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BFHOF Report
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors announced this week the 2019 class to be inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2019 includes three stars of professional bass fishing — Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark., David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., and Davy Hite of Ninety Six, S.C. – along with the late Chris Armstrong a longtime outdoors illustrator, and Ed Chambers, the founder of Zoom Bait Company.
The inductees were nominated by supporters of the Hall of Fame and elected by a 30-member panel of sportfishing industry leaders, members of the outdoor media, professional anglers and current inductees of the Hall of Fame.
“All these men, in both what they have done and continue to do, reflect perfectly on the Hall’s mission to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing,” said John Mazurkiewicz, vice president of the Hall of Fame Board and Nominations Committee chair.
 Chris Armstrong |
 Ed Chambers |
 Mark Davis |
 David Fritts |
 Davy Hite |
| Chris Armstrong | Ed Chambers | Mark Davis | David Fritts | Davy Hite |
The five will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum, which opened in November 2017 within the Wonders of Wildlife complex at the flagship Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield. On display in the museum are artifacts, photos and biographical information about 71 members of the Hall of Fame who have been inducted since 2001. The induction ceremony will be Sept. 19.
“Many have said the annual Bass Fishing Hall of Fame enshrinement dinner has become a must-attend event for anyone interested in bass fishing,” said Donald Howell, BFHOF Board president. “Last year’s event was sold out and we expect that this year’s class will draw an equally vibrant and star-studded crowd as we honor the newest members of the Hall of Fame.”
Information on event and table sponsorships, dinner seats and tickets for a special VIP unveiling reception, along with details about the Hall and its mission are available at www.BassFishingHOF.com, or by contacting BFHOF executive director Barbara Bowman at bfhof.barbara@gmail.com.
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Seaguar Report
Zona Tells How He Uses Hi-Vis Braid in Detecting Subtle Finesse Bites
A decade ago, anglers were especially wary of hi-vis braids, preferring camouflage lines to everything else. That's changed significantly with the success of finesse presentations like the ubiquitous wacky rig, Neko rig, drop shotting, the Ned rig, and countless other fish-catching finesse approaches. For many, hi-vis braid has become an indispensable part of the finesse rig, a way to monitor bites by sight and feel that simply increases hooked and boated bass.
One angler who's made the conversion to hi-vis braid is Mark Zona, bass expert and TV fishing program host.
"Here's what's funny to me. 10 to 15 years ago a lot of us laughed at hi-vis braid and said, 'What on Earth do I need this for? I need camouflage!' Well, that thinking has gone by the wayside with spinning reel finesse fishing applications. It's critical to have a hi-vis braided line. There's no stretch in braid, so number one, you have much better sensitivity for bites. Then you add the visual aspect with the lack of stretch and that high level of sensitivity and you're just putting more odds in your corner to land more fish. From a novice all the way to a professional angler, we look for every edge we can get in bite detection. That's what this whole game is. If you're using a braid that's hard to see or camouflaged with the water with a fluorocarbon leader and you're struggling to see bites, what you're doing is absolutely pointless. I now probably apply hi-vis braid and a fluorocarbon leader to 80% of my finesse applications, whether it's a drop shot, shakey head, etc.," says Zona.
Especially in deeper water, bite detection when fishing finesse presentations becomes critical. Zona knows this well, spending much of his time in what he calls "crazy deep water" 20, 30, 40, 50, all the way down to 60 feet of water, working the bottom with finesse baits.
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By Al McGuckin
Elite Pro and Phoenix Boats Owner Gary Clouse Living His Dream
The jacked up Tundra sporting a massive Phoenix Boats logo is impossible to miss as it rolls on to the Palatka City Boat Ramp early Tuesday morning for the final day of practice at the St. Johns River Bassmaster Elite. But only the most observant eye might spy a tiny St. Louis Cardinals sticker on the dew soaked windshield of the boat.
Out of the truck steps tall lanky former high school basketball player, Gary Clouse - known best by most bass anglers as the owner and founder of Phoenix Boats. However, make no mistake, Clouse is a Bassmaster Elite Series angler because of his proven ability to catch bass, not because he owns a popular boat company.
At age 59, Clouse is chasing a dream he’s had since age 14, back in the days when he’d listen to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon bring to life the stellar plays of Lou Brock and Joe Torre, not on television or a live web stream – but through the simplicity of a radio.