The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame was honored to present Lynn Reeves with our first-ever Legacy Award during a social gathering at MLF’s REDCREST event, held at the original Bass Pro Shops campus in Springfield, MO.

It was a fitting location for the presentation, given that Mr. Reeves spent 27 years as a leader with Bass Pro Shops before resurrecting the legendary Lew’s brand of rods and reels 17 years ago.

Nearly a dozen living Hall of Famers were in the room to applaud Mr. Reeves, including his close friend, 1993 Bassmaster Classic Champion, and prominent Lew’s ambassador David Fritts, who spoke about Reeves as both an incredible person and a true tackle industry icon.

“Lynn has made a lifetime out of making it easier to cast a reel and catch a fish,” said Fritts. “Lynn loves fishing history. So, to see him revive the history-rich Lew’s brand in such a huge way is nearly hard to describe.”

Reeves spoke to that history while accepting the award, saying, “All I intended to do when I bought Lew’s 17 years ago was to follow Lew Childre’s devotion to innovation that made the brand famous in the 1970s.”

“When we bought Lew’s in 2009, there wasn’t much left of the brand, but that was okay because I knew where to get the product manufactured. I just knew we needed to rebuild the brand,” he explained.

And boy, did he.

The brand that began along the Gulf Coast through Lew Childre’s quest to provide anglers with the best bamboo fishing poles in America remains a trusted line of rods and reels relied upon today by Bass Fishing Hall of Famers and Classic Champions alike.

And it may have all died on the vine had a passionate and highly capable Lynn Reeves not poured his heart and soul into saving it.