Who are the dudes who came before us in the hunt for bigs? Who are the guys now targeting big fat bass and finding them? Please share links to videos, articles, other content etc.

 

Or just share your insight of the people/history/tactics for chasing the bigs

 

Some already well known names of yesteryear

Put Cullen - Buzzbait master  https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/catch-10-pound-bass/494965#replay

 

LJ Brasher - Jitterbug master... anybody have links for more deep cut kinda info on him? 

 

Billy Westmorland - https://www.bassfishinghof.com/inductee/billy-westmorland

 

Doug Hannon... do i really need to share a link about him? We sure could use another Doug Hannon for this generation 

 

Some modern chasers

Jimmy Zinker - he talks a lot about Brasher's influence in this video

https://youtu.be/d01pW8fNhhw?feature=shared

 

Fish Elite (youTube channel) - always throwing big swimbiats and catchin big bass 

 

 

Looking forward to what yall have to say, I'll share nore as they come to mind. 

Dick Bengraff

Roland Martin

Rick Clunn

Don Ionivo

Kent Driscoll

@WRB 

There are too many to list for me.

Also I do not include any career tournament or made for TV bass anglers on list.

They need to fish in a manner I have never aspired to. Despite the recent media hype, there are far more Basseads that just go fishing, their own way.   They learn, know things and catch big bass.  We just might not hear or read about it. Big bass don't care if there is money on the line.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

Austin Neary is a glidebait master. Nobody throws big baits like he can, even Milliken brings him on his channel as a guest. His youtube channel used to be dreamcatchers fishing but I think he changed it to America's outdoor family.

Josh Jones

Oliver Gny

Ty Pig Patrol

Geoffrey the King

Ben Milliken 

Brandon Burks

Kyle Hall

Jimmy Zinker

Damian Thao (watch his double digit frog compilation and prepare to have your mind blown 🤣)

 

 

Probably forgetting a bunch but these came to mind and I've learned a lot from all of them!

 

Bill Murphy and Doug Hannon 

I have a hard time considering a lot of the modern day guys masters the same as the old school guys. They did it with years and years of experience and raw skill. Too much of it today is tainted by guys chasing likes and leaning heavily on modern tech to allow them to chase open water fish around until they find one to bite. Not saying it doesn't take skill, but there's always going to be that question in my mind of could they do it like my heros did when I was growing up? 

 

That said, there's lots of guys in the big swimbait community that do nothing but chunk big baits, some from the bank, beat up jonboats with no electronics, even paddleboards, and catch giants. The amount of dedication it takes to lock in and throw nothing but big baits and accept that you're giving up the chance at a lot of bites you could get to just chase the biggest bass around is something I just can't do. Butch Brown is one of the best at chasing really huge bass with swimbaits.

As @Bluebasser86 said, I could never put folks like Pat, LJ, or even Butch Brown in the same category as modern trophy hunters who use FFS exclusively to target them like Jones, Hall, or Burks.    Just two totally different things.  

 

Jimmy Zinker reminds me a lot of Pat and LJ, but he just doesn't have the body count to really be a legend at this point.   The Homeless Fisherman is another one who does it in a epic manner, but again just doesn't get the numbers that the old school guys chased up.  

 

To me trophy Bass are the ultimate expression of the wonderment factor of Bass fishing, and the number one killer of that wonderment factor is FFS.    It'll be hard going forward to ever see folks like Pat, LJ, Butch, etc. exist in a world dominated by FFS imho.   

 

ETA:   There is likely a legend or two in the making in South Africa, and Mexico, I'm sure some of those Mexican guides are legends.  Sadly FFS has crept into both of those scenes as well.  

 

I'm sure Manabu Kurita just didn't start out his trophy quest with the WR, it would be interesting to see the stats on that guy. 

 "Fish Chris" Wolfgram 😉

 

 

We could also include Bill Plummer with his Super Frog. He caught over 1000 bass over five pounds, many weighing six or seven pounds. He never used a big motor, and preferred to row quietly into casting position, with a small car topper boat. He only used four baits, but his Super Frog and jigs were his main lures.

Kadota and Cupri

Bill Murphy**

Butch Brown**

Chris Wolfgram**

Dick Trask*

Don Iovino*

Mike Fualkstad*

To name a few west coast guys

Tom

* Fresh Water Hall of Fame Bass anglers.

** Trophy bass anglers.

 

Doug Hannon is the first to come to mind.

Modern day the nod goes to a youngster - Damian Thao.

Bob Crupi 

https://bass-archives.com/the-crupi-legend/

 

Modern day individual that comes to my mind is Mike Bucca owner of Bucca Baits & master fisherman. His understanding of fish behavior & how it relates to the baits he designs & builds & tunes is remarkable. He is an accomplished multi species fisherman that targets largemouth & smallmouth bass, stripers, musky & peacocks.  

Butch Brown has caught some toads

Buck Perry.

4 minutes ago, detroit1 said:

Buck Perry.

Wow, just looked him up, truly a legend

 

https://www.bassfishinghof.com/inductee/buck-perry

@Buck Perry that must be where @spoonplugger1 gets his name from, respect!

10 hours ago, A-Jay said:

too many

Would you mind sharing a few with the class?

7 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Jimmy Zinker reminds me a lot of Pat and LJ, but he just doesn't have the body count to really be a legend at this point.   The Homeless Fisherman is another one who does it in a epic manner, but again just doesn't get the numbers that the old school guys chased up.  

I feel you, but part of the problem is all those pictures of dead double digit bass that a number of these legends strung up or mounted. The data has shown at this point that the big angry bass genetics being removed can have a notable impact on the future big angry bass population. I wonder how the proportions fair

8 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

To me trophy Bass are the ultimate expression of the wonderment factor of Bass fishing, and the number one killer of that wonderment factor is FFS

💯

The old Lunkers love nightcrawler boys got some good ones. Petros ,Malz . 

2 hours ago, detroit1 said:

Buck Perry.

Can’t believe it took that long for somebody to mention him.

17 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Can’t believe it took that long for somebody to mention him.

Dude was born 1915, lol

Known as the father of structure fishing....