I just seen on *** Dion Hibdon passed away today Meet both him and his Dad over the years. Great people and a great Family . Sad Day

He was 58 and passed after a short illness. Him & his father both were hammers in professional fishing..

RIP Dion.

Sad to hear. I met Dion once and he was a very polite and gracious person. I admired his fishing skills. He will be missed in the BASS fishing community for sure.

I'm just going to post what I posted on our social channels in case you didn't see it:

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary professional angler Dion Hibdon. Dion was not only an exceptional competitor, but also a true ambassador for the sport—respected for his talent, sportsmanship, and passion for bass fishing. His impact on the fishing community will be felt for generations. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Many years ago I attended a boat show in Missouri and Guido and Dion had seminars. It was the interaction with the crowd after the seminars that impressed me. Humble and gracious for the fan support. No chest thumping, self-promoting stuff that many of the "pros" display now.

Next time I use a Guido Bug I'll think of the Hibdons.

My thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends.

Another true great passes . I can’t tell just how many hero’s and friends I have lost recently. 2025 was for sure a bad year in my opinion! 🥲

Very sad. Prayers go out to the family.

I get the Ned Khde Newsletter and here is the tribute from Ned from his email:

Dion Hibdon of Versailles, Missouri, died on Jan. 12. He and his father, the late and great Guido Hibdon, played significant roles in the development of Midwest finesse fishing.  

Moreover, his grandfather, Guido Clinton Hibdon, Sr. and uncles were important forefathers to the art and science of Midwest finesse fishing. For instance, back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, they introduced us to the virtues of a split-shot rig.

In 1977, Dion Hibdon used a soft-plastic worm to create the original Guido Bug for his school's science project in Versailles, Missouri. After that initial creation, the Hibdons, along with Stella Hibdon and her brother Virgil Conner, handcrafted thousands of Guido Bugs. Guido and Dion taught us various ways to rig it and present it to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in a variety of waterways, and it became a standard-bearer in the repertoire of the early Midwest finesse devotees, who affixed it to either a small skirted jig or a small skirtless jig. On a skirtless jig, we used it the same way we used the Beetle and Puddle Jumper.

This is the Guide Bug Dion created and his family manufactured. It is 3 1/2 inches long. 

It is interesting to note that decades ago the Hibdons used to use a sewing needle to sew a thread or two or three or four from a rubber jig skirt through the torso of the Guido Bug, which is somewhat similar to what the dice or fuzzy baits Japanese finesse anglers recently created and U.S. lure companies are manufacturing, such as Z-Man Fishing Products’ Fuzzy TRD, Fuzzy BugZ, and Fuzzy NuggetZ. In the finesse world, the Hibdons were stellar pathfinders.

For more information about Dion and the Hibdon family, please see these stories:

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/the-fishing-and-family-life-of-guido-hibdon/153667#ixzz3Pw8yxprV.

 

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/the-fishing-and-family-life-of-guido-hibdon/153667#ixzz3Pw8yxprV.

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/guido-hibdon-1946-2018/153446.

On 1/15/2026 at 11:42 AM, bishoptf said:

I get the Ned Khde Newsletter and here is the tribute from Ned from his email:

Dion Hibdon of Versailles, Missouri, died on Jan. 12. He and his father, the late and great Guido Hibdon, played significant roles in the development of Midwest finesse fishing.  

Moreover, his grandfather, Guido Clinton Hibdon, Sr. and uncles were important forefathers to the art and science of Midwest finesse fishing. For instance, back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, they introduced us to the virtues of a split-shot rig.

In 1977, Dion Hibdon used a soft-plastic worm to create the original Guido Bug for his school's science project in Versailles, Missouri. After that initial creation, the Hibdons, along with Stella Hibdon and her brother Virgil Conner, handcrafted thousands of Guido Bugs. Guido and Dion taught us various ways to rig it and present it to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in a variety of waterways, and it became a standard-bearer in the repertoire of the early Midwest finesse devotees, who affixed it to either a small skirted jig or a small skirtless jig. On a skirtless jig, we used it the same way we used the Beetle and Puddle Jumper.

This is the Guide Bug Dion created and his family manufactured. It is 3 1/2 inches long. 

It is interesting to note that decades ago the Hibdons used to use a sewing needle to sew a thread or two or three or four from a rubber jig skirt through the torso of the Guido Bug, which is somewhat similar to what the dice or fuzzy baits Japanese finesse anglers recently created and U.S. lure companies are manufacturing, such as Z-Man Fishing Products’ Fuzzy TRD, Fuzzy BugZ, and Fuzzy NuggetZ. In the finesse world, the Hibdons were stellar pathfinders.

For more information about Dion and the Hibdon family, please see these stories:

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/the-fishing-and-family-life-of-guido-hibdon/153667#ixzz3Pw8yxprV.

 

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/the-fishing-and-family-life-of-guido-hibdon/153667#ixzz3Pw8yxprV.

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/guido-hibdon-1946-2018/153446.

I remember when the Guido Bug came. It was killer on the Mississippi River around pool 13