Stories And Facts 30 Years of Bass Classics

The 2000 Bassmaster Classic

Food for Thought for Windy City Extravaganza

CHICAGO, Ill. - Here are some interesting stories and facts from the thirty-year history of the BASS Masters Classic.

  • Chicago is the third northern site to host the Classic. The other northern venues were New York's St. Lawrence River in 1980 and the Ohio River in Cincinnati in 1983.
  • Missouri pro Rick Clunn holds the record for most Classic victories with four. Three others (George Cochran, Hank Parker, and Bobby Murray) have won two Classics.
  • Clunn is competing in his 27th consecutive Classic, an amazing accomplishment. He has never missed qualifying for the Classic in his entire career (which began in 1974). Other contenders with impressive Classic track records include Larry Nixon (22), Gary Klein (19), Cochran (18), Woo Daves (15), Ron Shuffield (12), and Kevin VanDam (who has made the Classics in each of his 10 seasons).
  • There are six B.A.S.S. Anglers of the Year competing in the Chicago Classic, including this year's winner Tim Horton: Clunn, Nixon, Davy Hite, Klein, and VanDam.
  • Including reigning champion Davy Hite, there are five past Classic winners in this event: Clunn, Nixon, Cochran, and Dion Hibdon.
  • Norio Tanabe and Kotaro Kiriyama aren't the first Japanese pros to qualify for the Classic. Toshinari Namiki made it in 1997.
  • The late Bryan Kerchal is the only representative of the B.A.S.S. Federation ranks to ever win the Classic. A few months after winning the 1994 Classic in North Carolina, the young Connecticut pro died in a plane crash in the same state where he had enjoyed his biggest career moment.   Two other Federation anglers have come close, though: Danny Correia finished within 6 ounces of winning the 1986 Classic, while Dalton Bobo fell 1 ounce short in 1997.
  • Rick Clunn holds the distinction of enjoying the largest winning weight in Classic history (21 bass weighing 75 pounds, 9 ounces) in 1984. Runner-up Greg South of Virginia was well back despite catching more than 50 pounds of Arkansas River bass.
  • George Cochran owns the dubious distinction of bringing the smallest Classic-winning weight to the scales (14 bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces) on the Ohio River in 1987.
  • Georgia's Stanley Mitchell is the youngest Classic champion. He was 21 when he won the 1981 title.
  • Charlie Reed of Oklahoma was the oldest Classic winner at age 53 when he took top honors in 1986.
  • The two closest Classic finishes ever: Dion Hibdon edged Dalton Bobo by a single ounce in 1997; 2 ounces separated Hank Parker and Jim Bitter in 1989.
  • The first Classic, held in 1971, was staged on Lake Mead near Nevada and was won by Bobby Murray of Arkansas. There were a dozen members of the outdoor media on hand to cover the event.
  • The Classics in the decade of the 1990s have attracted as many as 300 members of the national and international media.
  • The 1986 Classic, held in Chattanooga, Tenn., was the only Classic to ever be televised live on a national broadcast.
  • Today, the BASS Masters Classic is one of the most sought-after sporting events in America. This year, the Classic is expected to have a $45 million impact on the Chicago economy.

The 2000 Classic in Chicago:

 During the week of July 17-22, the Windy City will be site of the biggest celebration in the sport of bass fishing. On Wednesday, Jackson Lake Park will be the site of the Kids Klassic contest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and a Meet the Pros Autograph session (8 a.m. to 11 p.m.).

    McCormick Place will host the highly popular Classic Outdoor Show, which attracts more than 130,000 visitors annually. This year's show is being held in conjunction with American Sportfishing Association's annual ICAST trade show - meaning that Classic visitors will enjoy a rare opportunity to get a glimpse at all of the new fishing and boating products that will go on the market in 2001.

    For the second consecutive year, local and visiting fishing fans will also be treated to an extra day of show attendance on Sunday after the Classic competition has concluded. The show opens on Thursday and runs through Sunday.

    Soldier Field will host the three daily weigh-ins, which will include the award-winning show that will crown the new Classic champion on Saturday. Also, the annual BASSMASTER CASTINGKIDS' national finals, sponsored by Chevy Trucks and Zebco, will be held in McCormick Place at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

    In addition, country music star Trisha Yearwood will perform a free concert immediately after the 2000 Classic champion is crowned.