Harold Allen

Harold Allen (1945—) Harold Allen was one of the original members of the legendary “Hemphill Gang”, named by B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott in reference to the nearby hometown of a group of Texas bass fishing pioneers who guided on Toledo Bend back in the 1970s and ’80s. This generation of top guides, including Bass Fishing Hall of Famers Larry Nixon, Rick Clunn, and Tommy Martin went on to become some of the top tournament pros of all time. The bass fishing techniques and strategies developed by Allen and this group laid the foundation for much of professional bass fishing today.

Known affectionately as “The Legend,” Harold specializes in catching bass in the deep water far from shore. He is especially proficient in plying this deep structure with his favorite presentation, a soft plastic worm and jig.

Allen has competed in 265 Bassmaster tournaments, cashing a paycheck 105 times and earning 15 invitations to the Bassmaster Classic. He finished second in the 1981 Classic on the Alabama River, runner-up by less than a pound to Stanley Mitchell. In addition, Allen is the winner of four open invitationals, the winner of the 1994 Skeeter/NFL tournament on Lake Henderson in Louisiana, and winner of 1999 Angler’s Choice Pro-Am on Toledo Bend. He also holds Louisiana’s eight-fish tournament record with a one-day total of 43 lbs., 1 oz.

Harold Allen, who claims sport fishing journalist and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Homer Circle as his angling hero, was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2015.