The picture above is today’s historic photo for Throwback Thursday and features Ray Scott’s first tournament win. The original article title, “Scott, fishing’s ‘Barnum,’ wins his first bass tourney,” was penned by J. Edwin Smith for the Atlanta Constitution.
The photo dates back to early 1986, and the second-annual Orlando Wilson Celebrity Shootout bass fishing tournament held on Lake Okeechobee. The roster of celebrities included Orlando along with Roland Martin, whose marina hosted the event. It also included former Falcon’s quarterback Steve Bartkowski, New York Yankees’ brothers Joe and Phil Niekro, Graig Nettles of the San Diego Padres, country-western singer Bobby Bare, Forrest Wood (Ranger Boats), Zebco president John Charvat and Choo Choo Customs vice president Jim Hudson, along with a host of others.
After two days of fishing, Ray Scott got to introduce himself to the stage as the winner of the event, the first ever bass tournament he had won. After winning, Scott stated, “Victory, I’ve always wondered what it was like…you know, to win a tournament; to walk up to that microphone and accept the first-place prize. I wanted to experience that special feeling. And it was the most fun I’ve had in quite a long time.”
In the photo, you’ll see Orlando Wilson (organizer, left), Frank Ford (Ray’s guide for the event), Ray Scott with his winning plaque, and Forrest Wood (right), whose company put up the winning prize of a Ranger bass boat.
