175 Fun Facts About Bass Fishing

Black bass such as the largemouth actually belong to which group of fishes?

Despite the name, they are Centrarchidae, cousins of the bluegill; striped bass are the real thing.

The genus that contains all the black bass species is called what?

It currently holds 14 recognized species, all native east of the Rockies from Hudson Bay to northeastern Mexico.

Which feature identifies a largemouth rather than a smallmouth?

On a smallmouth the jaw stops beneath the eye, and its coloring runs bronze rather than green.

Which of these is a common nickname for the largemouth bass?

Bucketmouth refers to the largemouth's huge gape; green bass and largie are other nicknames, while bronzeback belongs to the smallmouth and rockfish to the striper.

Who caught the all-tackle world record largemouth on June 2, 1932?

George Perry, a young Georgia farmer, caught the record bass while fishing for food; it was weighed at a general store, entered in a magazine contest and then eaten.

How much did the 1932 world record largemouth weigh?

Perry's bass weighed 22 lb 4 oz (10.09 kg); Manabu Kurita's 2009 fish from Japan was under two ounces heavier, so the IGFA lists the two as a tie.

In which US state was the 1932 record largemouth caught?

Georgia's Telfair County produced the fish, from an oxbow slough off the Ocmulgee River south of Helena; a historical marker stands nearby.

What was the record-setting angler's only reward for his 1932 fish?

Perry's only prize was $75 of merchandise from Field & Stream's big-fish contest, including a shotgun and shells; the fish itself fed his family.

Which Japanese lake produced the 2009 largemouth that tied the world record?

Manabu Kurita took the 10.12 kg fish from Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, in 2009, and the IGFA certified the tie the following January.

The largemouth is the official state freshwater fish of Florida and which other state?

Alabama named the largemouth its official freshwater fish in 1975, the same year Florida did; Alabama's saltwater counterpart is the tarpon.

The smallmouth bass carries which scientific name?

It honors the French mineralogist Déodat de Dolomieu — the same man the Dolomites are named after.

Smallmouth bass are nicknamed 'bronzebacks' and prefer what kind of water compared with largemouth?

Smallmouth favor cooler, clearer water — rocky lakes and current-swept rivers — which is why they dominate the Great Lakes and Ozark streams while largemouth take the warm, weedy shallows.

The world record smallmouth, 11 lb 15 oz, came from which reservoir in 1955?

David Hayes took the 11 lb 15 oz smallmouth from Dale Hollow Reservoir, on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, in July 1955; the record was later disputed, then reinstated.

Which black bass is the official state fish of Texas?

The Guadalupe bass, Texas's state fish since 1989, is a small, current-loving black bass found nowhere outside central Texas; even the record fish weighed under four pounds.

Which parent guards the nest and fry after black bass spawn?

The male sweeps out the bed, coaxes a female to lay, then stands guard until the fry scatter — which is why bed-fishing is controversial.

Which part of a bass do anglers grip to lift it from the water?

Anglers 'lip' a bass by its lower lip because its teeth are too fine to cut skin; a heavy fish should be held horizontally to avoid straining the jaw.

A cross between a striped bass and a white bass is commonly called what?

Wiper is the common name for the striped bass × white bass hybrid, a hatchery cross stocked widely in reservoirs because it grows fast and fights hard.

Who founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) in 1967?

An Alabama insurance man, Scott dreamed up competitive bass fishing and later pushed catch-and-release on the tour.

Where was the first B.A.S.S. tournament held in June 1967?

Ray Scott's All-American Invitational on Beaver Lake, near Springdale, Arkansas, drew 106 anglers from thirteen states in June 1967 and launched tournament bass fishing.

Where was the first Bassmaster Classic held, in 1971?

The 1971 Classic was fished on Lake Mead, Nevada; Bobby Murray of Arkansas won its $10,000 first prize.

Until 1976 the Bassmaster Classic was held on what kind of venue?

Anglers boarded a plane not knowing where they were going, so nobody could pre-fish the water.

Which two anglers share the record of four Bassmaster Classic wins?

Clunn won in 1976, 1977, 1984 and 1990; VanDam in 2001, 2005, 2010 and 2011.

Pro bass legend Kevin 'KVD' VanDam hails from which Michigan city?

Kevin VanDam, born in Kalamazoo in 1967, worked at the city's D&R Sports Center tackle shop before turning pro and has lived in the area his whole career.

How many Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles did Kevin VanDam win?

He is also the sport's all-time money winner, though Roland Martin still holds the record with nine AOY crowns.

In 2019, at age 72, Rick Clunn became the oldest angler ever to do what?

