Ahoy! St. Louis Boat Show Welcomes The "Bass Boss"

B.A.S.S. Founder Ray Scott Onboard February 16
 At Edward Jones Dome...

ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Known around the world as "Mr. B.A.S.S.", Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, will be onboard February 16 as a special celebrity guest for the 48th Annual St. Louis Boat & Sports Show at the America's Center and the Edward Jones Dome.

Scott of Pintlala, Alabama changed bass fishing from a weekend pastime to a big-time professional fishing sport with his cast-for-cash tournaments. His Bassmaster Tournament Trail is credited with creating the bass boat industry, revolutionizing bass tackle and techniques and turning weekend fishermen into full-time fishing pros.

As a special guest of TRITON BOATS, Scott will be appearing in the Twin City Marine of Festus, Missouri display and at the Nameoki Village Marine booth of Granite City, Illinois.

Scott will be signing autographs, swapping bass fishing tips and showing off Triton's newest fishing features in its lineup of fiberglass and new aluminum bass rigs.

And, for bass fishing buffs and collectors, Scott will autograph copies of his best-selling "Bass Boss," the story of the modern-day sport of competitive bass fishing.

Scott's first All-American Invitational Bass Tournament in June 1967 at Beaver Lake, Arkansas launched the bass fishing revolution. From 106 tournament entries, Scott built the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) with over 650,000 members worldwide and created the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.

The spinoff of fishing heroes and pros, their tips and tactics, and the fishing public's fascination with their bass fishing machines spawned today's high-tech bass rigs.

On display at the Triton dealerships will be the special-rigged 2002 TRITON Classic, fished by the world's leading pro anglers in the BASS Masters Classic championship in New Orleans and the Louisiana Delta.

"In my opinion," says Scott, "this is everything the serious bass fisherman can find in a bass boat. It's the ultimate in bass rigs."

However, for the 2002 season Triton Boats of Ashland City, Tennessee introduces an all-new lineup of aluminum bass boats with all the fishing features associated with the high-end fiberglass tournament rigs.

Flagship of the new aluminum fleet is the Triton 186 Magnum, rated for 150 horsepower, 18-feet, 6-inches in length with all welded, .100-guage aluminum construction, and wood-free with no materials that rot or leaks.

Show hours for February 16th (Saturday) are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Ray Scott will be on hand to meet and greet the public.

"This is a great opportunity for bass fishing fans to meet and greet the 'Bass Boss' and the man who changed bass fishing from minnow dunking to high-tech bassin'," said Terry McCormick of Nameoki Village Marine.

"Ray Scott's appearance in the booth is always a big attraction and with Triton's new lineup of bass rigs, we're expecting a busy weekend show," added Stan Tucker of the Twin City Marine.

The Twin City Marine dealership is located at 2415 Hwy 67 in Festus, Missouri (Ph. 636-937-4100) and the Nameoki Village Marine's address is 4300 Nameoki Road, Granite City, Illinois (Ph 618-931-3200).

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

Ray Scott ended his long-time association with B.A.S.S., Inc., in 1998 to form Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., a fishing tackle and marine consulting group. He serves as the national outdoor spokesman for Mercury Marine, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, TRITON Boats and SOS, Inc. (formerly Sporting Lives, Inc.) of Fruitland, Idaho, the manufacturers of the SOSPENDERS inflatable lifevests.