Ahoy! Boat Show Docks At Ft. Smith

Copher's Boat Center hosts
Bassin' icon Ray Scott
at Convention Center
Show, Jan 23-25…

FORT SMITH, Arkansas - The spring fishing season won't heat up for a few more weeks, but for bass anglers mired in the winter doldrums, the next best thing is the upcoming Fort Smith Boat Show, January 23-25.

Besides wall-to-wall displays for the newest in bass fishing rigs, visitors to the Copher's Boat Center display in the Fort Smith Convention Center have the opportunity to meet one of the legendary names in the modern sport of bass fishing. Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), will be on hand as special guest of TRITON Boats and Mercury Marine, during the three-day event at the Convention Center, located at 800 Rogers Avenue.

"We're inviting bass boat shoppers to come by and take the opportunity to go one-on-one with Ray Scott, the man that changed bass fishing from a weekend recreation into a big-time sport," said Bill Copher of the Boat Center, headquartered at 8111 Hwy 271 South, a Triton dealership.

TRITON, manufactured in Ashland City, Tennessee, has gained the reputation as a "new breed of bass boat." Scott serves as national promotional spokesman for the popular line of high performance hulls.

"Performance is the key," says Bill Copher. "Triton's new X-Series offers an incredibly smooth, dry ride. And, it's built entirely wood-free with 100 percent composite construction."

Copher says the talk of the bass boat fleet at this year's show is the new Triton X-Series with a bigger, bolder, wider design with big-water tournament anglers in mind. An extra wide front casting deck is just one of 34 new features.

"With Triton's recessed pocket for the trolling motor foot pedal," says Copher, "the foredeck makes the most of its increased size with more open casting area and stability."

"The bass boat of a lifetime" is how Ray Scott views it. With a build-in reboarding ladder in the stern for safety, Scott believes the safety feature is the biggest development since the outboard motor kill switch. The X-Series package is available in Triton models from 19 to 22 feet.

"The Triton X-Series with the built-in safety ladder is a remarkable life-saving innovation in bass boating," opines Bill Copher. And, "invites showgoers to come to our booth and see for yourself and talk bass boating with Ray Scott." Show hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday (Jan. 23) and Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Jan. 24). The show will also be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday (Jan 25).

Copher says the Fort Smith Boat Show will also feature a kids casting contest, a class for youngsters in boating safety and the Arkansas Game & Fish Department will have its popular gamefish aquarium on display. For Copher's Boat Center show information and Ray Scott's appearance schedule contact Bill Copher at (479) 646-5672 or email the Triton dealer at justin@cophers.com.

Ray Scott, in 1967, launched the bass tournament craze with his All-American Invitational Bass Tournament at Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. He built the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society into a worldwide organization with over 650,000 members and created the BASS Masters Classic to showcase the sport's best professional fishermen. The story of B.A.S.S. is told in Scott's best-selling "Bass Boss" book.

"The Bassmaster Tournament Trail has been the proving grounds for today's bass boat innovations in performance and boating safety," points out Scott. "Just as the Indy 500 improved the car for drivers."

Scott left B.A.S.S., Inc., in 1998 to form a marketing and consulting group, Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., for the boating and fishing tackle industries, based in Pintlala, Alabama.

Besides TRITON Boats, Scott serves as national promotional spokesman for Mercury Outboards, MotorGuide trolling motors, SOSPENDERS inflatable life vests, Sweeney's Automated Feeding Systems for fish and wildlife and U. S. Reel, a new revolutionary lightweight spinning reel with an oversize spool to improve casting distance and accuracy.

As a Trustee with the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA), Scott is working with the organization to increase interest among freshwater anglers in the IGFA's record setting program. Scott's move to "put the sport back in sportfishing" is his effort to get some fun and excitement in bass fishing.

"Where's the challenge for a 200-pound man to whip a 2-pound bass on 20-pound test line?" asks Scott. "But, level the playing field. Use only 4-pound test line. And, see what happens when a big bass bites." Scott recently introduced a special-designed Sportackle™ rod for light-line fishing.