He broke his own record from 2016, and had qualified for 28 consecutive Classics earlier in his career.

Which legend holds a record nine B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year titles yet never won the Classic?

Roland Martin won nine Angler of the Year titles between 1971 and 1985 and 19 B.A.S.S. events, yet the Classic eluded him in 25 appearances.

TV host Bill Dance is instantly recognizable by his sunglasses and a cap from which university?

Dance, a Tennessee native, wears a University of Tennessee Volunteers cap on every show; Bill Dance Outdoors began on a Memphis station in 1968.

What sets Major League Fishing apart from traditional tournaments?

No livewell, no five-fish limit; every scorable bass counts, and MLF bought the FLW tour in 2019.

In a typical multi-day bass tournament, how many fish does each angler weigh per day?

Anglers weigh their best 5 bass a day, culling smaller fish as bigger ones come aboard; the limit and livewells let the sport grow without emptying lakes.

Where did Johnny Morris start selling the tackle that became Bass Pro Shops in 1972?

Johnny Morris, then 24, began by selling fishing tackle from eight square feet of shelf space in his father's Brown Derby liquor store in Springfield, Missouri.

Which outdoor retailer did Bass Pro Shops acquire in 2017?

Bass Pro Shops completed its takeover of Cabela's, the Sidney, Nebraska catalog rival, in September 2017, folding the two biggest outdoor brands into one Springfield-based company.

What did Bass Pro Shops open inside a former arena in Memphis in 2015?

Bass Pro Shops turned the 32-story Memphis Pyramid, a former arena, into a megastore with a cypress swamp, live alligators and the Big Cypress Lodge hotel.

Which lure company began when a beekeeper tossed a whittled stick into a millpond and a bass hit it?

James Heddon's family made the first lures in their kitchen in Dowagiac; the company later gave the world the Zara Spook.

Lauri Rapala carved his first lure in 1936 in which country?

He used cork, a shoemaker's knife, chocolate-bar foil and melted photo negatives; the No. 9 floater is still the company's best seller.

Rapala broke through in America via a 1962 Life magazine issue that also covered what?

Life's 17 August 1962 issue, its cover marking Marilyn Monroe's death, ran a story on the Rapala minnow; it became the magazine's best-selling issue and orders swamped the Finnish workshop.

A spinnerbait is built around what?

The safety-pin shape lets it come through brush that would snag a treble-hook lure.

What gives a crankbait its wobble and controls how deep it dives?

Longer, steeper lips dig deeper; lipless models sink and vibrate instead.

A Texas rig pairs a soft plastic worm and an offset hook with what kind of weight?

Bury the hook point back inside the plastic and it slides through weeds and timber almost snag-free.

Which of these is a topwater lure style?

Poppers, stickbaits and walking baits all float and imitate prey struggling on the surface — the strikes are the whole point.

Who built the first purpose-built bass boat, the Skeeter, in 1948?

Holmes Thurmond built the first Skeeter in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1948; its pointed bow earned the mosquito-inspired name.

What onboard feature lets tournament anglers keep bass alive until weigh-in?

Livewells plus swivel seats, raised casting decks and a bow-mounted trolling motor define the modern bass boat.

In which year did Barry St. Clair pull the 18.18-pound Texas record largemouth from Lake Fork?

Barry St. Clair caught the 18.18-pound Texas record from Lake Fork on 24 January 1992 while fishing a live minnow for crappie.

In Japan, introduced black bass have been officially designated as what?

They compete with native species, so anglers there face rules that would be unthinkable in Alabama.

Modern black bass fishing has grown into what scale of industry?

Bass fishing is a multibillion-dollar industry: a rigged tournament bass boat alone can list for $70,000 or more, on top of electronics, tackle and entry fees.

What marking runs along the side of a largemouth bass?

A largemouth carries a dark, often broken horizontal stripe from gill to tail along its green flank; smallmouth instead show faint vertical bars on bronze sides.

What does a largemouth bass's swim bladder control?

The gas-filled swim bladder regulates buoyancy, letting a bass hover at any depth; a fish hauled quickly from deep water can suffer barotrauma as the bladder over-expands.

On which body of water in the Peach State was the 22 lb 4 oz record largemouth caught in 1932?

Montgomery Lake, an oxbow slough off the Ocmulgee River near Helena, produced George Perry's 1932 fish; the record is often called the 'Holy Grail' of freshwater angling.

In which month of 2009 did Manabu Kurita catch the record-tying largemouth?

Kurita landed the 10.12 kg bass on 2 July 2009 on a live bluegill; the IGFA certified the tie the following January after a polygraph test.

