Inductee

While being a bass fisherman all of his life, he began his professional business career in 1966 when he began working for the Bliss Sales Company, selling fishing tackle, hunting equipment and other outdoor recreational products. A fisherman first and foremost, when he heard that Ray Scott was about to have a B.A.S.S. tournament, back in 1967, he wanted to find out just how good a bass fisherman he was by competing in this tournament. For the next 5 years, fished the B.A.S.S. circuit. He finished 2nd three times, twice behind the legendary Bill Dance and never finished out of the money.

When he quit fishing professionally in 1972 , he was 9th on the B.A.S.S. all-time money winning list and, last year, BassMaster Magazine named him as one of the top 35 icons of bass fishing.

In 1977, Ray became a partner in Bliss Sales Company and, in 1981, he bought the company, which currently has 100+sales representatives and support personnel representing major hunting and fishing tackle companies in 30 states and territories. In 1995, he bought Strike King lure company and today, Strike King is the leading freshwater spinner bait company in the world.

He is a lifetime member of numerous organizations, foundations, and associations. He serves on numerous boards, including the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, and has received many awards. Ray Murski has been inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame: the highest award an outdoorsman can receive in his home state of Texas.

He told an outdoor writer,recently: “I am most proud of the fact that I have given 50,000 Texas youngsters their first outdoor experience, whether they were fishing, hunting, boating, or camping.”

In his own quiet way, he’s helped to mold, shape and move bass fishing to the place of prominence that it is today.

Over the past thirty-five years, Al Lindner has become a world-renowned sport fishing leader. He, and his brother Ron, were cofounders of Lindy Tackle, as well as In-Fisherman, Inc., which included: In-Fisherman Magazine; In-Fisherman Television; radio shows; books; videos; calendars; a web site; and, a Walleye tournament circuit. Al is one of the few fishermen who has successfully fished, and won, both major bass tournaments in the South, as well as professional Walleye tournaments in the North.

Of all the titles Al Lindner holds, he prefers to be known as an “angling educator”. A job he tirelessly pursues. In 1973, he and his brother sold their stake in the Lindy’s Tackle Company, then, in 1998, sold In-Fisherman.

Lindner Media Productions films, edits and produces outdoor television programming for some of America’s most popular television shows, which include: Lindner’s Angling Edge; Lindner’s Fishing Edge and Gander Mountain’s Bass Tournament Tour. Additionally, they also supplied video footage, from their extensive film library, for the History Channel’s series: “Modern Marvels”.

From 1970 until 1978, Al Lindner captured two B.A.S.S. tournament victories, appeared in three BassMaster Classics and took home money in 14 of the 26 tournaments he competed in. Not bad for any angler, let alone someone who had to drive from Brainerd, Minnesota, to compete, and was in the process of starting and running two very successful businesses. Additionally, Al has been inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame; the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame and has received countless awards for his contributions to sport fishing and the sport fishing industry.

When this Ricky Green caught his first bass, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he was only six years old and has been hooked on the sport ever since.

His first taste of national bass fishing competition occurred when he fished in the “BassMaster All-American” in 1968, where he finished eleventh. Only the sixth tournament that B.A.S.S. founder, Ray Scott had held. Ricky went on to compete in 184 tournaments, around the country and earned a check ninety times. He won two B.A.S.S. events and posted five runner-up finishes. He won eight “Big Bass” awards at a time when that honor earned a fully rigged bass boat. And , he captured the award two times in a row, twice. A feat that hasn’t been done since, along the B.A.S.S.. tournament trail. Ricky’s reputation for catching “big bass” on “big baits” is the type of thing that legends are made of, as the early BassMaster magazines proved, by regularly publishing articles on this man’s uncanny ability to catch “big ‘uns”!

Ricky Green holds the all-time record for the biggest bass ever caught in a BASS Classic. In addition to fishing the B.A.S.S. tournament trail, he qualified for four “American Angler” Classics; three “Project Sports” Classics; and three “FLW Tour” Championships. Ricky was the 1979 “Angler of the Year” on the “American Angler Association” circuit and won five national tournaments during his very distinguished professional life. With these accomplishments, it’s easy to see why ESPN selected him as one of the thirty-five greatest bass fishermen ever.

Ricky holds three U. S. patents on fishing and hunting products, and today, even though he is retired from competitive angling, he donates his time and talents to many organizations around the country, and currently owns his own booking agency for fishing and hunting trips to Mexico and Brazil, where he will join his clients on several trips a year.

Jim Bagley (1923—2004) Jim never won a national bass tournament but, instead, dedicated his life to assuring that anglers all over the world have some of their happiest days on the water by creating some of the best fish catching lures ever made. Born in Safety Harbor, Florida on July 24, 1923, with a hard working mom, who was his family’s sole provider and his mentor, taught him he could accomplish anything in life that he truly wanted. His first job, at the age of 7 was pulling straws at an “ice plant”.

