General Info

No one could have predicted that the 106 fishermen competing in BASS' inaugural tournament in 1967 would grow to a membership of over 600,000. Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, born and raised in Montgomery, Ala., was founded by Ray Scott that year. In 1972, BASS initiated a Don't Kill Your Catch program that evolved into the modern Catch-and-Release ethic now practiced by nearly all bass anglers. In 1984, BASS lobbied Congress in support of the Wallop-Breaux amendment, which generates nearly $200 million annually for state fisheries. BASS, the focal point of what has grown into a $72 billion fishing industry, has created a publishing giant with Bassmaster Magazine, Guns&Gear Magazine, BASS TIMES, Bassmaster Tour Magazine and Fishing Tackle Retailer Magazine. BASS produces The Bassmaster weekly TV show, which airs on ESPN2, the $6 Million Bassmaster Tournament Trail; and the Bassmaster Classic, recognized around the globe as fishing's world championship.