What did wealthy 19th-century US sport anglers mostly confine themselves to, ignoring bass?

Well-off 19th-century sportsmen fished fly rods for trout and salmon and looked down on bass, which were mostly taken by subsistence anglers with poles and live bait.

Which French naturalist described the largemouth in 1828 as Huro nigricans?

Georges Cuvier published Huro nigricans in 1828 from a Lake Huron specimen; a 2022 study argued that name has priority, making the largemouth Micropterus nigricans.

What is the maximum recorded length of a largemouth bass?

The longest largemouth on record measured 29.5 inches (75 cm); the unofficial weight maximum is 25 lb 1 oz, above the 22 lb 4 oz IGFA record.

Which two states name the largemouth bass as their official state fish outright?

Georgia adopted the largemouth as its state fish in 1970 and Mississippi in 1974; both are plain 'state fish' titles with no freshwater qualifier.

How large can a largemouth bass's prey be relative to its own body length?

Studies show largemouth take prey up to 50 percent of their own body length or more — shad, bluegill, crawfish, frogs, snakes and even smaller bass.

In heavily weeded waters, largemouth bass tend to grow how, according to prey studies?

Bass grow more slowly in heavily weeded water because dense cover makes prey hard to catch; with too little cover they can devastate prey and starve.

Which sex of largemouth bass grows larger?

Sexual dimorphism favours the female in this species.

Which naturalist named the smallmouth Micropterus dolomieu in 1802?

Bernard Lacépède named Micropterus dolomieu in 1802 after his friend Déodat de Dolomieu; a torn fin on his damaged specimen gave the genus its 'small fin' name.

How many spiny rays does a smallmouth bass carry in its front dorsal fin?

A smallmouth's spiny front dorsal carries 9 to 11 spines, usually 10, joined by a shallow notch to a soft rear dorsal of 13 to 15 rays.

The Neosho smallmouth subspecies is native to which region of the lower Midwest?

The Neosho smallmouth lives in Central Interior Highlands streams of southwestern Missouri, northeastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas and southeastern Kansas, the Ozark corner of the Arkansas River basin.

Up to how many eggs can a smallmouth bass lay in one nest?

A female smallmouth can deposit up to 21,100 eggs in a single nest, which the male fans and guards until the fry disperse.

Which 1825 waterway first carried smallmouth bass beyond their native range into central New York?

The Erie Canal, finished in 1825, let smallmouth spread beyond their native range into central New York; railroads carried the fish across the country later in the century.

Because it will not tolerate pollution, the smallmouth bass serves as what?

Because smallmouth will not tolerate pollution, their presence is used as an indicator of healthy water, though they are far more resilient than most trout.

By what other common name is the spotted bass widely known?

Spotted bass are widely called Kentucky bass, after the state whose waters helped make them known; rows of dark spots below the lateral line give the official name.

Which California reservoir produced Bryan Shishido's 10.27-pound spotted bass, a world record in 2001?

Bryan Shishido's 10.27-pound fish from Pine Flat Lake, near Fresno, held the spotted bass world record from 2001 until New Bullards Bar Reservoir began producing bigger ones a decade later.

On which continent has the spotted bass become an established invasive species?

It was introduced to southern Africa's Olifants-Doring system.

The Guadalupe bass is found only on which upland region of central Texas?

The Guadalupe bass is endemic to the Edwards Plateau's spring-fed Hill Country streams, including the San Marcos, Colorado, Llano and Guadalupe rivers.

What is the main threat to the Guadalupe bass?

In some rivers almost half the Guadalupe bass are hybrids.

What nickname do fly fishers give the current-loving Guadalupe bass?

Guadalupe bass are nicknamed the 'Texas brook trout' because they hold in swift Hill Country riffles and rise to insects, making them a favourite of fly fishers.

Where was the IGFA all-tackle record Guadalupe bass, 3 lb 11 oz, caught in 1983?

Allen Christenson took the 3 lb 11 oz IGFA record from Lake Travis, a Colorado River reservoir above Austin, in September 1983.

The only fossil black bass species is known from which Mexican state?

The fossil species Micropterus relictus was described from the Lake Chapala basin in Jalisco, south of the genus's living native range.

Which naturalist first described the Florida bass, as Cichla floridana, in 1822?

Charles Alexandre Lesueur, a French naturalist working in Philadelphia, described Cichla floridana in 1822; the fish is now placed in Micropterus as the Florida bass.

In which year was the shoal bass first described as a distinct species?

The shoal bass was formally described as Micropterus cataractae in 1999; before that it was treated as a form of the redeye bass.

