Bass Fishing Archives

In August 2014 I had the opportunity to go down to the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray. While we were there, we had an opportunity to speak with Larry Nixon and Jay Yelas about their careers. I’ve already posted some of those videos on the site and here’s another one from that day. In this video, Larry Nixon talks about his biggest tournament fish ever, a fish that Bassmaster rookie Jay Yelas lipped. The tournament was the 1990 Megabuck event held on the Harris Chain. Nixon won the event, beating Roland Martin by 9-15, after a hard-fought battle in the four-day qualifying round. Here’s some background on the event. The event lasted six days, the first four days the qualifying round and the last two days the finals. The field started with 233 anglers with the top-50 advancing to the finals on day five. Roland Martin, who started out in 24th place after the first day of the qualifier, weighed in four fish for 19-04 topped by a 9-06 and rocketed into first place after day two. But Nixon wouldn’t relinquish that easy. He weighed in a seven-bass limit of 20-07 anchored by the biggest tournament bass of his career, 10-10 toad. That put Martin and Nixon in the top two after two days. On the third day Martin extended his lead with a limit of fish that weighed 21-09 anchored by the day’s big fish, 8-06. Unfortunately, Nixon’s paltry limit of 10-08 dropped him 12 pounds behind Martin going into the last day of qualification. Still, he remained in second place overall. The final day of qualification, Martin didn’t fish much, trying to keep his friend, Rob Kilby in the hunt for the finals. Kilby made the finals and Martin weighed in three fish for 3-03. Nixon brought in another limit for 13-03, securing second place going into the finals. The final was a two-day affair on Little Lake Harris – the exact body of water where Nixon won his first Megabucks event only two years earlier. The lake, with only fifty miles of shoreline, was divided into a 10-hole course where each angler would get only 50 minutes to fish. With weights zeroed, the first day of competition saw Mark Davis jump into the lead with a limit for 14-02. The second spot was held down by Jack Wade with 12-13 and Nixon hung on to third place with a limit that weighed 12-03. Martin would only bring in six squeakers for 6-15 and sat in the eighth spot. At the final day’s weigh in, Martin and Nixon were the last to the scales. Jack Wade had taken over the lead with 21-03 and Martin needed only 14-05 to take the lead. He weighed in 14-10. Then it was Nixon’s turn. Nixon reached into his livewell and pulled out five small fish – then he went to the other well and pulled out two fish that topped 5 pounds each. The story was over except for the formalities. He weighed in 19 pounds and won by nearly 10 pounds – his second Megabucks win in two years. Nixon would go on to win two more Megabucks events (1990 at Guntersville and 1991 at Chickamauga) and become known as Mr. Megabucks. Yelas would end up finishing in 53rd place, three spots out of the final qualifying cut, with 20-15. But, as he says in the video, he made his early name by lipping Nixon’s 10-10. By 1991 he’d be known by more than that, though. We hope you enjoy the video. Website: bass-archives.com Facebook: facebook.com/bassfishingarchives Instagram: instagram.com/bassfishingarchives

The final Bassmasters Classic Media Day interview I was able to conduct was with none other than Scott Martin. Martin , as you well know, comes from a fishing family so it was probably a predetermined fact of life he’s join the family and become a professional angler. In this video Scott talks about his first bass, a story he doesn’t remember but it’s told by his mother and father. He was 2 years old and caught a 9-pound bass and got it in the boat. Even though he doesn’t remember it, it must have been engrained into his mind and helped him to become one of the country’s best anglers. Scott also talks about his first actual memory of catching a bass, filming with his father at a young age, his first tournament and a lot more. Website: bass-archives.com Facebook: facebook.com/bassfishingarchives Instagram: Instagram.com/bassfishingarchives

