Favorite Or Greatest Bass Fisherman Of All Time

[njbasscat]

The best tournament fisherman is KVD followed by Brent Ehler. Bill Simental is perhaps the best big bass hunter. The greatest fisherman of all time is my dad. He introduced me to fishing at a very young age and for that, I'm forever grateful.

[SHRIMPER]

Al Lindner!

[reddragon]

To me is KVD he always finds a way to pull off the win.

[Handler]

Greatest is KVD.

[Handler]

Fun to watch, Bill Dance is Hard to beat, especially the bloopers.

[Crappielimits]

My favorite would be Larry Nixon as I pieced together my style of fishing a lot from his.

The greatest should definitely be based on tournaments. To shun Bill Dance for being wise enough to market himself before others is crazy. KVD winning because of hydro wave? Really? On Major League Fishing he is only allowed the same gear as everyone else and some days makes everyone look bad. MLF is the only fair competition in fishing. Clunn has also proven himself. Along with Martin. Any could beat the other on any given day. I also would place Doug Hannon and Shaw Grisby on that list. The greatest has probably never fished a tournament and is not well known outside of his local area.

[Warhawk]

Roland Martin
Al Lindner
KVD

Greg Hackney of the current crop

[JB in SC]

For me, it would be Homer Circle. There will never be another like him.

[Silas]

Favorite is my Uncle Vernon Rushing. You won't find his name on any TV show or fishing any tournaments.

Taught me all about fishing 60 years ago after my father just died.

I learned to appreciate the wildlife and scenes of the great Atchfalaya Basin Swamp. Miles and miles of myriad bayous.

How to read the water, patience, and conservation.

Once he told me that when money became a factor, things would change, and not really for the better.

He did not feel that competition would be all that beneficial.

To him it was not a sport, but a pleasant sorjourn into a wonderful watery paradise where he could also commune and feel the pulse of an Almighty at work.

I have seen a large part turn into a mega business where everyone is grabbing for a piece of the money to be made.

I know I am in a minority here. But I'm old enough to have seen the evolution of fishing and I'm not pleased with the direction.

Ok, back the praise of the most fish catching in 2 days,fastest casters, most tournaments won, and most moneymakers and TV hosts and sponsors of all kinds of tackle, boats, motors, trucks they pull the boat with, clothing, sunglasses.

All hail!

[Crappielimits]

Silas, I 100% agree. The money and tournaments have ruined a great sport. Not to mention treble and cast and reel baits. not to mention the electronics. There are 200+ boats on Seminole all this week. They all think they fishing for money and are more important than a father or grandfather teaching the youth about fishing. Many tournament anglers have a problem with others keeping a bass? What is the mortality rate of bass caught during tournaments? Especially fish taken to weigh ins. How many eggs are lost when bedding fish are taken to be weighed in?

[ss30378]

Favorite Al Lindner and the rest of the Lindner family just because they have mastered all species. KVD for pure tourney style fishing.

I agree with the above posts fishing has turned into big business. I'm amazed at how big purses have gotten at tourneys nowadays compared to 20 years ago. Heck in my area it seems like everyone is a sponsored tournament angler. They are after the cash and fishing is no longer the relaxing enjoyment of what I was taught it to be. It is a smash and grab and everyone is after the prize. But on the flip side with the pure fishing conglomerate ever expanding it has forced Shimano and Daiwa to continue to innovate and bring us some very cool products...

[Johnny A]

If it weren't for the tournaments, you'd still be using cane poles, steel rods, multiplying reels and crickets and nightcrawlers out of wooden boats. Don't think so? When was the last graphite croquet mallet with titanium wickets and fiberglass balls?
Yeah, nickel beer and hoop skirts were once all the rage.

[Crappielimits]

If it weren't for the tournaments, you'd still be using cane poles, steel rods, multiplying reels and crickets and nightcrawlers out of wooden boats. Don't think so? When was the last graphite croquet mallet with titanium wickets and fiberglass balls?
Yeah, nickel beer and hoop skirts were once all the rage.

