Rick Clunn is fishing for his 33rd appearance in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. He’s won the title four times and stands a chance of making a comeback should he qualify for the 2017 world championship.
With his recent surge and good weight so far today, he’s on the way.
That would be awesome since Clunn guided on Lake Conroe as he established his pro angling career. Here’s a bit of fun trivia about where that started, right here on Toledo Bend. All of this comes from Clunn’s book titled “World Championship Bass Fishing,” written in 1978.
In 1969 Clunn joined a bass club and took his 16-foot runabout (used for skiing at best) rigged with an 85 h.p. outboard to his first tourney on Toledo Bend. For a trolling motor he clamped a 5 h.p. outboard to the stern. He pulled it behind his compact station wagon.
“Sitting on top of the 85 engine, I operated the “trolling motor” with one foot,” he’s quoted as saying in the book. Clunn endured a miserable day with the rig getting blown around in the windy open water. His problems continued at the ramp. His compact car couldn’t tow the boat and trailer. A farmer on his tractor came to the rescue and towed it all uphill.
The next day Clunn boaught a 14-foot bass boat, complete with real trolling motor and all the trimmings.
Good times!