Ray Scott, Father of Modern Bass Fishing, Dies at Age 88

Ray Scott passed away peacefully Sunday, May 8th, in his sleep of natural causes.

The recipient of numerous conservation and boating-safety awards, as well as the prestigious Horatio Alger Award for his rags-to-riches success and contributions back to his community, Scott was born and raised in Montgomery, AL, during the Depression. He attended Starke Military School in Montgomery on a football scholarship and graduated from Auburn University after serving in the U.S. Army.

As we all know, Scott founded the first national professional bass-fishing circuit, the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, in 1967, and the following year founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society--B.A.S.S.--which would grow to become the world's largest fishing organization.

Said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO, "Ray's passion and vision for bass fishing birthed our entire industry more than 50 years ago when he founded B.A.S.S. and started the first professional fishing-tournament series. His legacy is felt to this day and continues to influence B.A.S.S., the world's largest fishing-membership organization. Ray's contributions and impact on conservation and his advocacy and passion for anglers and our sport set the standard for tournament fishing and are something we always will strive to uphold. Our hearts and prayers are with the Scott family."

The bass-tournament competition Scott created served as proving grounds for rapid advancements in bass boats, outboard engines, fishing tackle, lures, and electronics. Everyday anglers began purchasing whatever the bass pros were using, spawning a massive bass-fishing industry that today has an economic impact in excess of $125 billion per year and employs more than 800,000 people nationwide.

Before Scott began pursuing his dream of organizing America's bass anglers, the sport was a laid-back, mainly southern pastime that largely was overlooked by the trout-focused national outdoor media. To serve B.A.S.S. members and to publicize the tournament trail, Scott launched Bassmaster Magazine, which the New York Times described as "the Bible of Bass Fishing," and which ultimately would be delivered to 650,000 B.A.S.S. members monthly.

A celebration of Ray Scott's life will be announced at a later date.