Takumi "Taku" Ito is another one of Japan’s elite anglers who have made the leap across the pond to compete on the world’s biggest stage. Ito came to the United States in late 2018 with the goal of making the Elite series through the Opens. In his first year competing in the Opens, 2019, Ito finished in 4th place for the AOY in the highly competitive Central Division. He punched his ticket to the Elites his first year. So, who is Takumi Ito and how did he make the Elites his first try? Well, let’s look at his accomplishments in Japan. Tonegawa Bass Club Ito started fishing the Tone River (Tonegawa) Bass Club, an association like Bassmaster, in 2006. In his first year, Ito competed in what would be categorized as the amateur division. He only spent that first year as an amateur before moving up to the professional level in 2007. He competed in the events until he came to the U.S. in late 2018. During that time, Ito won 5 events and was AOY in 2015. Hard Bait Only Tournaments Ito also fished the H-1GPX series of events. This is a Hard Bait Only series with fields that average 130 anglers. Ito won four events in 2011 and the AOY in 2015. By the end of 2015, you could say that Takumi Ito was becoming a phenom in his home country. Lure Magazine Shore-Based and Boat-Based Championships Because of his success at Japan’s highest levels, Ito was invited to fish against the best anglers Japan had to offer in the way magazine-sponsored events. One of those magazines, LURE magazine, holds two events per year that pit the top anglers in the country against each other. One of those events is a shore fishing tournament, called Rinkuo. Eight of Japan’s best anglers fish head-to-head and only four advance to the finals. The winner is crowned the Land-Based Champion for the year. Ito won the Land-Based Championship in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first person to ever win back-to-back championships for the event. The other event sponsored by LURE magazine is the Boat-Based Championship, known as Teiou. This event is unique in that only the six best anglers are invited and they fish out of rented boats. The qualifying round eliminates three anglers and the top three anglers move on to the Championship round, the winner being named the Boat-Based Champion. Ito won that event in both 2017 and 2018 and again was the first angler to win it back-to-back. Basser Magazine All-Star Classic Basser Magazine is Japan’s largest and oldest bass magazine. They too hold an event, the Basser All-Star Classic. This event is the most prestigious event in the country with only the top 20 anglers getting an invite. Ito fished the event in 2017 and placed 5th. As you can see, prior to Ito moving to the U.S., his list of accomplishments in Japan were beyond stellar. He’d won multiple high-level events and AOYs. The next logical move for his career would be to test his skills against the U.S. anglers. The Move to the U.S. As stated above, Ito arrived in the U.S. in late 2018 and fished his first event, the last Bassmaster Central Open at Logan Martin, and placed 48th. He didn’t let that deter him, though, as he committed to all four events in 2019. He started off the year at Toledo Bend with a 2nd-place finish and then an eighth at Smith Lake. The Opens then went north to La Crosse, WI, where he had a bad tournament and finished in 66th. In order to fill his dream, he’d have to do well at the final event of the season at Grand Lake, OK. He placed 10th and punched his ticket to the Elites for 2020. In his rookie year on the Elites, Ito had three top-10s and a top-30, enough to make his first Bassmaster Classic sitting in 23rd place for the year. In his sophomore year, Ito again had three top-10s but he capped the 2021 season off with a win at the St Lawrence River, becoming known as the Smallmouth Whisperer. Ito finished the year in 16th place for the AOY standings. Since landing in the U.S., Ito’s fished 27 Bassmaster events and placed in the money 25 times. He has two Classic appearances, one win, one second, one third, and 10 top-10 finishes. That’s a record any angler would be proud of. But what got Ito interested in bass fishing in his home country is a bit unconventional – or maybe it isn’t. One of his favorite video games growing up was a U.S. bass fishing video game and before he even had a chance to go fishing for real, he knew he wanted to fish bass. To hear Takumi Ito in his own words describe how he started bass fishing, please click on the link below. I would also like to give a big Thank You to Chie Ito, Taku’s wife, for giving me all the details of Taku’s career in Japan. If not for her, this piece would have been far shorter and we would not have gotten to know Taku as well as we do now. Thank You Chie! Website: bass-archives.com Facebook: facebook.com/bassfishingarchives Instgram: instgram.com/bassfishingarchives