Which relatively undammed river holds the most plentiful shoal bass?

Georgia's Flint River, with long free-flowing stretches, holds the most plentiful shoal bass population; anglers there are urged to keep every invasive spotted bass to protect them.

Which two ichthyologists named the redeye bass in 1940?

Carl Hubbs and Reeve Bailey described the redeye bass as Micropterus coosae in 1940, and Bailey and Hubbs went on to describe the Suwannee bass in 1949.

The Suwannee bass is native to just two systems: the Suwannee and which other?

The Suwannee bass is native only to the Suwannee and Ochlockonee river systems of Florida and Georgia, though it has been introduced into the St. Marks and Wacissa rivers.

In the tidal lower Suwannee, what unusual prey does the Suwannee bass take?

In the tidally influenced lower Suwannee, Suwannee bass take blue crabs; elsewhere crayfish dominate their diet.

Which 1881 classic did James A. Henshall, honoured in Micropterus henshalli, write?

Dr James A. Henshall, a Cincinnati physician, published the Book of the Black Bass in 1881, declaring the bass 'inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims'.

Introduced into which South Carolina reservoir did the M. henshalli bass trigger a redeye decline?

In Lake Keowee, a Duke Energy reservoir in the South Carolina upstate, introduced Alabama bass hybridised with the native redeye (Bartram's) bass and drove its numbers down.

How heavy was the biggest striped bass ever recorded, netted in 1896?

A 124 lb striped bass netted off Edenton, North Carolina, in 1896 is the biggest on record; the rod-and-reel record is 81 lb 14 oz from Long Island Sound in 2011.

South of which state is the striped bass usually called 'rockfish'?

In New Jersey itself both names are used.

Striped bass were stocked in many reservoirs partly to control which prey fish?

Stripers were stocked in inland reservoirs partly to crop overabundant gizzard shad, which they herd in open water; the stockings also created landlocked sport fisheries.

In which year was the striped bass designated a protected game fish in US federal waters?

President George W. Bush's Executive Order 13449 of October 2007 made striped bass and red drum protected game fish in federal waters, banning their commercial sale from those waters.

Which state names the white or sand bass as its official state fish?

Oklahoma adopted the white bass, locally called sand bass, as its state fish in 1974; the species runs up tributaries of reservoirs like Texoma each spring.

How many eggs can a white bass hen release in a spawn?

A white bass hen can release 242,000 to 933,000 eggs, which stick to rocks and vegetation; the parents drift off to deeper water and give the young no care.

A hybrid from a white bass mother and a striper father is called what?

The sunshine bass is a white bass hen crossed with a striper male, the cross Florida hatcheries stock; the reverse cross is the palmetto bass, and both get sold as wipers.

Where in Arkansas was the 27 lb 5 oz world record wiper caught in 1997?

Jerald Shaum took the 27 lb 5 oz hybrid from Greers Ferry Lake, on Arkansas's Little Red River, in April 1997; it went into the IGFA book as the all-tackle record.

Peacock bass belong to which family of fishes, unrelated to true basses?

Peacock bass are cichlids of the genus Cichla, native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, and have been stocked in south Florida canals since 1984.

The Brazilian name for peacock bass, tucunaré, comes from a Tupi phrase meaning what?

Tucunaré comes from a Tupi phrase meaning 'friend of the tree', a nod to the way the fish hunts and guards its nest beside submerged timber.

How much did first-place money at the Bassmaster Classic reach in 2006 before being cut in 2014?

First place reached $500,000 in 2006 and stayed there through 2013; the 2014 Classic trimmed the winner's cheque to $300,000, against $10,000 in 1971.

Who became the first B.A.S.S. member by paying the founder $100 for a lifetime membership?

Don Butler of Tulsa paid Ray Scott $100 for lifetime membership number one and went on to win the 1972 Bassmaster Classic.

How many anglers make the cut to fish the third and final day of the Bassmaster Classic?

Fish must be at least 12 inches and alive at weigh-in.

In which year did women first compete in the Bassmaster Classic?

Australian Kim Bain-Moore became the first woman to fish the Classic in 2009 on the Red River, qualifying as Women's Bassmaster Tour champion; Pam Martin-Wells followed in 2010.

The 1980 Bassmaster Classic was held on which waterway at Alexandria Bay, New York?

Alexandria Bay sits in the Thousand Islands on the Saint Lawrence River, where Bo Dowden of Louisiana won the 1980 Classic.

Which Louisiana city hosted the Classic on the Red River in 2009 and 2012?

Shreveport-Bossier City hosted the Red River Classics of 2009 (won by Skeet Reese) and 2012 (Chris Lane); 2011's Classic was fished on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans.

