RAY SCOTT OUTDOORS
NEWS RELEASE

Old Hickory Triton Tournament

Features Ray Scott, “Mr. Bass”

HENDERSONVILLE, TN, March 4, 2000 – Ray Scott, the man who launched the bass tournament and bass boat evolution, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies and Weighmaster for the annual Triton Boat Owners Bass Tournament on Old Hickory Lake on Saturday, March 11.

 The event, hosted by Hendersonville Marine, will hold a public weigh-in, starting at 3 p.m. at the Saunders Ferry Park, according to tournament director Crystal Turner.

 Prior to the weigh-in, Scott will be on hand to talk bass fishing, sign autographs and visit with interested boat buyers.  He is appearing as a guest of Triton Boats president Earl Bentz.

 “Visitors and fishermen are invited to drop by and meet Mr. Bass, the man behind the modern day sport of bass tournament fishing,” said Turner.

 As the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), Scott is credited with awaking the sport of bass fishing from a sleepy weekend recreational past time to the giant in the fishing-marine industry.  After building B.A.S.S. to a 650,000 member worldwide organization, Scott left in 1998 to form his own marketing firm.

 Ray Scott Outdoors™ is a marketing-consulting group for fishing tackle and marine manufacturers.  Scott serves as national spokesman for Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, MotorGuide trolling motors and Sporting Lives, the manufacturer of SOSPENDERS inflatable life vests.

 Scott, in 1967, organized the first All-American Invitational Bass Tournament at Beaver Lake, Arkansas and attracted 106 anglers with, at the time, a high-priced entry fee of $100.00.  The tournament, won by Nashville’s Stan Sloan, evolved into the mega-dollar Bassmaster Tournament Trail, and the sport of professional bass fishing. Based on a 200-boat field, the Triton Owner’s Tournament will pay out $20,000 with a $4,000 first-place finish.  For information contact Hendersonville Marine at (615) 824 0037 or (888) 824 0037.

 Ray Scott’s inspiring story and the professional bass fishing sport he created is told in the 336-page, BASS BOSS, co-written by Robert H. Boyle, long-time writer for Sports Illustrated.  The book reveals the insider’s look at the history and founding of the world’s largest fishing organization (B.A.S.S.), and the fishing heroes created by the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.  Copies of the BASS BOSS book will be personally autographed by Ray Scott at the weigh-in.

 The Triton Boat Owners Tournament will start at 7 a.m. at the launch ramp at Saunders Ferry Park.  The field will be limited to a 200-boat entry and a $100.00 per boat entry fee.

 Triton Boats, built in Ashland City, TN, offers a new TR-22 model, designed for serious tournament fishermen.  The Earl Bentz designed line features fully-equipped models from 22 to 16-footers rated for 300 to 115 horsepower.

 The Tournament entrants and owners will be special guests for a Triton plant tour and pre-tournament meeting from 4-7 p.m. on March 10, Friday.  The Triton Boats manufacturing plant is located at 15 Bluegrass Drive in Ashland City, TN.

 Today’s modern bass boat building story is told in “Triton:  The Inside Story,” a video tour of the Triton plant conducted by Ray Scott.  Visitors to the Hendersonville Marine at 760 W. Main St. can see the video tape story in the Triton display.