Ray W. Scott Jr. didn’t invent the sport of bass fishing but he has shaped bass fishing into the multi-million dollar industry it is today.
PINTLALA, Ala. – Ray W. Scott Jr. didn’t invent the sport of bass fishing but he has shaped bass fishing into the multi-million dollar industry it is today.
Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), the world’s largest fishing organization, built the organization with faith – a whole lot of faith – and by using our Lord Jesus Christ as a model, he said to the Message.
“A lot of people credit me for coming up with the concept or prospecting for men – fishermen – to join BASS, but it was Jesus Christ that came up with the idea of using ordinary men to spready the Word.
“Jesus started with just 12 disciples over 2,000 years ago, and today there are how many Christians in the world? If you don’t go out and look for new prospects, you will never find them,” Scott said.
“You know you have to have new people in order to grow,” Scott said. “Whether it is a church congregation, a business or a bass club, without new people things stagnate and decline.”
Scott, a deacon at Pintlala Baptist Church in Alabama, is an all-American original. With his trademark cowboy hat, boots and quick, easy wit he will bring that message to the state beginning on Feb. 11 – nine days before the start of the 39th annual Bassmaster Classic.
The tour – ‘Live and Unplugged’ – starts in Baton Rouge and will be followed by stops in Alexandria (Feb. 12), and Monroe (Feb. 13) before finishing up in Shreveport on Feb. 19, the day before the 3-day Classic begins.
“We have been working closely with Ray and his people,” ALBC president Dan Touchet said. “He will speak for 2 to 2 ½ hours but there will also be videos. Participants will have a chance to win a number of door prizes and there will also be books, hats, etc, for sale.
“We are truly excited to have this opportunity,” Touchet said. “We believe each stop will draw well. There will be a modest $10 charge for admission, but it is really a small price to pay to hear someone of Ray Scott’s stature.”
And Scott has a lot to say.
“I’m going to tell the story of BASS,” Scott said. “I’m not going to teach how to use a plastic worm, but I am going to show the intelligence level of a bass. And, hopefully, when they leave they will have a better understanding a bass can be caught by learning just how predictable he is.
“I will share my 40-plus years of knowledge with everyone,” Scott said. “By the time they leave, I believe they will be glad they came. And maybe I can help rekindle some of the enthusiasm for the sport.”
According to Jim Kientz, executive director of Ray Scott Outdoors, “the story that he brings is one of ‘where it all began, how he overcame insurmountable odds and resistance, how bass boats evolved, and how it became a passion to pursue little green fish’ or as he more frequently refers to it as “Tales from the trail.”
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Scott’s show will be a sit-down with the audience and let them ask questions that stir their interest and curiosity, Kientz wrote. “It is a “no-holds barred” scenario and the only rule is … if you don’t want to hear the answer … better not ask the question.”
Scott’s message will not only be an entertaining one, but it will also be one of vision, determination, perseverance and faith that will inspire anglers and non-anglers alike. It is part of a technique he likes to employ … prospecting.
“You know you have to have new people in order to grow,” Scott said. “Whether it is a church congregation, a business or a bass club, without new people things stagnate and decline.”
Scott believes the technique – prospecting — he learned, as a former insurance salesman is applicable in any endeavor.
“People learn from other people,” Scott said. “Why do you suppose a fisherman joins a bass club? Competition? Fellowship? They join for both of those things for sure but also because they want to learn. In our society, people possess the need to be the best they can be, and the only way to become the best is to learn from others.
“It is important to look for those type of people,” he said. “Be honest with them. Underscore the positives and negatives, and encourage them to tell their friends and neighbors.
“That’s why I feel a bass club is so important to the sport of fishing,” Scott said. “Club members become your best salesmen. You cannot buy the PR that these guys can provide. Think about it, they have stickers on their trucks, on their boats and on their caps and shirts. I venture to say there is not a crossroad or small town in America that hasn’t seen the BASS logo.
“We need to prospect for new members so they can help us spread the word,” he said.
Scott gives his experiences with starting BASS as an example to his prospecting technique.
“In January 1968, I set a goal of getting 2,000 anglers signed up for BASS. That first 12 months I had lost money, but reached my goal. The second year our membership grew to 6,500 and by the third year membership rose to 25,000. By our fourth year, we had something like 65,000 members.
What began with just four names on a 4 x 5 index card would eventually swell to over 650,000 worldwide members and Bassmaster magazine would become respected as the “Bible of Bass Fishing,” and carry Scott’s message around the globe. He also developed the highly popular outdoor TV show “The Bassmaster.”
“A lot of people credit me for coming up with the concept to grow BASS, but it was our Lord Jesus Christ that first used this method.
“Jesus started with just 12 disciples over 2,000 years ago, and today there are how many Christians in the world? If you don’t go out and look for new prospects, you will never find them,” Scott said.