Fiberglass rods were developed for fly fisherman long before tournaments. Baitcasters were developed for saltwater fisherman. Now graphite rods came in 70s for the growing bass tournaments. The first fishfinder was developed by two brothers from Japan for saltwater species. Most of your modern day sonar and GPS developments are geared towards military, nasa, or saltwater fishing. To say all developments in fishing are owed to bass fisherman one is a joke and two an attitude like that is part of the problem. For some reason many bass fisherman think they own the water and are the best fisherman out there. Same with tournament anglers of any species. Though I am a very good bass fisherman, I am proud to have vast knowledge of many other species. Bass fishing is something I enjoy teaching youth, but myself would very seldom make a trip just to bass fish anymore. Once I quit tournaments I was able to enjoy taking others and showing them Gods creations and have to be secretive about my fishing. Money is the root of all evil and ruins everything. Slow down and enjoy Gods creations.

[Johnny A]

If it weren't for the tournaments, you'd still be using cane poles, steel rods, multiplying reels and crickets and nightcrawlers out of wooden boats. Don't think so? When was the last graphite croquet mallet with titanium wickets and fiberglass balls?
Yeah, nickel beer and hoop skirts were once all the rage.

Fiberglass rods were developed for fly fisherman long before tournaments. Baitcasters were developed for saltwater fisherman. Now graphite rods came in 70s for the growing bass tournaments. The first fishfinder was developed by two brothers from Japan for saltwater species. Most of your modern day sonar and GPS developments are geared towards military, nasa, or saltwater fishing. To say all developments in fishing are owed to bass fisherman one is a joke and two an attitude like that is part of the problem. For some reason many bass fisherman think they own the water and are the best fisherman out there. Same with tournament anglers of any species. Though I am a very good bass fisherman, I am proud to have vast knowledge of many other species. Bass fishing is something I enjoy teaching youth, but myself would very seldom make a trip just to bass fish anymore. Once I quit tournaments I was able to enjoy taking others and showing them Gods creations and have to be secretive about my fishing. Money is the root of all evil and ruins everything. Slow down and enjoy Gods creations.

I didn't say "all". I didn't imply "all". I was refering to bass fishing, as noted in the title of this thread. Look back into bass fishing literature even 20 or 15 years ago, it's like Stone Age.
Money is not the "root of all evil", "LOVE of money is the root of all evil.". The personality that will cheat for $10,000 will cheat for $500.

[Chode]

If it weren't for the tournaments, you'd still be using cane poles, steel rods, multiplying reels and crickets and nightcrawlers out of wooden boats. Don't think so? When was the last graphite croquet mallet with titanium wickets and fiberglass balls?
Yeah, nickel beer and hoop skirts were once all the rage.

Fiberglass rods were developed for fly fisherman long before tournaments. Baitcasters were developed for saltwater fisherman. Now graphite rods came in 70s for the growing bass tournaments. The first fishfinder was developed by two brothers from Japan for saltwater species. Most of your modern day sonar and GPS developments are geared towards military, nasa, or saltwater fishing. To say all developments in fishing are owed to bass fisherman one is a joke and two an attitude like that is part of the problem. For some reason many bass fisherman think they own the water and are the best fisherman out there. Same with tournament anglers of any species. Though I am a very good bass fisherman, I am proud to have vast knowledge of many other species. Bass fishing is something I enjoy teaching youth, but myself would very seldom make a trip just to bass fish anymore. Once I quit tournaments I was able to enjoy taking others and showing them Gods creations and have to be secretive about my fishing. Money is the root of all evil and ruins everything. Slow down and enjoy Gods creations.

I didn't say "all". I didn't imply "all". I was refering to bass fishing, as noted in the title of this thread. Look back into bass fishing literature even 20 or 15 years ago, it's like Stone Age.
Money is not the "root of all evil", "LOVE of money is the root of all evil.". The personality that will cheat for $10,000 will cheat for $500.

haha, since there is a little bit of religious debate imma chime in just a touch to clarify some more

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

love of money is the root of all KINDS of evil. important distinction since lucifer is pure evil and his motive was never money. neither was adam & eve before they fell so to say money is the root of all evil would be incorrect.

ok before everybody on this forum go crazy over a religious debate im done