Favorite Or Greatest Bass Fisherman Of All Time

[Cagey]

Who is your all-time favorite bass fisherman or, who do you think is the best and greatest bass fisherman of all time and why?

They do not have to be a pro, but it helps if they are well known...

Thanks for any responses in advance! I look forward to reading all the replies and then checking them out to learn from them.

[Zimbass]

My favorite would have to be Basil Bacon. He was inducted into the bass fishing hall of fame a few years ago, just before he retired. Basil was a role model to so many up and coming young anglers. He could flip better than anyone I know, and could walk a spook around a tree, and back out again.

The best bass angler of all time is subjective. Many have considered Rick Clunn to be the man. IMHO, I believe that KVD was, and continues to be the best ever. He failed to qualify for the Classic this year, but he will be back ! His record is second to none, and may never be improved on.

[mhood]

Buck Perry.

[fishballer06]

Roland Martin

[IlliniDawg01]

Growing up, my favorite show to watch was Hank Parker's.

DaveJ

[H8R]

Bill Dance,no question for me.

[steve1206]

Statistically, regarding tour level tournaments, it's nearly impossible to argue against Kevin Van Dam. Roland Martin and Rick Clunn, along with KVD are a nearly consensus 1-3.
KVD- 20 BASS wins, 4 Classics, 7 AOYs
Clunn- 14 BASS wins, 4 Classics, 1 AOY
Martin- 19 BASS wins, 0 classics, 9 AOYs

There has been some historical variances in field size, field depth, etc. Clunn and Van Dam both had some brief dominant periods in FLW, with Clunn having an edge there, but also more appearances/opportunities.....but I don't think it sways the argument too far. People that argue for Clunn, talk classics and his ability to solve the equation quickly on unfamiliar water, but there was some lack of consistency. People that like to argue Martin, talk about the consistency of the AOYs and the wins, but many mention his "networking" ability to get info on unfamiliar water and his lack of a classic win...Again, hard to argue against Van Dam. Surprised no one has mentioned Denny Brauer, as he may be a solid 4th...and Bill Dance lacks the longevity because of his early jump to TV.

[H8R]

I don't think he mentions best tournament angler....

[Cagey]

The bass fisherman can be measured in tournament winnings if that is how they view it. But what I think is interesting is you can have one the greatest bass fisherman in the world compete and not win tournaments. And you can have some of the most unskilled fishermen get lucky and win tournaments, so for me judging a bass fisherman solely based on tournament status can be a bit misleading, but there is always something to learn there and that is what is important.

I want to become a better bass fisherman myself. So I wanted to just poll the members here as to whoever they think is the greatest skilled bass fisherman of all time, or who their favorite bass fisherman is and why? What makes that fisherman special?

I want to take the names mentioned and dig into their background and learn their specialties and techniques, etc. to help me break out of a pattern I seem to be locked in. And I have already begun digging into the names mentioned here and taking a trip without leaving the farm so to speak looking them up and learning from them, and I love it! Your suggestions are already teaching me new things both in techniques and bass fishing history.

So far only one of the names mentioned above is on my own list. Some of them I never heard of before- until now, and I appreciate learning from the responses.

So any way any of you want to measure the skills or quality of the fisherman is OK with me- like judging by tournament status or earnings, etc.

[Finnz922]

Trophies and awards matter for some but my picks are

Aaron Martens and Brent Ehrler with Jason Christie right behind

[falcon]

The linders

[zodiak311]

My favorite: Don Iovino
Greatest: Aaron Martens

[Chode]

i don't c how u can pin someone who hasn't won or lack wins as being the best. if u were really that good, y aren't u winning? ur too nice? too humble? bad luck? hardly... when it comes to competitive sports, pressure, nerves, fear, confidence etc all play a part. u might be great during practice or catch them by the handful with ur friends but when the lights are on and the focus is on u to close the deal, some just can't take it. There are a lot of intangibles that one must possess to close the deal.

since fishing is an individual sport, i'll equate it to golf. though i don't endorse tiger woods as a person, he is arguably the best golfer ever to play the game. not sure how many on here follow golf but when it's sunday and it's time to cash in, u have to be CLUTCH. with your heart beating abnormally high and hands shaking as if you're in subfreezing temperatures, it takes something pretty freakin special to drain that 20ft putt with 3 different breaks. u might get lucky once or twice but when ur resume is stacked with wins, it's more than just dumb luck. i believe that's what separates good to great to legendary

[dragon1]

Old man Joe, who gave me my first tackle box of Mepps, Arbogast topwaters, plastics, Kastmasters, Dardevles, Rapalas, and odds and ends...and taught me the basics of bass fishing when I was only 11 years old!

Doug Hannon

Larry Dahlberg

Great fishing is hunting on and under the water...no other individual sport compares. While a golf course may stay the same for the entire field of competition throughout the several days of tournament play - fooling a living thing to eat an artificial, in the wild, with live changes in weather, water temp, barometric pressure, water Ph, traffic on the water, etc., etc. - is vastly different IMO.

Personally, I am not impressed with AOY titles, amount of money won, how many endorsements had, how many Classics won, etc.

[Chode]

Old man Joe, who gave me my first tackle box of Mepps, Arbogast topwaters, plastics, Kastmasters, Dardevles, Rapalas, and odds and ends...and taught me the basics of bass fishing when I was only 11 years old!

Doug Hannon

Larry Dahlberg

Great fishing is hunting on and under the water...no other individual sport compares. While a golf course may stay the same for the entire field of competition throughout the several days of tournament play - fooling a living thing to eat an artificial, in the wild, with live changes in weather, water temp, barometric pressure, water Ph, traffic on the water, etc., etc. - is vastly different IMO.

Personally, I am not impressed with AOY titles, amount of money won, how many endorsements had, how many Classics won, etc.

Haha dragon doesn't sound like ur a golfer. Weather is def not a constant on the golf course throughout the four days of competition. Might not even stay the same for people who tee off in the morning vs those that tee off in the afternoon. Sun wind moisture etc will change the speed of the greens. Mud on the ball, ball falling into an unfixed divot, altitude altering ball flight and distance, different slopes on the fairway, hitting the ball from a bunker. I can go on for days much like the different aspects of fishing u stated.

Every sport will have their respective difficulties. Maybe because I've played competitively but imho competition is the best or perhaps the only way to separate the OPs question of greatest of all time. Wouldnt be so much debate amongst us amateurs if athletes didn't have a competitive platform to showcase their talents. To each their own opinion n I guess this is mine.