I had the opportunity at Bassmaster Classic LII to interview Matt Robertson about how he got into fishing. Turns out Matt spent the first ten years of his life in San Diego, California and had the chance to fish some of the lakes down there before moving to Kentucky. His first bass was caught at the famed Lake Miramar, where in 1973 David Zimmerlee caught the first documented bass over 20 pounds. But, in his words, that fish didn’t shape his life. Fishing, as he said, was just something he did growing up. In Kentucky, at 11 years old, Matt would watch his grandfather and cousin go fish the Lake Malone Bass Club events and he wanted to fish. So, his grandmother, who was an angler herself, said she’d fish with him. In his first tournament with his grandmother, he caught a smallmouth and thought he was king of the world. Robertson then goes on to talk about how he developed his skills fishing the Lake Malone Bass Club, the toughest club in the area, and how that competition helped him develop his confidence. He credits the Club and his early success in the Bassmaster Opens with getting him into the Elites. For the full story, click the link below to hear Matt talk about his path to the Elites. Website: bass-archives.com Facebook: facebook.com/bassfishingarchives Instagram: instagram.com/bassfishingarchives

This video was shot at the Bassmaster Classic LII during media day. In this video, John Cox talks about his first memory of fishing and winning a t-shirt from the local TV station. From there he talks about his first bass, first boat, first tournament and so on. The last question I asked him was when did he feel he had finally made it. His answer to that question is pretty remarkable. Something you’ve probably come to expect from John Cox. I hope you enjoy this look into John Cox’s life as an angler. Sorry for the poor audio. There were numerous other interviews going on at the same time.

The name Greg Hackney sends shivers down the spine of anyone in the same field he’s competing. The Hack Attack has become one of the strongest forces in professional bass fishing over his 20 year career and with a resume that contains an FLW AOY (2005), FLW Cup Win (2009), and an Elite Series AOY (2014) you know why. Hackney grew up in a fishing family and doesn’t even remember his first outing in search of fish. His earliest memories are of fishing every weekend with his entire family. He doesn’t even remember his first catch as it’s blended into the background of his being. But ask him about the first bass he caught and that patented grin spreads across his face. That experience he vividly remembers. But that first bass didn’t set him on the path to becoming a tournament angler by any stretch. That would come when he was 10 years old, before he even knew what tournament fishing was or that professional bass fishing existed. From that time on, he and his father started fishing competitively. Not long after that, Hackney was fishing local team events and started cashing checks. By his early 20s, he was ready for the professional tours with a healthy bankroll backing him up. Watch the video to hear firsthand how Greg Hackney went from being born with a rod in his hand to becoming one of the fiercest competitors on any trail.

This is the story of how Daisuke Aoki, co-owner of DStyle Fishing, started fishing gobies with his father in Japan and moved on to becoming a serious bass angler.

We're here at Bass Master Classic 52 talking with some of the anglers and how they got started fishing. Learn how Lee Livesay got his start fishing and how that progressed into an Elite Series Career! bass-archives.com facebook.com/bassfishingarchives instagram.com/bassfishingarchives

In this week's video we continue our look back at some rare Bass Masters Classic Press Guides, this time the 1978 version. We'll talk about the anglers who made the '78 Bass Masters Classic, go over some of the stats as well as look into who won the events of the 1978 season. If you'd like to see the Press Guide in full, you can find it at our website, bass-archives.com under the heading Galleries then then Historical Bass Fishing Pics. We thank you for checking out the channel and if you like the video, please hit the like button and subscribe. website: bass-archives.com Facebook: facebook.com/bassfishingarchives Instagram: instagram.com/bassfishingarchives

This video is about Larry Nixon’s first year on the Bassmaster Trail. The year was 1977 and after some convincing from fellow Toledo Bend guide Tommy Martin, Nixon decided to give it a try. Over the course of the season, Nixon placed 16th, 8th, 7th, 36th, and 30th place, landing himself in 7th place overall for the Angler of the Year Race. Nixon qualified for his first Classic in his rookie year and missed one event, on his home lake. If there’d have been a Rookie of the Year award back then, he would have won it hands down. Over the course of the regular season, he won over $3,800.00. Then, at Classic VII on the Kissimmee Chain, he placed second, boosting his ’77 winnings another $10,000. Not a bad rookie year. In this video, which was recorded at the 2014 FLW Cup, Nixon talks about his first year on tour and how 1977 may have been the end of his tournament career. #larrynixon #bassmasterookies #jayyelas #rayscott #rickclunn #smithwickrogue #kissimmeechain #bassmastersclassic #1977classic #bassfishingarchives

