This year the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inducted Glen Andrews, Bruce Holt and Michael Iaconelli into its ranks. Attending the annual induction ceremony has become a tradition for the Half Past First Cast calendar and for much of the fishing industry. Here are five of my favorite memories from this year’s gala.

Wonders of Wildlife

If you haven’t been to the Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri and you are an outdoor enthusiast this award-winning aquarium needs to move to the top of your bucket list. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, has built a world-class conservation and educational facility, with a museum and aquarium that has people WOWed by the numerous animals and marine life from all over the world. You can explore different habitats, interact with lifelike exhibits and learn about the importance of wildlife conservation and preservation.

I’ve been to several different aquariums around the country and around the world, but this one is simply beyond compare. As we walk through it to get to the Hall of Fame, I want to stop and linger at every display.

This year’s induction ceremony was made particularly special by the fact that Johnny (a past inductee) attended and gave a heartfelt speech.

Sea of Blue Jackets

You couldn’t swing a fishing rod at this event without it bumping into inductees including Rick Clunn, Kevin Van Dam, Bill Dance, Shaw Grigsby, Steve Bowman and of course Mike Iaconelli, just to name a few.

Most people don’t get a chance to be in the same room as a Hall of Fame athlete, from their favorite sport. If you’d asked me 25 years ago, I probably didn’t even know professional bass fishing existed, and now I’ve been around all of the greats. The blue jackets are a relatively recent addition, but their presence showed just how many of our living legends are still alive, and how important this night was to all of them.

I’ll admit it, after immersing myself in fishing TV shows, reading several books, attending tournament weigh-ins, learning how to fish, listening to podcasts, and attending the Bassmaster Classic, I am somewhat starstruck when I see all of that greatness in one room.

Thank You Melissa Clunn

It’s difficult to live in the shadow of anyone, especially your spouse. As I try to make a name for myself in the fishing world, many people still know me as “Pete’s wife.”

This isn’t the woe is me part of my blog. Instead, this is the opportunity to tell you I am proud that I continue to find my voice and my identity. One particular person made me feel extra special in Springfield.

It was Melissa Clunn, wife of one of the two all-time professional fishing GOATs (that’s right there are two). I posted a picture during the ceremony and she shortly thereafter sent a private message asking me to find her. She wanted to say hi and meet me in person. I walked over to her table, tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around and gave me a huge grin. She wanted to know more about what Half Past First Cast did and to tell me she follows me and likes my blogs. It was a small gesture but it meant the world to me.

Thank you Melissa. Thank you for making me feel seen. What could have been woe has turned into a WOW.

Reeling in the Bids – Going Once, Going Twice, Sold to the Man in the Blue Jacket

The silent and live auctions at the dinner get better every year – loaded with trips to fish with professional anglers (perhaps your hero). There were also some amazing pieces of art -- one of which was built by Hall of Famer David Fritts from the rod and bait he used to win a Classic. There was also a one-of-a-kind framed sketch of Kevin Van Dam. His wife set the pace and nobody was dumb enough to bid against her!

This year, the board made a great decision to hire a live auctioneer. Davy Hite and Kevin Van Dam took on the job last year -- they are great fishermen but they are definitely not pros on the auction block.

Bo Dottley of Blackmon Auctions stood at the podium, started moving his lips and immediately commanded the attention of the entire banquet room. He used his hands, tongue and strategic eye contact to get people entranced. His rhythm and jokes made me want to raise my hand for items I had no interest in. I had to sit on my hands to keep from bidding. The excitement and drama in the room was like a show we paid to go see.

Bo led hesitant bidders to open their wallets, and forced anxious bidders to spend more than they budgeted. Thanks to his skills, the Hall of Fame raised an extraordinary amount of money to continue promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing.

Mike Iaconelli’s Induction Speech

Ike started his speech by stating, “Things impact your life, not just meeting people, not just experiences you have, but watching from afar. So many of the people in the room have impacted my life in such a huge way and they have also changed my life.” He went on to say this was an amazing feeling that he couldn’t put into words. To see his heroes celebrating him was phenomenal.

He was first told he was being inducted on Bass Live at the Bassmaster Classic by his hero Bill Dance. Then, and again on induction night, he asked if he was being pranked. He was worried that it was a big hoax and was waiting for the green slime to fall on him.

It was amazing to see someone who had once been a talented outcast get recognized for changing the sport. For this one very special night, we were all part of the community.

Check out my video below showing some of these highlights: