Inductee

Stacey has been bass fishing since he was big enough to hold a rod and guided on his favorite body of water Table Rock Lake for many years.  He became excited about tournament fishing about the time Ray Scott started B.A.S.S.  Stacey competed in local and regional tournaments until the early 80’s when he began fishing B.A.S.S tournaments.  He qualified for 12 Bassmaster Classics.  In 2007 he began fishing the FLW tour where he has qualified for 4 Forrest Wood Cups.

Stacey has served on the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Professional Anglers Association Board of Directors. He won the BFHOF tournament on Lake Ouachita in 2001 and the PAA tournament on Table Rock Lake in 2011.  King is also known for appearing often on fishing shows, specifically “The Bass Pros”.   As much as catching fish himself, Stacey enjoys working with kids and teaching people about fishing.

Bill Huntley (1933-2022) Bill and his wife Pat started Bumble Bee Bait Company in 1967. They were making spinner baits and jigs at night at the kitchen table. Bill had several sales reps helping to sell his lures even though their primary business was to sell parts and accessories to the marine industry.

Bill realized there were a lot of items that he could use in this boat that simply were not available. He began to manufacture some parts that were much needed and welcomed in the marine industry which in turn gave him great success in selling those items. After Bumble Bee Bait Company was sold in 1983, Bill remained in the marine industry. He became a partner of T-H Marine Supplies, basically a small machine shop with one product to sell…a power trim switch for outboards that mounted on the throttle/gear shift handle. The second product T-H Marine introduced was a foot operated trolling motor control switch. Today the company is one of the largest manufacturers of accessories for the boating industry in the United States.

Bill passed in November of 2022.

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.

Yamamoto, founder of Gary Yamamoto Custom Lures, is credited with numerous innovations in the design and manufacturing of soft plastic lures. His Senko is one of the most important lure developments in recent years, and his other creations, including the Hula Grub, are mainstays in anglers tackle boxes the world over. A very successful professional angler in his own right, Yamamoto sponsors numerous pros in the United States, Europe and Japan, and is also publisher of Inside Line Magazine

Billy is the twin brother of fishing legend Bobby Murray. While his brother is best known for his tournament prowess, Billy was making a name for himself behind the scenes within the industry. Murray’s fingers have been all over the bass fishing world. In 1975 Murray formed and organized the Bass Fishing Institute. Murray traveled the country with a select group of anglers educating tens of thousands on bass fishing. As part of that effort, Murray created a 30-feet long traveling aquarium commonly referred to as the “Fishing Simulator.” Aquariums like these are still being used today and are a common part of the fishing world. Murray, an employee of PRADCO for almost three decades, also was instrumental in designing many of today’s popular lures. In addition, he served as cameraman/producer for 10 years on the “Fishin’ Hole” show in its early years of becoming the longest running outdoor show on television. In the 1990s, Murray, along with his brother Bobby, starred in their own television show “The Guide’s,” that aired on ESPN. Later Billy and Bobby hosted “People Who Fish” on The Outdoor Channel for seven years.

George H.W. Bush (1924—2018) The 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush had a major and positive impact on sportfishing in general and bass fishing in particular during his term in office. As Vice President, Bush played a key role in the passage of the Wallop-Breaux amendments to the Sport Fish Restoration Act, which generates more than $650 million per year for sportfish restoration, access and other fishing and boating projects.

In 2014 he received the inaugural KeepAmericaFishing Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifelong personal commitment to recreational fishing and conservation of America’s fisheries and wetlands. During his term as President, Bush established the first national policy goal of “no net loss” of wetlands, he established 56 new wildlife refuges, restored 3 million acres of wetlands and signed the Clean Air Act reauthorization that required cleaner burning fuels.

A personal friend of Ray Scott, Johnny Morris and other leaders in the sportfishing industry, Bush used the “bully pulpit” of his office to promote recreational fishing.

Mr. Bush passed away at the age of 94 in November 2018