Who caught the largest bass in Bassmaster Classic history, an 11 lb 10 oz fish on Lake Toho in 2006?

Preston Clark's 11 lb 10 oz largemouth from Lake Toho in 2006 is the biggest bass ever weighed at a Classic; Paul Mueller's 32-3 bag at Guntersville in 2014 is the heaviest single day.

Which angler set the Classic's heaviest total weight, 76-15, on Lake Ray Roberts in 2025?

Easton Fothergill of Minnesota won the 2025 Classic on Lake Ray Roberts with 76 lb 15 oz, the heaviest three-day total ever; the lightest winning weight was 12-15 at Pittsburgh in 2005.

How many consecutive Bassmaster Classics did Rick Clunn qualify for, a record?

Rick Clunn qualified for 28 straight Classics from 1974 to 2001, a run no other angler has matched; he fished 32 Classics in all.

Which angler finished second at the Bassmaster Classic a record four times without ever winning?

Aaron Martens was Classic runner-up in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2011 and never won it, though he took three Angler of the Year titles before his death in 2021.

Jordan Lee overcame a record deficit of how much on the final day to win the 2017 Classic on Conroe?

Jordan Lee started the final day at Conroe 13 lb 14 oz behind, then weighed 27-4 to win the 2017 Classic; he repeated on Lake Hartwell in 2018.

Which studio developed the video game Bassmaster Fishing 2022?

Dovetail Games, the British studio behind Euro Fishing and Fishing Sim World, developed Bassmaster Fishing 2022, which launched in October 2021 on consoles, Steam and Epic.

Which honour did the B.A.S.S. founder receive in 2003?

Ray Scott received the Horatio Alger Award in 2003 for rising from Montgomery insurance salesman to founder of B.A.S.S.; he also campaigned for life jackets and catch-and-release.

How old was Kevin VanDam when he became the youngest B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in 1992?

He began his pro career in 1990 at 23.

How many B.A.S.S. tournament wins does Kevin VanDam hold, the most ever?

Roland Martin is second with 19.

Which first-ever ESPY did Kevin VanDam receive in 2002?

Kevin VanDam won ESPN's inaugural Outdoorsman of the Year ESPY in 2002, the first time bass fishing was recognised at the awards.

When did Kevin VanDam announce he would retire from tournament fishing?

Kevin VanDam announced in February 2023 that he would retire at the end of that Bass Pro Tour season, closing a career of 25 B.A.S.S. wins.

On which Florida waterway did Rick Clunn twice set the oldest-Elite-winner record, in 2016 and 2019?

Clunn won Elite events on Florida's St. Johns River in 2016 at 69 and again in 2019 at 72, his 2016 total being 81 pounds 15 ounces.

Jimmy Houston and two other TV anglers formed which company to sell signature products?

Jimmy Houston, Bill Dance and Roland Martin launched Th3 Legends to market signature lures and gear under the three TV anglers' names; the '3' stands for the trio.

Which two-time Classic champion first won the Grand Slam of Classic, AOY and SuperBass?

Hank Parker won the Classic in 1979 and 1989, Angler of the Year in 1983 and the Super B.A.S.S. tournament, the first angler to complete that grand slam.

Which 1994 Super NES fishing game let players face a real two-time Classic champion?

Bassin's Black Bass with Hank Parker, a 1994 Super NES title, has players climb the pro tour before facing Parker himself in the final tournament.

In which city is Major League Fishing headquartered?

Major League Fishing is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it was launched in partnership with Outdoor Channel; its first Challenge Cup aired in 2012.

Which two pros originally came up with the idea of Major League Fishing?

Boyd Duckett and Gary Klein dreamed up Major League Fishing and pitched it with Outdoor Channel; the first Challenge Cup was filmed at Amistad Reservoir in 2011 and aired in 2012.

In which year did Major League Fishing acquire Fishing League Worldwide?

Major League Fishing bought Fishing League Worldwide in October 2019; the FLW Tour became the MLF Pro Circuit and was later folded into the Invitationals.

What is the name of Major League Fishing's championship event held since 2019?

REDCREST, first held at La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 2019, is Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour championship; Edwin Evers won the inaugural title.

FLW takes its initials from Forrest L. Wood, founder of which boat company?

Forrest L. Wood founded Ranger Boats in Arkansas in 1968; FLW's championship, the Forrest Wood Cup, offered bass fishing's first $1 million prize in 2007.

Under what name was FLW founded in 1979 by teacher-turned-salesman Mike Whitaker?

