The unbreakable record?

They say records are made to be broken, but some -- like Cy Young's 511 Major League wins -- seem destined to last forever. Either way, Rick Clunn's 28 consecutive Bassmaster Classic appearances will be with us for a long, long time.

With Kevin VanDam missing his first Bassmaster Classic since 1990, his assault on Rick Clunn’s record of 28 in a row ends at 24 — something to be extremely proud of, but still four short of the all-time mark. Is Clunn’s record untouchable? If not, who has a realistic chance to break it? It’s certainly one of the most impressive marks in any sport.

Only five anglers have strung together more than 14 consecutive Classic appearances:

Rick Clunn – 28 (1974-2001)
Kevin VanDam – 24 (1991-2014)
Larry Nixon – 18 (1977-94)
Gary Klein – 17 (1984-2000)
Jay Yelas – 16 (1991-2006)

First let’s speculate for a moment and talk about what might have been. Rick Clunn began his pro career in 1974 at the age of 27. He qualified for his first Classic that year and fished it at age 28. That’s relatively young for a rookie bass pro, but not nearly as young as some. If Clunn had debuted a year or two earlier he likely would have made the Classic then, too, and tacked a few years onto his remarkable run.

During his stretch of 28 straight, qualifying for the championship was never a problem for Clunn. His worst finish in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings was 21st (his rookie year). So the guys chasing his mark are lucky the number isn’t 29, 30 or even 31.

In some ways, Clunn’s closest challenger hasn’t been KVD. It was Gary Klein, who started his career early — something you have to do if you want the Classic streak record. Klein was just 21 when he qualified for his first Classic. In the next four years, though, he only fished one championship. That’s because he left the B.A.S.S. tour (largely an east coast thing at the time) and returned home to California. It almost certainly cost him a few appearances right before he ripped off 17 straight.

But there’s more to the Klein story. He’s the only angler who has put together two Classic appearance streaks of 10 or more. He did 17 straight between 1984 and 2000 and he posted another 10 in a row from 2002 to 2011. Had he been able to bridge those streaks, he would have tied Clunn at 28. And had he not left the tournament trail for a few years early in his career, he might have pushed the mark as high as 33.

Two Factors

If you want a shot at 28, you have to establish a track record of excellence. The guys who go to the Classic year after year generally don’t squeak in or win a single event to get there. They do it on AOY points, and they make it without sweating things out on the final day of the season. The guys who consistently rank in the 20s or 30s have little chance of putting together a long streak because they give themselves little margin for error. One bad day at the wrong time and they’re out.

The other critical factor is an early start. A 35 or 42 year old might be the best angler in the world (it’s about the age of most AOYs), but if that’s the age at which he starts his consecutive Classic run, he’ll be too old to cross the finish line. Of all the anglers to string together 14 or more Classics, Clunn started out the oldest — 28 — and he’s one of just three anglers in history to qualify every year through his 40s. (Tommy Martin and Kevin Wirth are the others.)

Who Could Do It?

All of this makes a strong case for Clunn’s record being nearly unbreakable. Still, there are a few current pros who could make a run at it. I’ll count them down to the most likely angler to rewrite the record book.

But first, I’m going to dismiss a couple of names — not because they can’t do it, but because they lack a meaningful track record. Brandon Lester and Justin Lucas qualified for their first Classics this year. Lester is 26; Lucas is 28. To tie Clunn’s record, they’ll still need to be qualifying at 53 and 55, respectively. While that gives them a chance, Lester and Lucas are too far from the mark and too new to the circuit to be considered. They need to make their second consecutive championship before we start thinking about 28.

On the other end of the “could do it, but …” spectrum is Bobby Lane. He’s easily qualified for the Classic every year as an Elite pro and now has eight straight, which is very impressive. On the other hand, he’s now 40 and would need to make it until he’s 60 to tie Clunn. Had he joined the B.A.S.S. circuit in his 20s, he could be halfway there now.

A few others who are working on streaks would be nearly as old when they could tie the mark. John Crews (five straight now) would be 59. Todd Faircloth (nine straight) and Aaron Martens (12 straight) would be 58. They’re solid performers who make the Classic like clockwork, and they all take care of themselves so they should be competitive for a long time, but to set the record they’ll have to go until they’re nearly 60. It’s tough to like their chances.

Michael Iaconelli is 42 now and has 14 straight appearances. He could tie Clunn at 56, but who among us sees Ike staying out there that long? In recent years, he’s needed some 11th hour miracles just to get into the Classic, and his business efforts take a lot out of him. Ike’s great, but I think there’s a better candidate.

Brandon Palaniuk just qualified for his fifth straight championship at just 26 years old. Those are the best numbers of anyone who might be considered a threat to Clunn’s record, but Palaniuk has yet to show the kind of consistency that makes an angler a perennial Classic qualifier. His AOY finishes so far are 37 (2011), 40 (2012), 72 (2013) and 17 (2014). In 2012 and 2013, he needed win-and-you’re-in just to get to the big dance.

A Long Way to Go, But …

That leaves us with my pick as the greatest current threat to Clunn’s mark — Ott DeFoe. The Tennessee pro has just four straight Classics so far, but he’s only 29 years old and already among the best and most consistent anglers on tour. If he makes qualifying for the Classic a priority, like Clunn did — it was his format and his stage, he forged his style and approach around that tournament — I can see him notching 15 … 18 … 20 straight. He’d need to make it until he’s 53 to tie Clunn. It’s a longshot, but I think he’s the best bet of any current pro.

One thing is certain. Despite the fact that you have to excel for 28 straight years, you really only get one shot at 28 in a row. If you tear off 10 or 12 or even 24 straight and then stumble … you’re done. There’s no coming back. Just ask Gary Klein or Kevin VanDam.

It’s what makes 28 one of the greatest numbers in bass fishing history and perhaps Rick Clunn’s greatest accomplishment as a professional angler.