ESPN

For being "the father of bass fishing," BASS founder Ray Scott is on the cover of the December/January special issue of Outdoor Life as one of the 25 people who have most influenced outdoor sports.

Being tapped by the magazine as one of the Outdoor Life 25 put Scott in the running for the Outdoor Life 25 Reader's Choice Award. The winner will be announced during the Feb. 2-5 SHOT Show, a trade show in Las Vegas.

Scott is best known for creating BASS, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. His vision in 1968 for an organization that would unite and serve bass anglers grew quickly by offering members many benefits, including Bassmaster Magazine and well-run professional competitions. His tournament model is followed today by many fishing organizations.

A primary reason Outdoor Life tapped Scott for the OL 25 is his advocacy for catch-and-release. When he initiated catch-and-release in a 1972 tournament, Scott became the first to require pros to release their fish alive. The practice spread to recreational bass anglers, thanks to Scott's resource conservation efforts.

While Scott counts the founding of BASS, catch-and-release and his legislative advocacy as among his most rewarding endeavors, the creation of the BASS Federation Nation is just as important to him.

"The Federation is the backbone of BASS," Scott said. "It's these dedicated members who make bass fishing the great sport it is today."

G-MAN'S GARAGE.

Purolator, the official filter sponsor of BASS, soon will launch a Web site hosted by Gerald "G-Man" Swindle, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Warrior, Ala.

G-Man's Garage (www.gmansgarage.com) will feature four "webisodes" each month in which Swindle and his guests will talk fishing and Purolator products. The segments will also take an entertaining look at Swindle's cars, hobbies and fishing friends.

"We are encouraging proper vehicle maintenance and operating efficiency while at the same time promoting the Purolator brand," said Ramon Nunez, director, filtration products for Robert Bosch LLC, a joint venture owner of Purolator.

The debut of G-Man's Garage is planned to coincide with the Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 22-24, out of Greenville, S.C., in which Swindle will compete against 49 other pros for a first prize of $500,000.

TWO-TIME PRO.

Before he became a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, Billy Brewer of Lorena, Texas, was a relief pitcher for several Major League Baseball teams.

Recruited out of college in 1990, his pro ball career spanned 10 years. He played in the majors for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, and spent time in the minors with several MLB organizations. In 2000 he retired after his fifth elbow surgery.

"I didn't make the comeback like a lot of guys do, I just couldn't pitch as well," the lefty said.

He went to work in his family's retail furniture business, which allowed him to be at home more often with his wife, Shawna, and four children.

But he missed the competition and tried to fill the void with local bass tournaments.

"I saw fishing as my chance to compete again," he said. "I'm a very competitive person by nature. Baseball, pingpong, checkers — it doesn't matter what the game is, I want to win."

In late 2006, Brewer decided to leave the family business and become a full-time pro by joining the 2007 Bassmaster Central Open circuit. His 15th-place finish in the Central Open's 2007 season points fell short of an Elite invitation. But it was good enough for a ticket to the Bassmaster Elite Series WildCard event, which awarded 10 Elite berths. He finished in 12th.

A few days later, two pros in the top 10 opted out, and Brewer was in.

"You could say I was the WildCard wild card," he said. "At first I didn't feel like I truly earned it, but then decided it doesn't matter how you get there. Even if I was the 110th guy, at least I'm there."

And, once again, he's a rookie

"Do I think I'm ready? Probably not. It's my first year," he said. "But I turn 40 in April. I'm getting to the age where it's either: Try it, and if you can do it, do it; if you can't, then just fish for the heck of it.

"I'm sure I'm going to be a bundle of nerves in the first tournament. It will be like the first time I hit the mound in a big-league game. I never thought I was going to make it from the bullpen to the mound. I'm sure I'm going to feel the same from takeoff to my first fishing spot. But once I get there, it's going to be like I've been doing it my whole life, the same way I felt when I made that first trip to the mound."

So far, most of his time as an Elite pro has been spent behind a desk, but his legwork is paying off. He already has several sponsorship commitments, including one from Canadian-based AlphaTrade.com. The financial data and digital marketing company will wrap his BassCat/Mercury rig. His other sponsors include Kistler Rods, MotorGuide and Lovett & Associates, a Waco, Texas, financial planning and investments firm.

BORN TO COMPETE.

Besides Billy Brewer, several Bassmaster Elite Series anglers once competed — and were injured — in sports far removed from bass fishing.

Matt Sphar of Pavilion, N.Y., was a competitive downhill ski racer for 11 years. He now has permanent wire in his cheek, the result of a wipeout that smashed his cheekbone (even though he was wearing a full face helmet).

Glen DeLong of Bellville, Ohio, was a professional motocross racer for years, until he broke 19 bones.

Elite rookie Brian Clark of Haltom City, Texas, was a professional bull rider who had to give it up after a serious injury.

WRAP RAP.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Pete Ponds of Madison, Miss., will have a new wrap for the 2008 season, which begins with the March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown on Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes.

His tow vehicle and Ranger/Mercury rig will sport a wrap for Ardent Reels, which manufactures baitcasters in Macon, Mo. Ponds said he recently signed a multi-year contract with Ardent, which also sponsored him last season.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com. Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

News exclusives, audio and video clips of bass fishing's biggest stars, loads of discounts and more are all part of BASS Insider, an exclusive membership, now available at www.bassmaster.com.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, staging more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

BASS stages and sanctions bass fishing tournaments for every skill level culminating with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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