This week perhaps the biggest headline in professional bass fishing isn’t about accomplishments, but a lack of one. As the Bassmaster Elite Series winds down with one final event to determine the Angler of the Year and 2015 Classic qualifiers, Kevin Van Dam will have to sit out.

For the first time in the last quarter of a century, VanDam will fail to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, an occurrence that many fans thought impossible. The world’s greatest competitive angler, seemingly invincible just a few short seasons ago, has hit a bump in the road.

I’m sure VanDam is beside himself. Anyone who’s spent 5 minutes with the guy knows that he is one of the most driven, purely competitive people in the world. Anything less than winning is totally unacceptable.

But he’ll be back. We’ve all seen it before with VanDam; he has 1 bad day in a tournament and it’s as if he gets mad at the fish themselves. The next day, he blows their doors off.

But his absence in this year’s championship will surely again give life to the greatest debate in all of pro fishing: Who’s the best of all time?

Not long ago, Rick Clunn was given the title via a made-for-TV debate show that somehow pitted the sports icons against one another through the history of pro bass fishing. The round table included industry insiders and press who had seen the rise of superstars and were considered experts on the subject. If nothing else, it was exciting to hear the old stories.

However, following that period, VanDam went on to win 10 more B.A.S.S. events, including two Classics. By 2011, just about every fan believed the debate was over. The only records remaining were those that would eventually be broken by VanDam, the way most of us figured.

But maybe we all jumped the gun. While I firmly believe VanDam will someday lay claim to most of the titles, there’s one record he now will never break: Rick Clunn’s 28 consecutive Classic appearances.

In addition, Clunn holds the record for most Classics fished (32 to VanDam’s 24), and Roland Martin still lays claim to the most Angler of the Year awards (nine to VanDam’s seven). Given today’s roster of incredibly dominant pros, those records are going to be tough to beat.

One title I’ll gladly give VanDam, however, is that of ambassador to pro bass fishing. I firmly believe he’s done more to propel the sport than any angler before or since. Part of that goes along with the sport’s increased visibility coupled with VanDam’s incredible dominance. But Kevin VanDam’s day doesn’t end when he loads the boat on the trailer.

His promotional workload is second to none. He’s involved in countless charities, fundraisers and mission events. His website also announces the upcoming launching of the KVD Foundation. Through it all, he’s still found time to win 20 national tournaments.

VanDam is the most recognized competitive professional angler in the world who hasn’t achieved his fame via a television fishing show. He’s done it through hard work and determination that we all can envy.

Sitting out the Classic will surely be tough. As a professional, he’ll attend to work for sponsors and put on a happy face for the public, but I’m sure it won’t be easy. All pros say that the worst thing about the Classic is when you have to go and are not fishing, or miss the cut. A thousand times you get asked what went wrong.

I would guess that VanDam will vow to never have that happen to him again. Through the previous decade, he’s made it look easy at times. Perhaps now we clearly see it’s anything but.

Who's the greatest?

I don’t know, but my vote will always be with Clunn. He holds the record for most dominant Classic ever – a win by a margin of more than 25 pounds. He came from nowhere to win again at the James. He was the first to publicize the exploration of the mental aspect of this game, a subject once scoffed at by the pro bass world, but now often credited as one of the most vital.

Who knows, maybe VanDam will bounce back, win four more Classics and a half-dozen AOY awards. I wouldn’t put it past the guy.

But this February, he’ll be signing autographs and smiling on the show floor. Fans will enjoy it, but I hope they don’t get used to it. Sure, VanDam’s a great promoter. But the guy belongs back out on the course.

(Joe Balog is the often outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)