This is a walkthrough of the 1976 Bass Masters Classic Press Guide. Not many of these were printed due to the fact the Classic was still a mystery lake format, and few people attended other than BASS staff, the press corps, family and some spectators who happened to be around at the time. In this video, we'll quickly go through each page and discuss some of the broader points of the guide. The Guide will also be placed in its entirety on the Bass Fishing Archives website at https://bass-archives.com. There you can read every word between the covers and also get a good look at the images. I would like to thank B.A.S.S. for allowing me to use this Press Guide to share with all of you. If not for them, these rare guides would be lost to the masses. Thank you B.A.S.S. #bassmastersclassic #bassfishing #rickclunn #jimmyhouston #billdance #rolandmartin #tommymartin #rayobreckenridge #rayscott #bobcobb #haroldsharp #jackhains #bobbymurray #donbutler #rangerboats

Bass Master's Classic Pres Guides have always been a collectible item, especially for bass fishing history geeks. Here we have the 1975 Bass Master's Classic Press Guide, one of only a few in existence. I have to thank Ken Duke for sending this along with the 1976, 1978 and 1979 versions of this guide. We'll be going over this guide in this video to show you who was fishing the 1975 Classic as well as give you an idea of what was in store for the coming tournament season. Also included is a lot of historical data with respect to B.A.S.S. from its inception in 1967 through 1975. We hope you enjoy this look back in time at the history of bass fishing. If you want to see the entire Press Guide and read it, please go to bass-archives.com and check under Galleries and then Historical Bass Fishing Pics. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/bassfishingarchives and Instagram at instagram.com/bassfishingarchives #bassmasterclassic #classicfive #bassfishingarchives #bassfishing #bass

This video is a walkthrough of the Bass Pro Shops Museum at Johnny Morris' Wonders of the World in Springfield, MO. The video takes you on a walk through the museum that documents just how Johnny Morris started the famed outdoor store. In the museum you'll see picture from when he was a kid fishing the White River with his parents, a mock up of the Brown Derby Liquor Store, where he talked his father into giving him some space to sell bass fishing tackle, tournament trophies from his Bassmaster Trail days and an original 16-foot Bass Tracker boat. After the museum, I tracked down the original Brown Derby Liquor Store, in downtown Springfield. The store still stands but it's vacant and for sale. Vintage pictures and an ad allow you to see the way the building looked in the early days of Bass Pro Shops. We hope you enjoy the video. For more bass fishing history, please head over to the main site, bass-archives.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram facebook.com/bassfishingarchives instagram.com/bassfishingarchives #bassfishingarchives #bassproshops #johnnymorris

Going through a bunch of boxes that have been packed up from several moves over the years, I opened one that was full of bass fishing gold. An Adventurer 1735 Crankbait and Spinnerbait combination box I received as a gift around the 1979/80 timeframe. This box I got brand new for Christmas and used this box through the early 90s as my main crank and blade box. The box is full of cranks and blades I used back the day and it brings back a lot of fond memories. This was the box to use back in the 70s through the 80s, before the concept of using 3700-sized boxes came about. This box along with my Plano 737S were the two boxes I always carried in the boat. Between the two I could carry enough cranks, blades, jigs and worms to outfit me for an entire 2-day tournament. As time went by, the box became more of a pain to deal with in the new storage compartments that were being seen in the more modern bass boats. Plano 3700s took the place of this box and my 1735 was relegated as a storage box on the shelf in my garage. Now I have to find the moving boxes that have my other old tackle boxes and see what gems are in them. Until then, I hope you enjoy this look back into an old tackle box full of vintage bass fishing goodness. If you liked this video, please hit the like button and if you like the channel, please subscribe. For more bass fishing history, please check out or website at bass-archives.com. and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/bassfishingarchives and on Instagram at bassfishingarchives. #vintagebassgear #vintagebasslures #bassfishing #bassfishingarchives #vintagetackleboxes

