Today’s historical photo, Classic Hains 1975, takes us back to 1975, and the Bass Master Classic held October 29-31. The local Louisiana newspaper, The Crowley Post-Signal, had a big write-up on winner Jack Hains, the Louisiana angler who took top honors at the event. Hains’ win edged out second-place finisher, Texan Marvin Baker, and the only true local in the event, and early favorite to win, Paul Chamblee (3rd). The event was held at Currituck Sound, N.C., and the caption to the picture in the story is the longest I’ve ever encountered, a story all in itself.
It reads:
“BASS CLASSIC CHAMP – Jack Hains, a 26-year old crop duster and newcomer to the pro cast-for-cash sport, climbed to the top of the competitive bass fishing world in winning the 1975 BASS Masters Classic, Oct. 27-31, at Currituck Sound, N.C. Hains of Rayne, La. charged from behind to win the $15,000 winner-take-all prize with a three-day creel of 18 largemouth bass weighing 45 pounds 4 ounces. In his first season on the BASS Tournament Trail, Hains established a new all-time season money winning record of $21,086.80. Runnerup in the Classic was Marvin Baker of Broaddus, Tex. with 39 pounds 12 ounces. Despite gale force winds between 30 and 40 miles per hour the final two rounds, the tournament creel of 700 pounds 5 ounces topped the old Classic total weight record of 620 pounds 8 ounces set in 1973 at Clark Hill, S.C.-Ga. The BASS Classic, conducted by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS), remains a “mystery” location until the qualifying anglers are enroute aboard a charter airliner. Hains said, “I’ve been up to 58,000 feet, but I’ve never been this high before. I’m on Cloud 9 and climbing.” He ranked fifth in the season point standings. Currituck Sound is a large shallow brackish inlet on the northeastern edge of North Carolina. With the winds from the south, the sound produced exciting bass action. Twenty-five of the 30 anglers boated the eight-bass limit. A wind change to the north dropped temperatures and hampered the anglers the final two days.”
The story also detailed Hains’ winning lure selection, which included:
“a modified Fleck Weed-Wader spinnerbait to take some of his 18 bass (six less than [Marvin] Baker creeled). He also tossed a Johnson weedless spoon with fair returns. In the late going, it was the fake plastic wiggler in the purple hue with the yellow behind that cinched his first BASS triumph.”
