Ricky Green, a bass fishing pioneer and tournament-fishing legend, has died.

Green died May 11 from an infection after lung transplant surgery in Methodist Hospital in Houston, according to his son, Keith Green. He was 69 years old.

Keith said his father appeared to be recovering well from the surgery, but over the weekend the infection began to take its toll.

Green was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2005.

A standout angler from the very beginning, Ricky Green first competed in the 1968 All-American on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas, shortly after B.A.S.S. was founded by Ray Scott. He finished in the Top 10 in six of the first nine events he entered, including the runner-up position behind Don Butler in the 1972 Bassmaster Classic on Percy Priest Reservoir, Tennessee. He held the Classic record for largest bass for nearly 30 years with an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth he caught during the 1976 Classic on Lake Guntersville, Ala.

In 1974, Green, who worked as a chemist for Reynolds Aluminum, was hired by an electronics manufacturer to use its depthfinders on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. He is believed to be the first angler to be paid a salary by a sponsor. Known as “Mr. Consistency” because he qualified for 14 consecutive Bassmaster Classics, he competed in Bassmaster events until 1997. He later became a popular outfitter, taking customers on fishing trips in Mexico and South America.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs, Ark.

The family requested that donations in Ricky Green’s memory be made to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Checks should be made payable to Bass Fishing Hall of Fame with “Ricky Green Memorial” written on the “for” line. Mail to: Bass Fishing Hall of Fame c/o Donald Howell, 361 Summit Blvd., Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35243. Credit card donations can be made by phoning the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame at 888-690-2277.

Ricky Green long held the Bassmaster Classic record for the heaviest bass — an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth he caught on Lake Guntersville, Ala., in 1976