It’s no secret Bill Dance and Jerry McKinnis are the best of friends. In his book, Bass Fishing, Brown Dogs & Curveballs, McKinnis has plenty to say about Dance, detailing how they met, their deep friendship and shenanigans they played on one another.
“I love Jerry McKinnis to death,” Dance recently said. “He’s such a great guy – one of my dearest friends. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today had it not been for McKinnis.”
They met when Ray Scott was trying to get this B.A.S.S. thing going and hit it off. McKinnis would often take Dance on shoots for The Fishin’ Hole. Dance said those experiences are in part why Cotton Cordell picked him for his own show.
“Cotton told me one day, ‘We need a television show.’ ‘Great, who are we going to get to do it?’ I said I got the perfect man, and that’s Jerry McKinnis,” Dance said.
Dance said he was somewhat surprised when Cordell told him no, Jerry’s already got an outdoor show, and he wanted Dance to give it a whirl.
“Goll, I can’t even spell television,” Dance said. “Me doing television? That’s like throwing perfume on a pig. But what I had learned from Jerry had helped me tremendously.”
In his book, McKinnis said he fears one last big prank from Dance. He might be working on that but offers a little dose of their friendly ribbing with his take on author McKinnis.
“Jerry’s got a good book, he really does,” Dance said. “I read it cover to cover. I read it a couple of times.
“I wrote Jerry a letter. Told him I read it every night. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. Actually fell asleep reading it – it was so boring.”
For more on Dance, see Legacy of three fishing legends.
McKinnis’ start on the river
From all accounts, McKinnis’ book is being called a great read. The people he meets on his path are key throughout, and there’s some important ones befriended during his time guiding for trout on the White River.
After meeting Forrest Wood on his initial trip there, McKinnis decided to pick up from St. Louis and move the family so he could learn the ways of the trout. Some of the folks he guided helped unlock bass fishing and set him on his way to become one of the early TV fishing stars.
Bassmaster.com is running Chapter 8 from his book, “Oh, to be a river guide.” Enjoy. You can also find out how to get the entire book at holiday season reduced price here.
Bass Pro Shops buying Cabela’s?
A second source reports Bass Pro Shops is trying to purchase Cabela’s. Reuters had the story and now NBC’s KULR in Billings, Mont., reports that employees in that city’s Cabela’s are concerned for their future.
The story cites an anonymous worker at Cabela’s that management told employees their store will close Jan. 1 after a deal was reached Nov. 9. For the report, click here.
However, commenters to the story weren’t certain of its veracity. Some were thinking “releases” like this could be to help drive up the stock price. Cabela’s stock, which Reuters reported dropped 37 percent over the past year, was up 13 percent since news of a potential buyout.
Time will tell, but the ramifications in the outdoors world could be huge.
Making the move
Clent Davis has fished five Bassmaster events, a fraction of his FLW resume, but the Alabama angler qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series through the Bass Pro Shops Opens this year and decided it was time to make the move.
He cited a drop in tournament payouts as well as an increase in entry fees, but he also thanked FLW for giving him the platform to start his fishing career.
“The payout cuts were downright disheartening for next year,” Davis told BassFan’s Todd Ceisner for this story. “I didn’t agree with anything they did. Nothing against them, but I didn’t like the changes and that summed it up for me.”
Davis, who made Bassmaster.com’s list of the Top 30 anglers under the age of 30, said he’s excited about the Elites. He added he didn’t fish the Opens solely to reach the Elites, he did it just to have the option, which he took rather quickly.
Shots fired at anglers
Anglers competing in a fund-raising event, held to increase reward money for information of an angler’s unsolved murder, were shot upon last weekend on Percy Priest Lake outside of Nashville, Tenn.
Robert Bogdal, an angler in the event, heard shots and turned to see a copper Dodge at the Smith Springs Public Use Area. Then he witnessed someone on the passenger side fire more shots at the water. See the Scout.com story here.
The event was being held to benefit the search for the murderer of angler Gregg Hawkins, who was gunned down at the Mona Boat Ramp as he walked to his boat trailer late in October. Officials are asking for information leading to an arrest.
Remember, stay safe out there.
Culling
- Photo of the Week is also our Big Bass of the week. Steve Fugate (right) of Tennessee landed this 12-pound, 1-ounce lunker from Florida’s Kissimmee Lake using a 9-inch golden shiner. You can see all the top fish caught in November/December in our Lunker Club photo gallery.
- Ah, the first ever. That’s quite a distinction. If you’re curious as to who was the first member of B.A.S.S., the first angler to earn $1 million, the first female angler, check out this first-of-its-kind photo gallery, Firsts in B.A.S.S. history.
- Want to win Greg Vinson’s boat? You could, with a $100 donation to Outdoor Friends Forever, an Alabama-based charity that gives disabled children fishing and hunting trips. The first 1,000 who make donations have a shot at taking home the boat, valued at $75,000, from the Dec. 5 draw. See more here.
- It’s no secret about the only thing to pull Kevin VanDam away from his Nitro in the fall is deer hunting. KVD writes that there’s a definite bass/deer connection. Oh, so far this season he’s got a nice one with his bow.
- Indiana’s Griffy Lake saw a recent influx of 278 largemouth bass measuring 14 to 22 inches. The DNR stocked the lake in hopes that the bass would help control a population of common carp by eating a good number of their young, but the move is an added bonus for anglers. See the story here.
- With the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation qualifiers, the field for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro is up to 54. One spot remains to be filled, and we’ll know that Dec. 12 when the Toyota Bonus Bucks Team Championship is decided. See the current list of Classic qualifiers.