Last month, we lost a bass fishing icon in the great Ray Scott. For those who grew up on bass fishing, his was a household name. He was and always will be the face of B.A.S.S., which stands for Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. Ray Scott built an empire from an idea to, quite frankly, make a lot of money. But what the sport received in return was many magnitudes greater than the fame and millions of dollars Ray eventually earned from his endeavor.

I was only about 8 years old when I learned who Ray Scott was. The tall grandiose man with an infectious smile and a cowboy hat appeared in the old episodes of The Bassmasters TV show. Flying anglers to unknown destinations for their championships. Pulling the trigger on the gun as the first Bassmaster Classic took off in a nearly true shotgun start.