BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - July 27, 2002 - Four-time Classic champion Rick Clunn was honored today with the inaugural B.A.S.S. Outstanding Achievement Award at the 32nd Classic.
Clunn, whose streak of 28 consecutive Classic qualifications remains unmatched, was selected as recipient of the award by a panel of B.A.S.S. officials. B.A.S.S. created the award to honor those whose contributions have helped make bass fishing one of the most popular sports in the nation.
"Rick's tournament records speak for themselves as some of the top achievements in the sport of bass fishing," said Dean Kessel, vice president and general manager of B.A.S.S. "In addition to being one of the world's best and most consistent anglers, Rick also has a record of standing up for fisheries and wildlife habitats.
"Frankly, there is no finer gentleman and spokesman for the sport than Rick Clunn, and that's why we're delighted to present him with this first award."
Clunn's award is a B.A.S.S.-commissioned crystal trophy depicting an eagle rising in the air with a fish in its claws. As a tribute to Clunn, experts from the Auburn University Raptor Center flew a bald eagle through the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena during the final-day weigh-in of the Classic. Clunn has called eagles "the true fishermen," and carries an osprey feather in his tackle box.
Clunn's record includes victories in the 1976, 1977, 1984 and 1990 Classics and Top 5 finishes in seven more. He was the 1988 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and has recorded 89 Top 10 finishes and 13 B.A.S.S. victories. He holds records for the top two heaviest weights caught in Classic competition and for two of the top 10 largest bass caught at Classics. He is the only person to win the Classic in consecutive years and is third on the B.A.S.S. all-time winnings list with nearly $1.5 million. He was the first inductee into the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in Hot Springs, Ark., in 2001.