Mike Whitaker's Operation Bass, started in 1979 in western Kentucky, ran the Red Man Tournament Trail for 'weekend warriors' who could not travel to costly events.

Which giant retailer became title sponsor of the FLW Tour, its first such deal ever?

Walmart became title sponsor of the FLW Tour from 1997, the retailer's first title sponsorship of any sports series; oilman T. Boone Pickens later took an equity stake in FLW.

Which Minneapolis businessman bought FLW in 1996 and owned it until his death in 2019?

Irwin L. Jacobs, the Minneapolis financier behind Genmar Holdings, bought Operation Bass in 1996 and renamed it after Forrest Wood; Genmar was among the world's largest boat makers.

To which city did B.A.S.S. move its headquarters from Celebration, Florida in 2011?

After Don Logan, Jerry McKinnis and Jim Copeland bought B.A.S.S. from ESPN, they moved its headquarters from Celebration, Florida, to Birmingham, Alabama, in 2011.

Who won the first B.A.S.S. tournament in 1967, which offered $2,000 and a trip to Acapulco?

Stan Sloan of Nashville, later founder of Zorro Bait Company, won the 1967 All-American on Beaver Lake; the 106 entrants each paid $100 to fish.

Which angler set the B.A.S.S. margin-of-victory record of 29 lb 10 oz at the 2020 Texas Fest?

Patrick Walters won the 2020 Texas Fest on Lake Fork with 104 lb 12 oz, a B.A.S.S. record margin of 29 lb 10 oz over Lee Livesay.

Which company acquired a majority interest in B.A.S.S. in 2017?

Anderson Media Corporation of Florence, Alabama, a family firm founded in 1917, took a majority stake in B.A.S.S. in 2017; Chase Anderson became CEO.

Which Canadian angler won back-to-back Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles in 2024 and 2025?

Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, won Angler of the Year in 2024, the first Canadian to do so, and repeated in 2025; his brother Cory also fishes the Elites.

Who won the very first B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year award, in 1970?

Bill Dance won the inaugural Angler of the Year title in 1970 and added two more in 1974 and 1977 before leaving competition for television.

In which year did the Bassmaster Elite Series debut as B.A.S.S.'s top circuit?

The Bassmaster Elite Series debuted in 2006, replacing the Bassmaster Tour as B.A.S.S.'s top circuit; Michael Iaconelli won its first Angler of the Year race.

In which year did Johnny Morris publish the first Bass Pro Shops catalog?

Morris mailed the first Bass Pro Shops catalog in 1974 because customers who had left Springfield kept asking for his tackle by post.

Which Bass Pro Shops brand, launched in 1978, was the first boat, motor and trailer package for anglers?

Tracker Boats, launched in 1978, sold the first ready-to-fish boat, motor and trailer package at one price; Nitro and Ranger later joined Morris's White River Marine Group.

On which Ozark reservoir did Johnny Morris open Big Cedar Lodge in 1988?

Big Cedar Lodge sits on Table Rock Lake near Ridgedale, south of Branson; Morris opened it in 1988 and Travel + Leisure once ranked it the Midwest's number one resort.

Which Springfield museum did Johnny Morris open in 2017, billed as the world's largest such attraction?

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium opened in Springfield in September 2017 beside the original Bass Pro Shops store, with 1.5 million gallons of aquariums.

How tall is the free-standing elevator inside Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid?

The Pyramid's glass elevator rises 28 storeys to an observation deck, billed as America's tallest free-standing elevator; the store also holds a swamp, alligators, a hotel and bowling.

Which sports team does Johnny Morris own in the Professional Bull Riders Team Series?

Morris owns the Missouri Thunder, which rides its home events at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena near Big Cedar Lodge; he received the Audubon Medal in 2019.

Lauri Rapala's first lure was carved from cork with what tool?

Rapala whittled the cork body with a shoemaker's knife, wrapped it in foil from chocolate bars for shine and sealed it with melted photographic negatives.

In which Minnesota city is Rapala USA based?

Rapala's North American arm, Rapala USA, is headquartered in Minnetonka, a western suburb of Minneapolis; every lure is tank-tested by hand before sale.

Which fishing-line brand belongs to the Rapala VMC group?

Rapala VMC bought the Sufix line brand in 2008; the group also owns knife maker Marttiini and the lure brands Blue Fox and Storm.

Roughly what share of Shimano's revenue came from fishing tackle in 2024?

Fishing tackle brought in about 23 percent of Shimano's 2024 revenue; bicycle components supplied 76.6 percent.

Fishing a plastic worm in and around heavy cover such as weeds and trees is called what?

