You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 45 Years

In a matter of only days, fans and participants alike will be in Greenville, SC, for the 45th annual Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell--the second such gathering on this body of water since 2008, when Alton Jones won the contest. The dates this year, for anyone who doesn't already know them, are Feb. 20-22.

Some call this event the "Super Bowl of Fishing." I've also seen it advertised as the "Super Bowl of Bass Fishing," and many just refer to it as the "Bassmaster Classic." Regardless of name, however, everyone knows we're talking about the granddaddy of all competitive bass fishing, which, in itself, always creates excitement. And it's been that way ever since the inaugural contest B.A.S.S. founder, Ray Scott, put together on Lake Mead, NV, in 1971.

While everyone gets revved up for the show set to take place here in a few days, I thought it might be fun to do a little comparison of that first contest with the one that took place just last year.

Setting the Bar

One of the things my online research turned up was this photo of what is believed to be the only surviving boat from the first Classic. It's a fully restored red, white and blue Rebel Fastback, powered by a 90-hp Mercury MerCruiser inboard-outboard engine. The boat originally was equipped with a Lowrance Fish-n-Temp electronics unit and bow-mounted MotorGuide electric motor.

Ray Scott ordered 24 identical boats built for those 24 anglers selected to fish the 1971 Classic. The boats were all numbered, lined up, and waiting in the water when the anglers, their wives, and about 30 outdoor writers arrived at their Las Vegas destination, which Scott didn't announce until the transporting aircraft with all aboard reached the 10,000-foot level after take-off from Atlanta, GA. (Note: Scott dropped the practice of secrecy, starting in 1977, so people could make plans to attend the festivities.)

The secrecy element was such a big part of Scott's original Classic plan that he intentionally shopped for the least conspicuous boat maker who could produce 24 identical boats and do it in such a way that no one had a clue the boats were being built. At that time, Rebel was a brand-new, little-known company in northern Arkansas.

The company was sworn to secrecy. Even the drivers who moved the boats from Arkansas to Nevada received only limited information before setting out from the factory on mysterious routings. And then they had to stop at given locations along the way for further instructions to their ultimate destination.

The 1971 Rebel Fastbacks were state-of-the-art boats at the time that cost about $4,000 each. Their reported top speed was 37 mph. After the Classic, the boats were sold, with one ending up in the possession of golfer Sam Snead. Boat No. 17, however, sat in North Carolina for decades, under good care, until Durham, NC resident, Doyle Hodgin, was out driving one day and saw it for sale.

"I saw a boat there with the word 'Classic' and a big '17' on it," said Hodgin. "I didn't know what that meant, but it was for sale, so I pulled in to look. I went home and did some homework. Then I realized that this boat was used in the first Bassmaster Classic in 1971.

"It's truly a priceless one-of-a-kind boat," Hodgin continued. "The boat had been sitting in a building for years, so it was in amazing shape. I've taken it out on the lake and fished from it. Everything original on it runs like new."

Both Hodgin and his boat were on hand in the Carlisle tire booth at last year's Bassmaster Classic Expo for all to see.

Winner of the 1971 Bassmaster Classic and its $10,000 prize, with a total weight of 43.11 lbs., was Bobby Murray (at right in this photo with Ray Scott) of Hot Springs, AR. He got the job done with only four rods and 10 pounds of tackle, which was all Scott allowed any of the 24 anglers. Another stipulation was that everyone had only one day of practice before the three days of competition started.

Murray claimed top honors by fishing Lake Mead's Rotary Cove area, 13 miles from the ramp. His fish all came from 2 feet of water--a surprise to many locals, who had predicted the contest would be won deep. His winning pattern was to run from cove to cove, making long casts with a 1/4-oz., white, tandem-bladed, Zorro Aggravator spinnerbait and bringing it past any brush in the cuts.