By the spring of 1968, Ray Scott had held two events that changed the world of bass fishing. In late 1967, with these successes behind him, he forged ahead with his plan to bring all bass anglers together and formed the Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society, better known as B.A.S.S. Part of that plan was a magazine, Bassmaster Magazine to be more specific. This video showcases the first issue of Bassmaster Magazine, the cornerstone of what would become the first bass-centric magazine ever produced. In this video we’ll go through the entire magazine, cover to cover. The magazine was designed to offer bass anglers unprecedented access to new fishing tips and techniques, written by anglers themselves, without the hard sell from professional writers and editors pushing product. The magazine and Society would also form a constituency of anglers concerned about industrial pollution and the quality of waters throughout the United States. Ray Scott had a vision and it’s clearly stated in the BASS Purposes printed on the second page of this first issue. Those purposes were: • Organize the Bass Anglers of America • Stimulate public awareness of bass fishing as a major participation sport • Improve our skill as Bass Anglers through the exchange of expert Bass catching techniques and ideas • Offer our state conservation departments our organized moral and political support and encouragement • Demand adequate water standards and legal enforcement of existing regulatory standards • Encourage private and governmental study into why fishing on our lakes and streams “go bad,” and what can be done for these waters to restore and maintain top bass fishing for ourselves and children • Promote and encourage youth fishing • Present national championship BASS fishing tournaments Scott had to have something to offer bass anglers to get them interested in joining the newly formed Society. He offered BASS Benefits, which included: • Yearly subscription to The BASSMASTER MAGAZINE • Silk embroidered official B.A.S.S. member’s patch • B.A.S.S. member identification card and B.A.S.S. yearly calendar • Become an “Investor” in the fulfillment of all the goals of The Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society. In these BASS Benefits, Scott explains what his vision was for Bassmaster Magazine. Here are his words: “If you’re tired of digging through Sports Afield, Outdoor Life and Field and Stream looking for just one good Bass feature, you can stop digging – THE BASSMASTER MAGAZINE is filled with exciting Bass fishing stories and techniques discussed by the expert BASS membership. This quarterly publication gives you the how, when, and where to consistently catch more and larger strings of Bass. “THE BASSMASTER MAGAZINE will include BASS tournament information and current tournament tour schedules. THE BASSMASTER MAGAZINE will also feature up to date information on the better Bass lakes across the nation. For the true Bass Angler, THE BASSMASTER MAGAZINE is a maddening must.” This first issue of Bassmaster Magazine marks the start of the bass fishing industry. Its pages hold the blueprint of how the industry started. We hope that you enjoy this look back in our history. I would like to thank the folks at Bassmaster for giving us permission to video the first issue and share it with our viewers. Without their permission, this issue would be lost to only those who have the few remaining copies. We would also like to thank Bassmaster for granting us permission to record and share the first 5 years of the magazine. These videos will be published soon for all to see how B.A.S.S. and Bassmaster grew from a 24-page, quarterly publication into the powerhouse of the bass fishing industry. If you enjoyed this video, please hit the like button and if you like the channel, please subscribe and tell your friends about us. Please visit out website at bass-archives.com and follow us on facebook at facebook.com/bassfishingarchives and on Instagram at Instagram.com/bassfishingarchives.

This video was recorded at the 2014 ICAST show in Orlando Florida. I was fortunate to have spent some time with Roland Martin over the course of the show talking about his career in bass fishing. This video features Roland talking about his first year on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and the friendship he built with Bill Dance, his early hero. For more bass fishing history, please go to www.bass-archives.com. Please subscribe if you like what you see and share with your friends. We will be posting more videos on a weekly basis in the future. #rolandmartin #bassfishinghistory #bassfishingarchives #bassmaster #billdance

This video is a compilation of videos from bass fishing legend Bobby Murray from the early days of competitive bass fishing. The videos were shot on 8mm film and digitized by Mike Quinn from Carlisle Tires. The video shows what it was like fishing tournaments in the late 1960s. Angling legends such as the Murray brothers, Roland Martin, Gerald Blanchard, Blake Honeycutt, Rip Nunnery are seen in the old footage. Lake Eufaula, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn are some of the venues shown as well as the old blast-off starts and boats of the time. We would like to thank Bobby Murray and Mike Quinn for allowing us to use this footage on our channel and we hope you all enjoy watching this look back in time. #bassfishingarchives #bassfishinghistory #bobbymurray #rolandmartin #rayscott #bassmaster #vintagebassfishingvideos

