I’ve been honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame since 2018, but even before that I was fortunate to interact with a lot of the Hall’s members. I’ve fished with Kevin VanDam, Denny Brauer, Mark Davis, Paul Elias, the late Ken Cook and 2020 inductee Ron Lindner (in a very memorable FLW Tour event on Lake Minnetonka in 1997). I’ve also ridden with several members in practice, including David Fritts and Gary Klein. And of course I’ve spent many hours in the boat with 2020 inductee Steve Bowman while covering various B.A.S.S. events.

Still, that leaves quite a few Hall of Famers with whom I’ve yet to spend meaningful time on the water. Of course, with some, like James Heddon or James Henshall, both of whom are deceased, it’ll never happen. With others, it’s unlikely for other reasons. Nevertheless, as I’ve realized that a big part of great trips is great company, I can still daydream about places I’d like to go with other inductees. Here are five trips I’d like to take:

Lake Havasu with Al Lindner

Al Lindner redear sunfish lake havasu arizona

The Lindners made their name on multi-species excellence, so while Havasu has quality fisheries for both largemouths and smallmouths, that’s not what I’d want to chase. Instead, I’d want Al to lead me to my PB redear sunfish. The Arizona lake has produced them over 5 pounds, and when the Elite Series visited there a few years ago I was as interested in the pros’ kids bank catches as in the tournament itself.

Lake Mead with Dave Precht and the late Tim Tucker

First bassmaster classic at Lake Mead Las Vegas Nevada fishing for bass

As a bass writer with nearly two decades of experience, I still feel that I have a lot to learn about the sport’s history and evolution. Dave has been an excellent mentor (as well as a fellow member of the HOF Board) and Tucker was helpful to me when I was just getting started, before his untimely death. Our outing should be someplace historic. I understand that Lake Montgomery, where the world record was caught, is now pretty much barren, so why not the site of the first Classic?

California Delta with Dee Thomas

California Delta Dee Thomas inventor of flipping

I’ve fished two B.A.S.S. tournaments on the Delta as a co-angler, but haven’t been there in over a decade, despite repeated offers to come back to one of my favorite fisheries. Also, largely because he’s from the west, I don’t feel that Thomas always gets the credit he deserves, despite the fact that he’s universally respected by those who know him, and also more or less invented one of the most important techniques in the sport’s history.

Any trophy smallmouth venue with the late Billy Westmoreland

Billy Westmoreland smallmouth bass Dale Hollow them ol' brown fish

I’ve never caught a truly monster smallmouth, and when I eventually do (I WILL), my bet is that it will be on one of the Great Lakes or some waterway adjacent to them. I’d love to pick Westmoreland’s brain on a mid-south impoundment, or maybe one of the lesser-known lakes in the northwest.

Someplace off the grid with Johnny Morris and Roland Martin

Hall of Fame tracker boats Bill Dance Johnny Morris, Roland Martin

These two have no doubt had some incredible times together, and they’ve each caught more fish on odd-numbered Tuesdays in May than most of us will catch in our lifetimes. Both have also seen the industry rise and fall and rise again as economic backdrops changed, and I’d love to hear their thoughts on the future of the sport. Of course, since they’re paying, it would have to be someplace exotic, unpredictable and perhaps a little dangerous – the Maldives or Madagascar or Kamchatka.

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