The technique Murray used to catch his fish also was new among the 1971 spinnerbait crowd. They were used to fishing the bait slowly, letting it sink deep, then working it slowly to the boat. The technique Murray used was to buzz the spinnerbait across the top or just below the surface. When this method failed, he would run the bait up to the brush piles, kill it for a count of two, then resume the retrieve.

Raising the Bar

Now fast forward to Feb. 21-23, 2014, when the 44th annual Bassmaster Classic and its field of 55 anglers (reduced to 25 after the second day) descended on Lake Guntersville in Birmingham, AL.

Winner of that competition, Randy Howell of Springville, AL, used this high-performance Triton 21 TRX with a 250 Pro XS Mercury OptiMax for his three days of practice and three days of competition. This masterpiece of machinery has a top-end speed that is reported to have broken the 70-mph barrier. Some even say it can reach speeds in excess of 75 mph.

Livewells in this boat have a capacity of more than 44 gallons, with an aeration timer, as well as separate recirculation and aeration pumps. These pumps are rated at 800 GPH each, compared to the 360 to 500 GPH pumps used on many boats today.

Another popular feature is the port-side rodbox, which can hold a dozen rods up to 8 feet long. Other standard goodies include pole-mounted bike seats, bow rod-buckles, bow trolling-motor wiring, a trolling-motor foot-control recess, and a 24V MotorGuide TR82 electric trolling motor. Serious tournament anglers can upgrade that MotorGuide to a more powerful 36V model and move up from the standard three-bank onboard charger.

The 21 TRX has a standard Lowrance HDS-7 fishfinder, and even that can be upgraded, too. Triton lists no fewer than 48 fishfinder options from both Lowrance and Humminbird, including screen sizes up to 12 inches and side-finding capabilities.

Still not enough? Then consider these standards: hot-foot throttle, suspension bucket seats, adjustable aluminum jackplate, and as seen in the above photo of Howell's Classic boat, dual power-poles.

With a length of 21 feet 0 inches, a beam of 95 inches, a draft of 13 inches, a displacement of 1,840 pounds, and a fuel capacity of 46 gallons, the 21 TRX qualifies as a quality fishing machine. And it has notched a Bassmaster Classic victory to prove that claim. The final cost, depending on your choice of options, can reach $70,000.

Randy Howell (pictured left) took his place in the Classic spotlight by winning the contest last year with a three-day total weight of 67 lbs. 8 ozs. His final day's 29-lb. 2-oz. catch included a 7-3 kicker fish.

Most of his bass came from the Spring Creek Bridge and rip rap along the causeway.

Helping Howell earn that victory-lap ride in the 2014 Classic was a $300 Daiwa Tatula  rod-and-Daiwa Tatula 6.3:1 reel combo.

His most productive lures included a Rapala DT 6 in demon-craw color (pictured at right) and a medium-running Livingston Lures prototype crankbait in an orange-crawfish color (pictured below). However, he also caught some fish on a bladed swim jig, including a 6-pounder near the end of the final day that culled another fish and gave him a 1-pound win over the nearest competitor.

Howell's payday for the 2014 Classic was $300,000--a 40-percent reduction from the $500,000 that had gone to winners since 2006. As explained by B.A.S.S. headquarters, this reduction was done "to sweeten the pot for the 41st- through 50th-place finishers at the 2015 Elite Series events."

I feel certain the vast majority of readers will agree that the Bassmaster Classic indeed has come a long way since that 1971 event on Lake Mead. Based on the growth experienced to this point in time, I can't help wondering what it all will look like in another 45 years. Unfortunately, I won't be around to find out.

Note: Randy Howell has given away his tour boat each year for the past four years to one lucky donor to the King's Home, and his 2014 Classic ride was no exception. Here's the way it works: For every $100 donation to the King's Home, Howell gives away one entry to win the boat. There is no limit to the number of entries a person can receive. Based in Birmingham, this facility is home to hundreds of youth, women and children seeking refuge, hope and help from abuse, neglect, abandonment, homelessness, and other difficult and impoverished conditions and circumstances all around the country.