When this whole competitive bass fishing deal started back in the late 60s, cheating and rigged tournaments were some of the biggest obstacles that Ray Scott faced. In order to alleviate those dark shadows, Scott decided on a tournament format where anglers would be paired together, different pairings for each day. This would not only significantly decrease the chances that two anglers would go into cahoots with each other but also provided policing from within. For nearly 30 years after that first Beaver Lake event, pros would be paired with pros on the Bassmaster and other trails throughout the country. The format had its benefits but also had its downfalls. While talking to Shaw Grigsby Jr. at ICAST 2014, we got on the subject of the old pro-on-pro format versus todays format where the pros fish alone. Shaw, probably like many other professional anglers who experienced the old days, is happy for the Marshall program but there are some things he really misses. #shawgrigsbyjr #proonpro #drawtournaments #coanglers #marshals #bassmaster #icast2014 #bassfishingarchives #bassfishinghistory #oldbasstournaments

Shaw Grigsby Jr.’s been a stalwart on the Bassmaster scene since 1977 but did you know that he started because he didn’t have a motorcycle race one weekend? Prior to that weekend he’d fished about once a month with his father but his primary hobby at the time was motorcycle racing. Well, after Grigsby fished his first event with a close friend, his hobby soon changed. We had an opportunity to talk with Shaw at ICAST 2014 about that first tournament he fished and here we share it with you. It’s amazing how one event can change a person’s life. If not for his buddy, we may never have known of Shaw as a bass angler. #shawgrigsbyjr #probass #bassmaster #bassfishinghistory #howtheystarted #icast2015 #bassfishingarchives #floridabassfishing

Here is the Summer 1969 Issue of Bass Master Magazine. We're gonna go through it page by page and check out the contents. in this issue there was a feature by Bob Cobb on fishing Lake Novillo, Mexico, tournament reports on Lakes Seminole, Sam Rayburn and Ross Barnett, feature articles on worm and spinnerbait fishing as well as some awesome ads and cartoon by Harold Sharp. Let me know what you think in the comments and if we get some good feedback, we'll keep doing these! #bassmastermagazine #bassmaster #rayscott #bobcobb #haroldsharp #billdance #tommann #rickygreen #raymurski #jimmyhouston #blakehoneycutt #skeeterboats #lowrance #pedigopork #pedigospinrite #bagleybaitcompany #smithwick #cremelurecompany #fliptail #haroldhays #bassfishingarchives #bassfishinghistory #vintagebassads #vintagelures #tacklehistory

Here is a look back at the rods of the late 70s and early 80s. The rods discussed are Phenix Boron, Fenwick Eagle Graphite, Contender Boron and a rogue Fenwick Generation II Flippin' Stik. All of the rods except two are 5-feet 6-inches in length. Of the other two, one is 5-feet 3-inches (my favorite spinnerbait rod) and the Flippin' Stik is obviously 7-1/2 feet. These rods were purchased by me from 1976 through about 1980 and were fitted with either Lew's BB1 Speed Spools, ABU Garcia 1500Cs, ABU Garcia 2500Cs or ABU Garcia 4500Cs, depending on what the rod was going to be used for. The lone spinning rod in the bunch was fitted with a Diawa 2500C spinning reel and that was upgraded eventually to a Diawa 2500 Longcast around the 1982 timeframe. I hope you enjoy this look back in time and let me know if you'd like to see more of this type of content in the comments below. Website: bass-archives.com Instagram: bassfishingarchives Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BassFishingArchives #bassfishingarchives #bassfishinghistory #vintagebasstackle #vintagebassgear #phenixboronrods #fenwickgraphiterods #fenwickeaglerods #contenderboronrods #fenwickflippinstik #fenwickrods

Recently we posted Part One of a piece on Mercury Marine’s Lake-X. Today we present Part Two of that tour with Elite Series angler Bernie Schultz and John Litjens – a long-time Mercury employee and manager of Lake-X. Yesterday’s interview consisted of a background of what Mercury did at the lake with respect to testing. Today’s piece concentrates on what happened inside the facility, what it was like to work at Lake-X and some of the folklore that went along with it. I would like to apologize upfront with the noisy background – it’s our first attempt at video and we’re discovering this week we have a bit to learn. Still, we hope you get something out of the footage from a place that’s rarely, if ever, been videoed for the public.