Flipping and pitching are short, accurate underhand presentations that drop a Texas-rigged worm or jig into weed mats, laydowns and dock posts without a long cast.

Which round spinnerbait blade is built for maximum vibration in murky water?

The round Colorado blade displaces the most water and thumps hardest, so anglers pick it for murky water, cold water or night fishing.

Which sensory organ do spinnerbaits provoke with their turbulence?

The lateral line, a row of vibration-sensing pores along the flank, lets a bass 'feel' a thumping blade from a distance, even in muddy water.

Which Heddon lure is the classic 'walk-the-dog' topwater?

The Zara Spook, introduced by Heddon in 1939 and named after Zaragossa Street in Pensacola, is the cigar-shaped topwater that made 'walking the dog' famous.

Which jighead shape is built to drag across rocky bottoms without rolling over?

A football jig's wide, oval head straddles rocks and drags over gravel without rolling, making it the standard for deep structure fishing with a craw trailer.

Which Roman scholar first described anglers tying red wool and feathers on a hook, an early fly?

Claudius Aelianus, writing around AD 200, described Macedonian anglers on the Astraeus River wrapping red wool and two cock feathers on a hook — the earliest fly-fishing account.

In which year did Skeeter build the first fibreglass bass boat?

Skeeter is now owned by Yamaha.

Which company acquired Skeeter Fishing Boats in 1996?

Yamaha Motor bought Skeeter in 1996 and pairs the hulls with its own outboards; Brunswick owns Mercury, while Bass Pro's group holds Ranger, Nitro, Tracker and Triton.

In which Arkansas town did Forrest and Nina Wood found their boat company in 1968?

Forrest and Nina Wood built the first Ranger boats in Flippin, a small Marion County town in the Ozarks, in 1968, and Flippin became Ranger's manufacturing home.

Which onboard innovation is Forrest Wood's boat company credited with inventing?

Ranger is credited with the first aerated livewell, which let tournament anglers keep bass alive for release; Bass Pro's group bought Ranger, Triton and Stratos in December 2014.

O.G. Schmidt built the first electric trolling motor in 1934 using the starter motor from what?

Schmidt adapted a Ford Model A starter motor and a flexible shaft into the first electric trolling motor in Fargo in 1934, naming the firm Minn Kota for the Minnesota–North Dakota border.

Fishfinders were derived from which navigation instrument?

Fishfinders grew out of the fathometer, an echo-sounding depth instrument for navigation; the transducer sends a sound pulse and times the echo from bottom or fish.

In which year did B.A.S.S. launch its 'Don't Kill Your Catch' catch-and-release programme?

Ray Scott launched B.A.S.S.'s 'Don't Kill Your Catch' programme in 1972, paying anglers bonus ounces for live fish and making catch-and-release the tournament norm.

Which state first used catch and release as a management tool in the US, in 1952?

Michigan introduced catch-and-release 'no-kill' trout regulations in 1952 to cut the cost of stocking hatchery fish, the first US state to use release as a management tool.

Which fly angler coined 'Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once'?

Lee Wulff wrote that 'a good game fish is too valuable to be caught only once' in his 1939 Handbook of Freshwater Fishing; Montana shop owner Don Martinez pushed the same idea in newsletters.

What is the average depth of Lake Okeechobee, Florida's largest lake?

Okeechobee averages only about 9 feet deep across its 730 square miles, which is why wind stirs it so easily; the name is Hitchiti for 'big water'.

Toledo Bend Reservoir lies on which waterway between Texas and Louisiana?

Toledo Bend impounds the Sabine River along the Texas–Louisiana line; at about 185,000 acres it is the largest man-made lake in the South.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir was known by what name until 1963?

The Army Corps project in the East Texas piney woods was authorised as McGee Bend Dam and Reservoir; Congress renamed it for House Speaker Sam Rayburn in 1963.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir impounds which East Texas river?

Sam Rayburn Dam impounds the Angelina River, a Neches tributary, forming the largest reservoir lying wholly within Texas at roughly 114,000 acres.

How many Florida-strain largemouth were stocked in Lake Fork from 1979 to 1987?

TPWD stocked 732,514 Florida-strain largemouth in Lake Fork between 1979 and 1987, around the 1980 impoundment, leaving about 80 percent of standing timber as habitat.

Lake Fork's protected slot limit means bass of what length must be released immediately?

Lake Fork's slot protects bass from 16 to 24 inches, which must go back immediately; anglers may keep five under 16 inches, or four under 16 plus one over 24.

Which reservoir is the largest artificial body of water by surface area in the US east of the Mississippi?

