In today’s Throwback Thursday historical news photo, we continue with one more post in tribute of Rick Clunn. Clunn just announced last week that he will be stepping away from the Bassmaster Elites Series after 50 years and more than 500 tournaments.
Today’s picture takes us back to 1973, and a then 27-year-old up-and-coming star on the local tournament circuits. He had yet to enter his first BASS Invitational (that would come the following year in 1974), but had made a name for himself by finishing third out of over 600 anglers in the 1972 Top Six Tournament in Texas.
It had been announced that he would be entering the 1973 Texas State Bass Tournament in which he was considered an early favorite. Those predictions turned out to be pretty accurate, as Rick, then of Conroe, TX, garnered a third-place finish from among the 1,258 fishermen entered in the 5 different divisions, a record for the event. Rick weighed in 10-bass limits each day (2 day event) totaling 33 pounds, 15 ounces.
As mentioned, he would enter his first Bassmaster Invitational the following year, the 1974 Texas Invitational, where he finished 24th and cashed a check for $275. He would place in the money in his first 4 BASS events, earning his first tour victory in 1976 at that year’s BASS Masters Classic. He would then go on to win the 1977 BASS Champs tournament, followed by the 1977 BASS Masters Classic, and then nearly pull off victories in the next two Classics, finishing second and third in the 1978 and 1979 Classics, respectively.
