04-14-2017, 09:00 AM
One very special note that I wanted to add about the Ray Scott Championship on Old Hickory this weekend was the opportunity to not only once again meet the legendary Ray Scott, but to have him walk up and just sit down beside me and talk about something other than fishing. The weigh in was finished and they were getting things set up for checks and trophy presentations when Mr.Scott came over and sat down beside me and just started talking about life and how he got to where he and his legacy is now. I had several people tell me I should have "videoed" the conversation or even "took some pictures", but sometimes you just want to sit back and enjoy the moment. This was an honor that will always be with me and I think that it went way beyond taking a picture or a video. I got to listen to how he got started from out of high school, to college and then to his first tournament and to where it is now. It was a conversation that went on for 30 min., and a 30 min. that I will always remember. This was the MAN that got it all started and his "brain child" is still going stronger than ever. I also got to watch my fishing partner Tracy Robinson talk to Mr. Scott about when his Dad won a Bassmaster event in the early 70's and showed him a picture that he had with his Dad and Ray standing together. Mr. Scott then proceeded to give him a patch that he had with him from one of the first tournaments in BASS history, and this too will be a moment that I'm sure Tracy will always remember. Tracy carried this with him on the last day of competition, and with that patch he ended up winning one of the largest amateur Bass Tournaments, the Ray Scott Championship. Ray Scott and Forrest Wood will always be remembered for their accomplishments in one of the fastest growing and most popular sports in our history, "Bass Fishing". This past week of fishing this tournament went far beyond just "fishing", it will hold a lot of memories for a lot of fishermen and will even go far beyond the winnings, especially for Tracy and myself. It was fun, it was special. Mike Carter