Blog: Almost everyone rooting for Clunn

While on his way out of Palatka after finishing 23nd yesterday, Cliff Pace phoned to check on how Rick Clunn was doing today. Count Pace among the many who are rooting for Rick Clunn today. It’s not that he’s rooting against any of the other 11 finalists. It has more to do with what Clunn means to this sport and some of the crap Clunn has tolerated over the past few years.

“I worked a show with him two years ago,” Pace said. “Some guy asked Clunn why he hadn’t retired yet, since he was no longer competitive. I wanted to take that guy outside and beat him with a stick.”

Really. Who thinks he should question what another man does for a living, especially if that man continues to enjoy doing it as much as Clunn still enjoys competitive bass fishing? 

Yes, Clunn is coming off his worst season on the B.A.S.S. tour. But he ended it by finishing 3rd in Central Open on Table Rock Lake in October. That’s pretty competitive. And it was only three years ago at Falcon Lake when Clunn finished second to Keith Combs in a wild Elite Series shootout. Combs finished with 111-5 to Clunn’s 105-6.

By the way, Clunn’s one day bags of 36-14 and 32-9 at Falcon were the two biggest 5-bass limits of his career. Yesterday’s 31-7 ranks third on Clunn’s list.