Old days.

Hootie

I always wanted to join BASS but I never got around to it and now that BASS is owned by ESPN, I definitely will never join.

I never framed mine...but I did manage to keep it all these years. This was from my first "hitch" with BASS - 1969.  My Dad was a charter member of BASS, joining up in 1968. He bought me a membership right after the charter member period closed and this was the patch I got with the membership.

 

I always wanted to join BASS but I never got around to it and now that BASS is owned by ESPN, I definitely will never join.

It's definitely not what it used to be. Some of the older magazines I have are three times as thick as the ones you get now. Ray Scott handled it way better than ESPN ever could.

Hootie

I always wanted to join BASS but I never got around to it and now that BASS is owned by ESPN, I definitely will never join.

I thought they were no longer owned by ESPN...

I thought they were no longer owned by ESPN...

 

They aren't...sold to a trio of guys that included Don Logan, Jerry McKinnis and Jim Copeland back in 2010. As for memorabilia, here's an original newspaper ad, one of the very first they ever placed in other magazines trying to drum up members. It is from 1969. Notice the magazine was only published quarterly back then. Didn't even list a price to join. Just send for more info.

 

My original from 1977 or 78 is still sewn on my Stearns life jacket I wore back then.  Still have it in the garage.

No longer owned by ESPN means that I may become a member.

Back then you had a article 3 pages long in a row ,now its 2 paragraphs 1 page with 10 ads

Back then you had a article 3 pages long in a row ,now its 2 paragraphs 1 page with 10 ads

Just now looking at a 1982 BASSMASTER issue. It has 224 pages.

Hootie

Print is a dying form these days. Even newspapers are fading to the way side. Everything is going digital these days.