No one was more pleased than me to see Larry Nixon coming back to Bassmaster events and fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.
That name may not resonate with young anglers who follow Bassmaster, but it means a lot to the older crowd who remembers how dominating Nixon was in his earlier days.
He’s utilizing one of two “Legend” slots B.A.S.S. provides for former Angler of the Year and Classic winners to compete with the Elites.
And he’s truly legendary in bass fishing.
Think about this: During his early years with B.A.S.S., Nixon was in the money 177 times in 261 events, won 14 of them including a Bassmaster Classic, and finished in the top 10 a remarkable 85 times. He won two Angler of the Year titles and was the first Bassmaster pro to eclipse the $1 million mark in career earnings.
After Leaving B.A.S.S. to fish the FLW circuit, he won four major events there and logged 28 top 10s.
His return to B.A.S.S. is extra special to me, as he and Rick Clunn were two pros I admired most as a 15-year-old kid following Bassmaster Magazine and gobbling up every drop of information about the sport that I could.
Larry was one of the best worm fishermen of that time and probably still is. While he was a dragger and Clunn was a winder, I couldn’t have asked for better role models and teachers as a young man eaten up with bass fishing.
I remember how thrilled I was to meet him as a teenager on a fishing trip to Toledo Bend, a lake where Larry guided when he wasn’t fishing tournaments. I was with some older guys in a lake restaurant when he came in.
Fast forward to the 1990s. I was president of Stratos Boats, and we sponsored him. That was a big deal for me to be able to sponsor a guy whom I had looked up to during my childhood days. I remember he came to our house and brought some spinnerbaits to my son Lance, who was 8 years old at the time. Larry was so nice to him, and my son will never forget that moment.
In the early 2000s, Stratos had a boat dealership named “Popeye’s” in Japan and the dealer wanted Larry to make an appearance there. Of course, I had to go along – mainly because I wanted to.
Everywhere we traveled throughout the country, Larry received rock-star treatment from the Japanese anglers. I jokingly told him I was his lackey and was just there to carry his suitcase. We still laugh about to this day.
Don’t think for a minute the 72 year old won’t be competitive in the Elites. Like Clunn, he’s an iron man who continues to perform at a high level far beyond the age that most people can.
He doesn’t have to fish for a living and could retire, and no one would blame him. But like of all us, he still has that passion and competitive fire burning in his belly to compete with the best in the world. It’s going to be fun to watch and another learning opportunity for the young guns on the Elite Series.
