2026 - Bass Fishing Archives

Year: 2026

Bassmaster Patches – The Gallery

Posted by Terry Battisti | Oct 15, 2026 | B.A.S.S., Bassmaster Tournament Patches, Memorabilia |

Bassmaster Patches – The Gallery will share the collection of Bassmaster Tournament Patches that Jeff Haines has amassed over the years.

The U.S. Open 1981: An Event that Changed Bass Fishing – Part Three

Posted by Terry Battisti | Oct 14, 2026 | Old Tournament Organizations, Western |

“Before that the top anglers didn’t think much of us at all. They didn’t even think we had bass out west much less than whether or not we could compete with them. After the Open, though, anglers like Roland [Martin] and Jimmy [Houston] would actually tell sponsors that we were good fishermen.

The U.S. Open 1981: An Event that Changed Bass Fishing – Part Two

Posted by Terry Battisti | Oct 13, 2026 | Old Tournament Organizations, Western |

“Being in the lead, I did look over my shoulder a lot to see who the challengers were behind me. But you can’t dwell on that. No matter what happens or who was behind me, I knew I still had to catch a good limit each day. I knew I couldn’t be worrying about who was behind me.”

The U.S. Open 1981: An Event that Changed Bass Fishing – Part One

Posted by Terry Battisti | Oct 12, 2026 | Old Tournament Organizations, Western |

Until this time, rarely, if ever, had a southern angler ventured west to fish unless it was for one of the few events B.A.S.S. held in the west. This event was different, though. The promise of a big payday brought anglers from 22 states. Names like Roland Martin, Bobby Murray, Forrest Wood, Basil Bacon, Harold Allen, Don Butler, Cliff Craft, Rick Clunn and Ricky Green would face off against the West’s best.