Bassmaster University to Teach
Art of Angling with Light-Line 

The "Bass Boss," Ray Scott,
out to recruit a few good men
with nerve enough to
fish 4-pound test line and 
SPORTACKLE™ System…

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Ray Scott, the Alabama fisherman who changed the sport of bass fishing with the organization of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), is out recruiting, again, for a "few good men."

"I'm looking for men with enough courage to fish for largemouth bass with 4-pound test line," said Scott, who is on a nationwide campaign to put the "Sport back in sportfishing."

Back in 1970, Scott and a band of bassin' buddies, traveled coast-to-coast on the Bassmaster Seminar Trail teaching bass fishing and preaching an anti-pollution message.

Scott, along with bass fishing pros Roland Martin and John Powell and tournament director Harold Sharp, planted the seeds of bass fishing that grew to a 650,000 membership at B.A.S.S.'s highwater mark.

Powell, in the early-days, was known for his shallow-water strategy, fishing the plastic worm, using heavy line and pool-cue strength rod. "Play with the bass in the boat, not in the lake," was Powell's creed, and soon copied by others.

"Chunk, wind, and grind 'em to the boat," was the angling attitude recalls Scott, who admittedly used pliers to lock down the star-drag on his winch of a baitcasting reel. "You didn't fool around and play a fish. Put 'em in the boat," explained Scott.

So, it may come as a bit of irony to hear Ray Scott, the "Bass Boss," will be teaching a course on Light-Tackle Bassing during the 2003 Bassmaster University's adult continuing education programs at community colleges and universities.

Scott is scheduled on the teaching panel, along with tournament pro staffers, at four institutes. Mr. B.A.S.S. will appear January 25th at the University of Texas at Arlington; January 26th at the East Carolina University school in Raleigh, North Carolina; the Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan, March 15th; and at the Ramada Inn North Brunswick, New Jersey, March 16th.

"The other instructors will be teaching their techniques to catch bass in tournament-style fishing where heavier line is the standard," said Scott.

"Flippin', pitching and deep-water cranking are all winning ways of the pros," said Scott, "but where's the sport…the challenge…or fun of winching a two-pound bass into the boat on 20-pound test line?"

Scott believes the sport of bass fishing "is getting stale and losing the thrill of catching a fish." The 69-year old Scott thinks using 4-pound test line and a system of Sportackle™ he's designed will put a youthful energy back into the business of bass fishing.

"Fishing, overall, is on the decline," points out Scott, who says U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey shows a four percent drop in sportfishing participants the past decade (1991-2001).

"Most recent figures estimate 34 million Americans fish," continues Scott, "but alarming is that interest in the sport declined by three percent since 1996."

What's the solution? "It's a simple solution," declares Scott. "Shorten the time between strikes. With Sportackle™ and light-line you're going to get more strikes on 4-pound test line and catch more fish. And, have a whale of a lot more fun."

Scott's idea of light-tackle is not ultra-light gear. He's designed a Sportackle™ spinning rod with a sturdy butt section and tapered tip to handle light-line and downsized lures, but capable to battle bruiser-size bigmouths.

The Ray Scott Sportackle™ rod is custom-made in 6 ˝ and 7-foot models with unique smaller guides to improve casting distance and accuracy with spinning tackle.

"The first stripper guide is only about the size of a dime," continues Scott. "This small guide quickly reduces the size of loops off the spool and line slap on the blank to increase casting distance and accuracy," explained Scott, who has been experimenting with the design for almost 20 years.

"First time, I realized that conventional, silver-dollar size stripper guide didn't perform with the most efficiency was meeting a Japanese world champion distance caster at Lew Childre's booth at the Chicago Tackle Show in the 1970s," said Scott. "His surf casting rods had a super-small stripper guide."

Scott says his Sportackle™, light-tackle bass rod is available "to a few good men with nerve enough to fish 4-pound test line." There are no plans to market the Sportackle™ rod in tackle shops.

"Just like I built B.A.S.S., a member at a time, I'm looking for anglers with a desire to help put the sport back into bass fishing," said Scott.

"If we offered this rod through regular retail channels, it would be priced around $189," opines Scott. "I'm making the Sportackle™ rod available for $99 as a special introductory field test. You can order it direct from Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., in Pintlala, Alabama by calling 1-800-518-7222."

Scott predicts, "Sportackle™ and light-line bassin' will be the next big trend in the sport. There's nothing else on the radar screen that's exciting or more adept to catch more bass."

He quickly admits, "Sportackle's not a technique most tournament pros will try, unless the bite is super-slow, then they try anything."

"However," Scott vows, "I'll bet my cowboy hat on it that bass clubs will be holding 4-pound test line tournaments in the near future and we'll see a revival in bass fishing interest."

The two-day, weekend Bassmaster University programs scheduled for 2003 will be held in 28 locations. The registration fee is $99. For information, contact Bassmaster University at 1-866-732-BASS for location and the pro instructors line-up and how-to lesson plans.

"We'll, also, do a short-course on the history of organized bass fishing, the birth of B.A.S.S., where the sport is today and a prediction for the future," noted Scott, who left B.A.S.S., Inc., in 1998 to form his own marketing services group for the fishing tackle and marine industry.

Scott serves as national promotional spokesman for TRITON Boats, Mercury Outboards, MotorGuide trolling motors, SOSPENDERS inflatable life vest and U.S. Reel of St. Louis, Missouri that will introduce a revolutionary, new Ray Scott's SuperCaster 225 spinning reel in the Spring of 2003. The reel, with an oversize 2.25-inch spool and lightweight, will be part of the Sportackle™ System being designed by Scott.

As a Trustee of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), Scott is working with the organization to build interest in freshwater sportfishing records. In many cases, state's 4-pound line class records are "vacant" for largemouth bass. For record listings, visit the IGFA web site at: www.igfa.org.