Bass Fishing Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 Announced Two Days Ago

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 is scheduled to be inducted in ceremonies at Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, MO, on Thursday, Sept. 24. This new class includes two Bassmaster Classic winners, Bryan Kerchal (top left in the above collage) and Jay Yelas (bottom left). Also included are three bass-fishing industry innovators: lure designer James Heddon (top right), noted bass-fishing media and professional fishing figure Steve Bowman (bottom right), and fishing educator Ron Lindner (bottom center).

Bryan Kerchal was the first Bassmaster Classic champion to emerge directly from the B.A.S.S. Nation. He was introduced to the sport through a neighbor and was self-taught until he joined the Housatonic Valley Bassmasters. Through that B.A.S.S.-affiliated club, he qualified for the state championship tournament and made the 12-man Connecticut team. Kerchal qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in 1993 and 1994, as well as the 1993 and 1994 Bassmaster Classics, making him the first to defend a B.A.S.S. Nation title and qualify for the Classic, as an amateur, twice. Tragically, Kerchal was killed in a commercial plane crash just five months after winning the Classic.

Jay Yelas is one of a handful of anglers to win the Angler of the Year title on both the Bassmaster and FLW tours. He accomplished the former in 2003, fresh on the heels of winning the 2002 Bassmaster Classic, and earned the latter in 2002 and 2007. He also is one of the few to have won more than a million dollars on each tour in an ongoing career in which he qualified for 16 consecutive Classics and 11 Forrest Wood Cups. Yelas served for 10 years on the board of the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation and now is executive director of the organization. He entered his fourth decade as a professional angler in 2019, when he rejoined the Bassmaster Elite Series.

James Heddon, credited with the invention of the first wooden-bodied artificial lures, helped to revolutionize bass. Many of his lures remain popular today, including the Zara Spook, River Runt, Meadow Mouse, and Lucky 13. His products' origin story--that a whittled piece of wood thrown into the water produced a vicious strike--led to creation of the first commercially-successful artificial lures, and a namesake company that has stood the test of time.

Steve Bowman, a journalist and tournament innovator, has devoted his career to promoting bass fishing. As outdoor editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, he used his popular column as a voice to rally anglers around projects that would protect and/or promote fishing and hunting. In 2000, he helped launch ESPNOutdoors.com, where he was instrumental in changing the way Bassmaster events were covered and viewed. His ideas set the tone for up-to-the-minute tournament coverage. He was one of three men tasked with creating College Bass Fishing in 2003, which evolved into the Bassmaster College Series. He is a member of the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame and the Waterfowl Hall of Fame. He has served on the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 2012.

Ron Lindner has been an exceptional multi-species tackle innovator and teacher in print and on TV since the 1960s. He and his brother, Al, invented and marketed numerous lures. They also created the ultra-successful In-Fisherman network, which included a magazine, radio show, and television program. The brothers also created the F+L+P=Success (Fish+Location+Presentation=Success) formula as a tool to help people catch fish. In his free time, Lindner participated in Bassmaster events and was an innovator in bass-fishing techniques on northern natural lakes and rivers. He also co-authored 10 books and owns multiple patents. Ron has been inducted into the Normark Hall of Fame and the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and currently co-owns the fishing TV show "Angling Edge." With his induction, he and his brother and long-time partner, Al, become the second set of siblings in the Hall of Fame, joining Billy and Bobby Murray.