By the time the 1975 Classic came around, Jimmy Houston had made a pretty big impact on the Bassmaster Trail. In his first full year on the tour, he finished in 3rd place in the AOY standings and had two top-10 finishes.
Houston’s philosophy was to make as many casts as possible during the day. He fished extremely close to his targets, decreasing his cast distance, which reduced the amount of dead water between him and the fish. You can read more about Houston’s thoughts in the 1976 Bass Masters Classic Press Guide, pages 32-35.
In today’s Throwback Thursday article, we have a piece written by Bill Burton of The Evening Sun, Baltimore, MD. The article talks about Houston’s first years on the tour but delves a little more into his casting abilities. It’s a bit confusing if you do Burton’s math. But, one thing is for certain, nobody made more casts during a day than Houston at the time.
Here’s the original article.
Title: Bass Anglers Cashing In. Yet mentioned foremost of all is relative newcomer Jimmy Houston.
“Jimmy, 31, a former Tahlequah, Okla., insurance peddler turned full-time pro only last year (and finishing third), already ranks sixth in all-time winnings with $21,190.30. He’s presently tops in point standings. And what a guy to beat.
“He thinks he has everything going for him and will wind up tops in points. Get this! He has perfected his casting to a machine-gun pattern of four casts and retrieves for every 17 seconds. He says this pace gives him the edge of 1,500 casts a day, with crank or spinnerbait as against 1,000 for those who make six-second casts. More casts increase chances of more catches, he adds.”