Kentucky Lake, impounded by TVA's Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River in 1944, covers about 160,000 acres with 2,064 miles of shoreline.

Which invasive fish, first reported in 2002, now threatens the TVA's largest reservoir?

Some restaurants have put the mild white-fleshed carp on their menus.

Which waterway is impounded by the 1958 dam near Branson, Missouri?

Table Rock Dam, completed in 1958 just upstream of Branson, impounds the White River; its cold tailwater created the trout fishery of Lake Taneycomo below.

French explorers named Lake St. Clair in 1679 after sighting it on whose feast day?

La Salle's party entered the lake on 12 August 1679, the feast of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named it for her; it averages just 11 feet deep between Michigan and Ontario.

What is the record largemouth bass weight from California's Clear Lake?

Two-thirds of the fish caught there are largemouth.

Which Confederate veteran and poet names the reservoir behind Buford Dam near Atlanta?

Lake Sidney Lanier honours the Georgia poet, a Confederate veteran who wrote 'The Song of the Chattahoochee'; Buford Dam impounded the river in 1956.

Whose 22.01-pound Castaic Lake largemouth of 1991 fell just short of the world record?

Bob Crupi weighed a 22.01-pound largemouth at Castaic Lake in March 1991, released it alive, and missed George Perry's 22.25-pound record by under four ounces.

Which waterway was dammed to create the reservoir that holds the smallmouth world record?

Dale Hollow Dam, finished in 1943, impounds the Obey River near Celina, Tennessee; the rising water submerged the town of Willow Grove.

Which famed smallmouth angler of Celina is linked with the record-holding reservoir?

Billy Westmoreland, the Celina guide who wrote 'Them Ol' Brown Fish', built his legend on Dale Hollow's giant smallmouth and the hair-jig tactics he used for them.

Japan's largest lake, home of the record-tying largemouth, is named for its resemblance to what?

The four-million-year-old lake in Shiga Prefecture supplies water to 15 million people.

Which country star sang 'Today is Mine', the first theme of the Dance fishing show?

Jerry Reed, the country singer and guitarist behind 'East Bound and Down', recorded 'Today Is Mine' in 1970, and it served as the early theme of Bill Dance Outdoors.

Which soft-plastic rig hangs the hook above a sinker tied at the line's end?

A drop shot puts the sinker at the line's end and the hook a foot or more above it, so the bait hovers off bottom; Japanese finesse anglers popularised it in the 1990s.

Some anglers add a bead to a Texas rig so the weight clicks against it, imitating what?

The glass bead clicking against the bullet weight mimics the clicking of a crayfish's claws, drawing bass to the bait; a toothpick or bobber stop can peg the weight instead.

The reel maker Abu Garcia began in 1921 in Svängsta, Sweden, making what?

AB Urfabriken means 'Watch Factory Ltd'; founder's son Göte Borgström switched the firm to fishing reels during World War II.

Which firm, alongside Denison-Johnson, introduced the first commercial spincast reels in 1949?

Zero Hour Bomb Company of Tulsa — later Zebco — built R.D. Hull's first spincast reel in 1949, the same year Denison-Johnson brought out its own; the enclosed spool ended baitcaster backlash.

Shimano, the Japanese maker of fishing tackle and bike parts, is headquartered in which city?

Shimano has been based in Sakai, south of Osaka, since Shozaburo Shimano founded it there in 1921; it dropped golf supplies in 2005 and snowboarding gear in 2008.

Which teardrop-shaped spinnerbait blade splits the difference between Colorado and willowleaf?

The Indiana blade's teardrop shape splits the difference, giving more flash than a Colorado and more thump than a willowleaf, so it suits stained water and moderate retrieves.

The Bassmaster Classic moved from autumn to summer in 1984 and then to which season in 2006?

From 2006 the Classic moved to late winter, starting with a February date at Lake Toho; it ran in autumn until 1983 and in summer from 1984 to 2005.

Which state's ShareLunker programme breeds largemouth of 13 pounds or more loaned by anglers?

Texas Parks and Wildlife's ShareLunker programme, begun in 1986, spawns 13-pound-plus largemouth loaned by anglers and stocks their offspring across the state.

What is the maximum recorded size of a smallmouth bass?

The species is native to the upper and middle Mississippi basin, the St Lawrence-Great Lakes system, the Champlain Valley and the Hudson Bay basin.

Which French spinning reel had Garcia been importing since 1947, before it took on ABU's products?

Garcia Corporation of New York had distributed the French Mitchell 300, one of the world's best-selling spinning reels, since 1947; ABU took over the bankrupt firm around 1980 and became Abu Garcia.