Original Caption: TWO OF THE NATION'S top 24 bass fishermen - Forrest Wood (left) of Flippin, Ark., abd Blake Honeycutt (center) of Hickory, N.C., who possibly could get some inside information on the mystery lake which will host the Bassmasters Classic this week, were placed under security on their arrival in Memphis. Lt. Mike York, president of the Lawmen's Bass Club, heads the security detachment. October 1972, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN), photo credit: Staff photo.

For today’s Throwback Thursday piece, Wood and Honeycutt Held Hostage, I came across this interesting 1972 Bassmaster Classic gem while browsing through a 1972 newspaper out of Memphis, TN. Memphis was the city that Ray Scott had told the Classic qualifiers to assemble at, as they would be departing Memphis International Airport the following day.  From there they would be whisked to an “unknown destination” that would become the site of that year’s Bassmaster Classic.

The interesting news item was the supposed “extra security detail” that Ray supplied and proudly announced as part of his effort to keep everything under wraps until the plane had landed. It involved two of the contestants in the event, Forrest Wood and Blake Honeycutt.

Per the newspaper report:

“Because he is using Ranger bass boats manufactured at Flippin, Ark., and Everglades trailers made in Greenville, S.C., Scott called Forrest Wood, head of Ranger, and Blake Honeycutt, a representative of the trailer firm, to Memphis Friday.

‘I have placed these two fellows, who are among the 24 top fishermen in the country, under security until our takeoff,’ Scott said. ‘Lt. Mike York of the Memphis Police Department and president of the Lawmen’s Bass Club is providing off-duty members of the club as guards.'”

Just typical Ray Scott showmanship and PR? Who knows, but an interesting side note to the 1972 Classic.