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By Ray Scott
Founder, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.)

"B.A.S.S. Fishing's No. 1
Man Enters Hall of Fame

The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. On May 2 at the Hot Springs, Arkansas Convention Center five of the legendary anglers of the past will be inducted into the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

The superstar list of inductees for the third annual Hall of Fame ceremonies include: Tom Mann, a Eufaula, Alabama lure designer and B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail pioneer; two-time BASS Masters Classic champion Hank Parker and television fishing show host; Tommy Martin, winner of the 1974 Classic World championship; Jerry McKinnis, host of the long-running "The Fishin' Hole" on ESPN and current producer of the popular CITGO Bassmasters Tour coverage on the sports cable system; and Don Butler of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

For Bassmaster Tournament Trail historians, the name Don T. Butler is a milestone memory from the pioneer days of pro bass fishing. In the record book, on October 25-27, 1972, Don Butler won the BASS Master Classic, the Super Bowl of Bassin', at J. Perry Priest Reservoir outside Nashville, Tennessee. Certainly, a high-water mark in Butler's angling career, but his outstanding claim to fame in my book, came on January 5, 1968.

Over a hamburger steak at a Tulsa, Oklahoma café, I used Don Butler as a sounding board about my idea to bring bass fishermen together in an organization. Tournament fishing would be the publicity vehicle, the driving force to make it happen. But, further down the road bass fishermen would be united to build the sport. How-to information. Stop pollution. Improve conservation. Youth fishing. New tackle and techniques.

Butler listened intently as I told him the vision for the future and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. Finally, he looked me square in the eye and remarked: "Hoss, that sounds like a damn good idea. Can you do it?"

His question was followed by another. "How much do you figure for a membership?"

Caught a bit off guard, the answer came back: "Ten dollars a year."

Butler grinned: "Sounds fair. How about a hundred dollars for a lifetime membership?"

Right then and there, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society had its first B.A.S.S. member. The organization took another step forward that evening in Tulsa.

Butler and Gordon Yetman, a representative for Zebco Fishing Tackle, based in Tulsa, were the bell cows in organizing the Tulsa Bass Club to compete against the Memphis Bassmen in my first All-American Invitational at Beaver Lake, Arkansas, June 5-7, 1967.

For that first All-American Invitational, entries came the hard way. With a few names I'd collected from Jack Wingate's reservation book at Lunker Lodge on Lake Seminole, we slowly uncovered bass fishermen with a competitive spirit. And, the confidence to put up a hundred dollars to fish.

Still, with four weeks to tournament time, the entry list was short of the 100 "best bass fishermen in the country" I'd promised to assemble.

I'd hit a bonanza in Memphis, thanks to the efforts of Clyde A. Harbin, a well-known lure collector and bassin' buff. But, Tulsa - located not 100 miles away - was a dry hole. Discussing the frustration with Clyde Harbin, I came up with an idea to challenge the Tulsa anglers manhood.

Harbin mailed an open letter to the outdoor writer of the Tulsa Tribune Bob Cobb and challenged Tulsa-area bass fishermen to enter the All-American Tournament and "show proof in the creel you're for real."

Next morning, the phone rang in the Tribune Sports Department and the caller demand: "How do you get in that tournament at Beaver Lake and who's the bigmouth Clyde A. Harbin?"

Don T. Butler had his hackles up. And, ready to rock and roll. Getting on a roll, Butler recruited a dozen fishing friends to answer the Memphis Bassmen's challenge. Among the Tulsans was Gordon Yetman, who with his Zebco contacts, outfitted the Tulsa Bass Club in bright green, identical jackets and patches. The Tulsans' sharp-looking uniforms helped formulate my notion of organizing clubs and the B.A.S.S. fraternity.

As a side bet, the Memphis and Tulsa anglers agreed to a total weight team score to decide the winner. The loser had to open his tacklebox and allow the winning team member to select a lure of his choosing. Memphis, anchored by a future superstar Bill Dance, got to rummage in the Tulsa Club's tackleboxes.

Six months after the All-American, which had the "magic" 106 entries, I arrived in Tulsa to meet with the Bass Club and present my B.A.S.S. organization plan.

