Casting for Greatness – Beyond the Lure

Cooperstown, New York is the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I have been there twice and probably still haven’t seen everything available. If you ask Pete where he lost and then found me there he wouldn’t hesitate before saying watching Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” on repeat. It cracks me up just writing this.

I have also been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland If you listen to music, you need to make the trip. We happened to stumble upon the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI and meandered through, of course.

I’d like to visit the Football and Basketball Hall of Fames – I guess I’m an addict. Put me near a Hall of Fame and I’ll go.

But there’s no doubt about it: The most meaningful Hall of Fame to me is the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

Let’s be honest, when I tell someone I love fishing or I am going fishing, I get so many quizzical reactions. Some giggle knowing I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Others think it is an excuse to drink beer. And then there are the ones who assume it’s more of a luck-based hobby than a sport. What people don’t understand is that it is not just a sport but a passion with a long history and great culture. Trust me, if you have any interest at all, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is pretty darn impressive and a must see.

Fishing might not have the slam dunks of basketball, the touchdowns of football, or the holes in one of golf but it does require just as much skill, patience, and grind. Professional anglers train just like athletes in any other sport, learning water conditions, lure presentations, seasonal patterns, and fish behavior. Some even train by running and lifting weights on a regular basis. In basketball, football, baseball and even tennis, the lines on the floor don’t change but in fishing the water conditions change all the time which can present an issue if they are different than when you last practiced on that body of water, even if it is just a few days apart. The hours on the water, whether in calm or six foot waves, rain, sun, snow, can be brutal and don’t forget, the fish that were there yesterday may be miles away tomorrow. Fishing is difficult and it takes a real athlete and competitor to figure out the bite and bring in the biggest bag of five fish time and time again.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, provide a fitting tribute to the sport. This isn’t some dusty building with a couple of old rods on the wall -- this place is downright epic. We’re talking immersive exhibits, jaw-dropping artifacts, and tributes to the sport’s most legendary anglers. Icons like Roland Martin, Bill Dance, and Kevin VanDam are honored here—not only for their tournament wins, but for shaping fishing into the sport it is today.

Walking through the halls you will find everything from historic lures to boat motors, uniforms, pictures, and much more that has changed the way fishing is done. You’ll see the timeline of competitive fishing and the growth, from jon boats to the fiberglass 80+ mph sparkling speed boats, rods and reels, the way the lakes have been kept up to the events we have pictures of and are now televised on major networks.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is where we celebrate the folks who have really left their mark on bass fishing. Sure, you’ll find the big name pros in there, but it’s also about the behind the scenes heroes, the people who run the tournaments, tell the stories, create better tackle, and fight to protect the waters we fish. Every name in the Hall has helped shape bass fishing into what it is today, and walking through it feels like flipping through the best scrapbook ever made for our sport.

The Hall of Fame isn’t just a museum, it’s proof that fishing deserves a seat alongside America’s other most respected sports. You might not see people tailgating for a bass tournament (though some of us have come close), but what these angling athletes do to fish for a living makes it a sport unlike any other.

Fishing is a community and unlike some other Halls of Fame the broader community can join the festivities to celebrate the inductees.

If you can’t make the trip, please consider bidding on some of the fabulous fishing artwork, guided trips with the professional anglers, jerseys, fishing gift packs and more. Know that the proceeds benefit the Hall of Fame and their mission to celebrate, promote and preserve the sport of bass fishing; fisheries conservation, scholarships for fisheries science students and youth fishing initiatives. So please help to ensure the long term growth of the sport, protect the natural resources and encourage young talent.

So the next time someone chuckles at the idea of fishing as a sport, tell them about the Hall of Fame that stands shoulder to shoulder with any in the country. Tell them about the legends who have earned their place in it. And maybe, just maybe, invite them out on the water. I guarantee you that one good day on the water will wipe that smirk right off their face.