The bass fishing world mourns this week with the passing of Ray Scott.
Words cannot describe his impact on the sport we all love and enjoy. Scott was everything.
By now, we’ve read the releases outlining Scott’s career as the face of organized bass fishing. Several years ago, Bass Boss, the book detailing much of the same, was released and instantly earned a spot on my bookshelf. But the recent recap again put in perspective everything we owe to Ray.
Scott is credited with creating organized bass fishing. Sure, a few events had taken place prior to his inaugural All American Bass Tournament in 1967, but it was Scott who envisioned a permanent place for the sport, much like other professional leagues, complete with prize money, fans and touring professionals. Before Scott, any attempt at organization was nothing more than a daily jackpot.
With the later creation of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, Scott had a place for bass anglers to come together, share information and find power in numbers. Today, we take for granted many of the clean-water initiatives that Scott helped bring to fruition. Early on, B.A.S.S. was a powerful voting force that influenced policy.
Scott’s relationship with former president George H.W. Bush was legendary, and also helped propel the Wallop-Breaux Amendment that contributes billions to fisheries management, habitat enhancement and education.
But perhaps Scott’s greatest contribution to our sport was the inception of catch and release. The concept seems obvious now, but take yourself back to an earlier time, when most American’s were still convinced that fish and wildlife resources were endless; now imagine convincing them otherwise. Scott really went out on a limb with that one. He had a little backing from like-minded individuals, though. I remember reading how Scott partnered with legendary boat-builder Forrest Wood to engineer the first onboard livewell. The men of that era built many of the concepts we hold dear today.
Guys my age remember Ray Scott as the ultimate weighmaster. No one has ever held a candle to Scott’s showmanship on stage. To this day, when I think of the Bassmaster Classic, I can’t help but remember Scott frothing the audience into a fury with his inception of the “A” and “B” team. This was a time when tournament outcomes were still a mystery all the way to the end, rumors flew wildly around the auditorium, and the biggest strings were saved until last. Scott’s heartfelt theatrics could bring fans to tears.
Scott brought kill-switches to bass boats, allowing his league to justify the use of monster outboards. Poly-flake bass boats and the 150 Blackmax took control of the '80s. Seen as overkill by some, bigger, faster boats allowed anglers access to previously undiscovered fisheries. The Great Lakes became bass fishing destinations. Lake Champlain, Mead, even Minnetonka brought tournaments to town.
Scott’s society resulted in a gigantic tackle industry. Dually driven by innovation and competition, organized bass fishing has pushed the development of better gear since the beginning. Anglers all over the world – even those catching fish other than bass – owe a big thank you to Ray Scott the next time they reel one in.
The list of Scott's contributions to the sport is nearly endless. He was, truly, the beginning of the whole thing. Everything you do that involves bass fishing, from reading this column to watching a video, admiring your lightweight rod and invincible braided line, the perfect swim of a plastic and the sticky-sharp treble on a jerk bait, the $100,000 bass boat going down the road and the 60 people involved in building it; all of that can be traced back in some way to Ray Scott. All of it.
Despite his influence everywhere, Scott had been out of the limelight for some time, and had concentrated much of his later efforts in the hunting sector. I often wondered if we needed a modern-day Ray.
Organized bass fishing’s direction has been concerning. Today, we’re surrounded by individuals and groups interested in dissolving a lot of what Ray Scott built. Until recently, I hadn’t noticed much being done to improve our image.
But I’m excited to learn more about projects aimed at improving fisheries through the efforts of bass anglers. Manufacturers are partnering with tournament organizations to leave things better than we found them.
From here, we need to do more as individuals. Promote the positive concepts of bass fishing. The outdoor lifestyle and family concept originally championed by Ray. More high-fives and fewer boat-flips. Care for the resource. Acknowledgment that we’re privileged to be enjoying bass and bass fishing, because it’s nobody’s God-given right.
Ray Scott’s goal was to unify the bass anglers of America for the betterment of the sport and the benefit of the bass. With his passing, it’s important we take time to reflect on those principles and always keep them front and center.
(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.)
