative, has been a member of B.A.S.S. and the Federation since 1989. He also has served the Massachusetts Federation as its president, vice president, secretary and as a club president over the years.

These volunteers have over 120 years of combined service to B.A.S.S. and to their Federations and do you know how much money they have received for their efforts? Zero. That's correct – nothing. They do this out of their love for the sport and their desire to grow it.

How in the world can you call us greedy and power hungry, Ray? Surely you of all people know the definition of the terms greedy and power-hungry.

Ray, you very well may have recommended to BASS/ESPN 2 1/2 years ago that they do away with our positions and deal directly with the presidents, but at that very same time you asked us to give them 6 months saying, "If BASS does not fix the problem and work with you, in 6 months I will lead you away." And then you stated, "Fab 5, keep doing what you're doing."

I think that speaks to the term "integrity."

Don Rucks has spent a grand total of about 15 minutes in front of the presidents of the Federations, and by his own admission in a conversation with a club president has never even met the Division representatives. I did speak with him for a short time at the Federation Championship. But he has never met with us as a group.

Since Gary Jones came on as the BASS director of Federation and angler relations, he also has avoided meetings with the Division representatives. He has met only a couple of times with us and has canceled many other meetings. One of the biggest complaints that the Division reps have had to handle from the presidents since his arrival has been his consistent lack of returning calls and emails. Is this what BASS calls better communication?

The realism in this is that had Mr. Rucks or Mr. Jones taken the time to meet with the Division reps and work out the problem areas, we would not be in the position that we are today. To this date we, the board of directors of the TBF Inc., are still reaching out to BASS and have extended an invitation to them to come to our meetings in Orlando, Fla. in January.

We would come to theirs but, as they have stated, we are not welcome.

Gary B. Bradford is president of the California B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation, is the Western Division Federation representative and is the secretary of TBF Inc. He retired as a battalion chief at the City of Long Beach Fire Department in December 2000.