Don Butler, now the Society's first member, called the meeting at the Trade Winds Motel to order. And, we unloaded with both barrels. As an insurance salesman, I'd learned how to show a need then seal the deal.

But, this was a curious crowd. Discussion, among the group, was in order. Asked to step outside, I listened through the glass sliding door. After debate, someone asked: "How do we know Scott will do what he says he'll do?"

Above the chatter Don Butler's strong voice declared, "Because, he says he will. He will." End of discussion. The Tulsa Bass Club endorsed the B.A.S.S. plan and purpose. Over the coming years, the Tulsa Bass Club supported the Tournament Trail with numerous entries.

But, if not for Don T. Butler's efforts and encouragement the vision for B.A.S.S.'s future may well have ended in 1969. As Don frequently telephoned, he asked, "Hoss, how is it going? We getting any more B.A.S.S. members?" Just about flat broke, I confessed to not having the needed funds to make a membership mailing. "I tried to get the post office to give me an advance on the postage" was my excuse. Butler laughed. "They don't loan stamps. They're a government monopoly."

The next morning a call from Western Union informed us of a wire money transfer. Thinking it was a tournament entry fee for $100, I was puzzled when the clerk said: "You'll have to take this draft to the bank. We don't keep that kind of money on hand." Still, puzzled I looked at the Western Union draft: "Payable to Ray Scott…the amount of ten thousand dollars."

"Where did this come from?" I gushed. "No name on it, but it's from Tulsa, Oklahoma."

No wire with any explanation. No agreement to pay it back. Just a $10,000 check. Six weeks later we'd covered the I.O.U. with a check to Don T. Butler. And, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society was alive and well, thanks to Don Butler's faith.

So, it was only fitting that Don Butler claimed the 1972 version of the "mystery" Classic. The qualifiers gathered in Memphis with no idea where they would land. Here's how Don Butler remembers it: "Like the 23 other Classic fishermen, I heard Ray Scott wrong when he announced the secret lake as 'Percy Priest'. It was a lake I'd never heard of, and I pride myself in keeping informed on any body of water that has a bass in it.

"I knew, however, it was a joke and after having his sport with some of the local boys, he would announce the real destination. It was only a short time, however, realizing it wasn't a joke. We were in fact flying a 30 minute charter plane ride to Nashville and would fish a lake that locals admitted was double tough."

The airliner banked slowly over the 14,000-acre, five-year old impoundment, and Butler squinted hoping to see signs of standing timber and off-color water. The first day, Butler landed 19 bass, but only two keepers over the 12-inch size limit.

On Day 2, Butler continued to struggle. "At noon I decided any move we made would be an improvement," he recalls.

Heading up lake, Butler passed the Fate Sanders Marina cove. A flat barren-looking area.

"As I got in the back of the cove, I saw some fallen bushes and stickups," said Butler. "This was too much. It looked just like Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma…'Spinnerbait Heaven'."

Without hesitation Butler picked up his Small Okiebug spinnerbait (S.O.B.), a ¼-ounce blade bait of his own design.

Butler says, "Every fallen bush had a fish under it. It made no difference where the spinnerbait fell or how it moved. The fish seemed determined to get into the Classic and they did."

On Day 3, the final round, despite heavy rains Butler scored another ten-bass limit and a 3-day total of 38-pounds, 11-ounces. Almost a 14-pound spread over runnerup Ricky Green of Arkansas with 25-pounds, 4-ounces.

"This had to be a dream," believed Butler. "I kept wondering all the way in: 'Who did it?' But, the dream came true. I won a B.A.S.S. tournament after 26 tries. Believe me, it was worth waiting my turn."

The headline, the next morning, in the Nashville paper declared: "S.O.B. Wins World's BASS Masters Classic."

Without a doubt, Don T. Butler merits the stamp of legendary B.A.S.S. pro and the place of honor in the future Pro Bass Fishing Hall of Fame shrine. Funding is underway for the 24 million dollar complex on a 24-acre site on Lake Catherine near Hot Springs.

For information on obtaining tickets for the May 2 induction ceremony, contact the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame headquarters at 1-888-690-2277 or 501-624-5599. To learn more about the Hall of Fame project and needed funding, log on their website at: www.probassfishinghof.com .