Yesterday (ICAST 2014) I had the privilege of attending this year’s precursor to ICAST, a function known as Tackle-X, held on the hallowed grounds of Mercury Marine’s mysterious Lake-X. An “invite only” event, Tackle-X would bring industry, media and the Kirchman Foundation together for a relaxed day at the lake to talk fishing, meet with old friends and new, and visit a place few have tread on. Here’s the lead-in to the invite: “If you can't find Lake X on a map, it's no accident. The legend and mystery of Lake X are the creation of Carl Kiekhaefer (1906-1983), the founder of Mercury Marine. For nearly 30 years he used the 1,400-acre lake as his private test facility and as part of his marketing efforts. He wanted someplace far from competitors' prying eyes, and he found it with Lake Conlin, as the lake is officially identified. One of Kiekhaefer's most famous publicity efforts began on Sept. 11, 1957 when two Mercury Mark 75 outboards began an endurance run that lasted 34 days, 11 hours, 47 minutes and 5.4 seconds. Each of the two boats completed 4,516 laps of the lake course and 25,003.286 miles — slightly more than the circumference of Earth. The engines were refueled and the drivers changed out while the boats were on the run, averaging 30.3 mph for more than a month!” If you thought I would pass on this invite, you’re sorely mistaken. To go to Lake-X is a dream I’ve had for many years and this would finally allow me to scratch that box off my bucket list. As part of the media, I looked at this opportunity differently. Yes industry would be there with all their new gadgets and gizmos, normally a writer’s dream. What I was mostly interested in, though, was the mystique of the lake, the former owners and the testing that went on here for more than half a century. To my knowledge no one has ever videoed Lake-X for the public. On July 15, 2014, I not only had the opportunity to video the lake, I was able to get Elite Series angler Bernie Schultz and former Mercury Marine employee, John Litjens (who worked for Mercury for 45 years and ran Lake-X for a number of years) to do an interview of the lake for us. It’s a pretty cool look into the lake and its mystery for all who have been involved with outboard motors. We hope you enjoy the video. Part Two will air tomorrow.

As we’ve discussed previously discussed on the Bass Fishing Archives Trivia, Larry Nixon won four Megabucks events over his career with B.A.S.S. In all the years that Megabucks was around, there was only one angler to come close to that mark, Doug Garrett, who won two. If you look at Nixon’s career earnings with B.A.S.S., nearly 1/3 of that total was from Megabucks alone. Nixon wasn’t just a multi-time winner of Megabucks, though, he had a penchant for winning off-beat events that B.A.S.S. put on. For example, he won two BASS Champs events, 1978 at the Atchafalaya River and 1982 at the Ohio River, along with the 1987 Bassmaster Team Championship held on the St. Lawrence River. Then, to cap off his string of off-beat wins, he won the 1992 Bassmaster 25th Anniversary event held on Beaver Lake. Add a Classic to the mix, and you can see why Nixon was always a heavy favorite when B.A.S.S. conducted a special event. Back to Megabucks, though. Why was he so strong in those events? For a five year period, he was nearly unstoppable. He won in 1988 at the Harris Chain, won both events in 1990 (one at the Harris Chain and the other at Guntersville) and he won the 1991 event at Chickamauga making it three in a row. Then in 1992 he placed fourth at Guntersville and a year later he placed second at Lake Murray. In a span of five years he made nearly 1/2-million dollars just in Megabucks alone. It was as if the format was tailored specifically for him. Recently at the 2014 FLW Cup I had a chance to sit down with Larry and talk to him about his reign over Megabucks. It was a great conversation that shed a lot of light on why he did so well in those events and how he treated them compared to other tournaments.

Not many anglers can say they’ve fished bass in Hawai’i, let alone fished a bass tournament there. Jay Yelas, on the other hand, can say he’s done both and not only that, he won. Yelas qualified to fish the 1988 Operation Bass Tournament of Champions – a year-end event that took the top anglers from each Operation Bass region and pitted them against each other to determine who the best of the best was. Operation Bass only held two TOCs in Hawai’i – thus making Yelas one of two anglers to ever win a national event in the island state. In this video, Yelas talks about the tournament and what the whole event was like. Click the video to hear what he had to say.