Arizona Sportsman's Show
Welcomes The "Bass Boss"

B.A.S.S. Founder Ray Scott
 to appear May 3-4 at Phoenix
Civic Plaza as Complete
Marine dealership attraction...

PHOENIX, Arizona - The 50th Annual Arizona Sportsman, Vacation & RV Show, May 3-5, at the downtown Phoenix Civic Plaza will feature a special attraction for bass fishing fans with Ray Scott, the angler credited with launching the modern-day sport of professional bass tournament fishing, on hand.

Scott of Pintlala, Alabama, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), will be appearing as a special guest of TRITON BOATS, the "No. 1 selling fiberglass bass boat," and Phoenix's Complete Marine dealership.

"This is an opportunity for bass fishing fans to meet and talk bassin' with one of the true icons of the sport," said Rusty Fried of Complete Marine and a 35-year veteran of the marine business.

Scott will be in the Complete Marine's booth on May 3 and 4 to sign autographs, swap bass fishing tips and show off TRITON's newest fishing features to showgoers.

For bass fishing buffs and collectors, Scott will autograph copies of his best-selling, Bass Boss book, the story of the modern-day sport of competitive bass fishing. On May 3rd, Scott will appear in the Complete Marine's booth from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on May 4th from 10 a.m. to noon.

Scott's first All-American Invitational Bass Tournament in June 1967 at Beaver Lake, Arkansas launched the bass fishing craze. From 106 tournament entries, Scott built the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) with over 600,000 worldwide members and created the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.

The new fishing heroes and pros, such as Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, their tips and tactics, and the fishing public's fascination with their bass fishing machines spawned today's high-tech bass boats.

The latest models of TRITON's lineup of 18 to 22 feet fiberglass hulls will be on display, including the special-rigged 2002 Triton Classic, fished by the world's leading professional anglers in the BASS Masters Classic in New Orleans and the Louisiana Delta last August.

"This is everything the serious bass angler can find in a bass boat," says Ray Scott. "The ultimate bass boat, in my opinion."

However, for the 2002 season TRITON Boats and its president Earl Bentz are not content to stand pat, according to Rusty Fried. "We're getting a lot of interest from bass boaters in Triton's all-new line of aluminum bass boats. These attractively priced rigs have all the fishing features associated with the high-end fiberglass tournament rigs."

The new TRITON 186 Magnum hull is rated for 150 horsepower, boasts a stable 85-inch beam and 18-feet, 6-inches in length. It's all welded, .100-guage aluminum construction, wood-free with no materials that rot or leaks.

"The 186 Magnum is tournament-ready and performance proven for bigger waters," says Ray Scott. "You'll find a smooth, dry ride in rough water, without the slapping and pounding typical of many aluminum hulls."

As the best known celebrity pitchman in the fishing field, Scott serves as national spokesman for TRITON Boats, Mercury Outboards, MotorGuide Trolling Motors and SOS, Inc. (formerly Sporting Lives, Inc.), the manufacturers of the Coast Guard-approved automatic inflatable lifevests.

Scott sold his interest in B.A.S.S. in 1986 to a group of company investors, but continued as the "Bass Boss" and master of ceremonies of the BASS Masters Classic world finals and the B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail. In 1998, Scott stepped off the weigh-in stage to follow another "dream." His desire to organize Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., a special consulting and marketing group for the fishing and marine industry.

Scott is also known as a designer and builder of trophy-class bass fishing lakes. His three-volume, video series on how-to create Great Small Waters is heralded by anglers and fisheries biologists for its information on designing, constructing and managing a small lake to catch trophy-class largemouth bass.


For information on the Great Small Waters videotape series or to order the set ($69.96), call 1-800-518-7222 at Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., in Pintlala, Alabama.

For specifications and features on the full line of new TRITONs, contact: Earl Bentz, Triton Boats, 15 Bluegrass Drive, Ashland City, TN 37015 or visit the company's website: www.tritonboats.com.

The Complete Marine dealership is located at 4551 East University Drive in Phoenix and Rusty Fried can be contacted at telephone number (480) 966-1595.