In the mid 1950s he became famous for his “New Black Magic Eel”. Of the over 143 different fishing lures, none were better known than the “Bang-o-Lure”, the “Balsa B”, the “Diving B”, the “Kill’r B”, the “007”, “Mighty Minnow”, and the “Salty Dog”. At one time, he was credited with helping win four BassMaster Classics, including being a part of both the 2003 and 2004 Classic wins. He started the “Super Line” craze, when he brought “Bagley’s Silverthread Fishing Line” to market, from 1983-1993.

By the time he retired, in 1992, his “little bait company” was employing as many as 170 people, in Winter Haven, Florida. an accomplishment that he held dear to his heart.

In addition to everything else this great american did, he also served in the US Army Air Corps, in World War Two, and flew 51 missions as a ball turret gunner, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross along with other metals. Those of us who were privileged to know him, knew of his love of flying… especially when he’d show up for a tackle show or fishing tournament in his bright orange helicopter.

Jim Bagley won many awards, including: the Pradco Legend Award for contributions to the fishing tackle industry; the Dolphin Award; the Living Legends of American Sports Fishing award; the Big Business Gold Cup of Industry Award, and was awarded a charter membership into the International Fishing Hall of Fame,

Mr. Bagley passed away at the age of 80 in February 2004

Chris began fishing as a small child on the banks of the Illinois river, in northeastern Oklahoma. In 1961, she met a high school senior, by the name of Jimmy Houston and this chance encounter would forever change her life.

In 1968, this couple both fished “the World Series of Sport Fishing” tournament, on Lake Texoma, where she won the Women’s division, while her husband won the Men’s division and they collectively won the Mr. & Mrs. division.

In 1977, along with several other ladies from the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, she organized the first ever all women’s bass club, “the Tulsa Bass Belles”. Chris won the “Miss Bass Belle” award many times, while she fished with the club, when it was uncommon for women to be seen out fishing in a boat by themselves. In the early 70’s,Project Sports, Inc. (PSI) held national bass tournaments throughout the South and invited women to fish. In the late 70’s, she dominated the “Bass’n Gal” circuit” for many years, winning the “Bass’n Gal” “angler of the year” title seven times and the “Bass’n Gal” Classic three times.

In 1987, Chris Houston was named to the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, and she also fished in every “Legends of Fishing” tournament that has been held by Bass Pro Shops. Chris retired from professional fishing when “Bass’n Gal” discontinued their circuit. She is the first female inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Dee Thomas (1937 – 2022) Dee Thomas is undoubtedly the most celebrated bass angler from the west coast and he stands tall among the legends of the sport. In 1975, Thomas traveled east to test his skill in the big B.A.S.S. Invitationals. He won the event at Bull Shoals with a revolutionary new technique he called “flippin”. His special fishing method changed the entire sport. Thomas quickly became known as the “Father of Flippin”.

Today, every bass boat made incorporates a flippin deck. And, every successful touring pro carried an assortment of flippin sticks. When Dee returned to California, he taught his friend Dave Gliebe this skill. Gliebe used his new talent to win two BASS Masters Invitationals the next year. Flippin was here to stay!

Dee worked closely with Dave Myers of Fenwick Rods to perfect the first ever flippin stick. Today, all rod manufacturers offer an assortment of “flippin sticks”. Most of them are little changed from Thomas’ original design.

As a young man, Dee Thomas made the tough decision to stay out west with his family instead of chasing the big BASS circuit in the east. He dominated the Western Bass circuit, winning 13 western tour events, Angler of the Year three times and he qualified for the first ten TOC’s (a record). He won their TOC’s at Pine Flat and Lake Havasu. When West Coast Bass and WON Bass became the dominant western circuits, Thomas won several West Coast Bass Pro-Ams and two of their “West Coast Bass Classics” in back to back years. He was Angler of the Year with West Coast Bass. In ten of WON’s US Opens on Lake Mead, he placed in the money seven times. Dee has over 30 wins as a pro and over 100 money finishes. He’s still at it! At age 68, he won a National Bass Association tournament on his beloved California Delta with the staggering weight of 41.78 pounds for seven fish!

The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame inducted Dee Thomas in the year 2000 for his lifetime impact on bass fishing. The California Sportsmen Hall of Fame inducted Dee in 2006 and now the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame has joined in honoring him for both his personal accomplishments and for his overall contribution to the sport.

When Dee is asked, “What is your most important accomplishment in bass fishing?” He does not hesitate to answer, “I am proud to have taught lots and lots of people how to fish. If I leave any legacy, I hope it’ll be a bunch of folks who love fishing and who take the time to share it with others, especially kids.”