and pluck a limit of fish . Davis has been remarkably consistent throughout his 40-year career , and his vast experience could still point him in the direction of a win if his body holds up . However , it ’ s doubtful that Davis ’ methodical style of feeling his way around offshore will ever earn the AOY titles it once did .
larry nixon
THE WORM-WIGGLING LEGEND Larry Nixon announced his retirement at the end of last year , taking a face off the Mt . Rushmore of active tournament anglers . Nixon joins VanDam and just a handful of others as the most recognizable competitive bass fishermen in history . Even today , it ’ s hard for me to think of competitive bass fishing without the name Larry Nixon crossing my mind .
With Nixon ’ s departure went his knowledge of and dominance with the plastic worm ( the old-school Texas rig , capable of catching a bass in a mud puddle ). While Nixon credited a variety of other lures for propelling him to millionaire status , the worm did the bulk of the lifting for the Arkansas native . Later in his career , Nixon harnessed the power of the spinning rod , which helped him in the game when his ailing body could no longer flip and pitch .
skeet reese
POWER WITH A SWIMBAIT SIDE HUSTLE
Posting his first Bass Pro Tour win in late June , Californian Skeet Reese doesn ’ t appear to be settling into retirement anytime soon . However , the 55-year-old acknowledged after his triumph on the James River that his career is a lot closer to its end than its beginning . When he does decide to hang up his sticks , Reese will leave behind a power-fishing track record exceeded only by VanDam with a swimbait side hustle we ’ ll likely never see again .
Fans will remember Reese for his willingness to push the capabilities of big rubber baits – especially early in his career , when throwing what looked like musky lures received strange looks from other competitors . His 2015 win on Lake Guntersville with a big Basstrix hollow-belly – relatively new to the national scene at the time – might be the most well-known example , but his comfort with oversized swimbaits goes all the way back to the late 1980s in California .
Today , Reese is known more as a power cranker , a box of squarebills always close by . His win on the James River showcased his comfort and skill with a squarebill , regardless of the venue . On and off the water , Reese dances to the beat of his own drum , something uncommon in today ’ s group of pros .
andy morgan
THE ALPHA-CLASS FLIPPER AND PITCHER Tennessee pro Andy Morgan has made no reference to retiring and faces no known physical ailments . But at 53 years old and with a passion and vested business interest in hunting , it ’ s doubtful we ’ ll witness Morgan grow old on tour .
Whenever he leaves the sport , Morgan will take a hearty chunk of the art of flipping and pitching with him . Few others still rely on short-line tactics to the extent that Morgan does , and it ’ s been posited that he may be the greatest caster in bass fishing , especially around boat docks . At one time in the not-too-distant past , Morgan was joined by several other flipping specialists , but now he ’ s truly one of the last of his flipping / pitching kind .
We ’ re entering an age of spinning rod masters , anglers determined to catch every bass they see on screen and skilled enough to come pretty darn close to doing so . With this new trend comes less cast and retrieve , more seek and destroy .
As the sport changes , the old-school styles that used to dominate will likely depart with the last of the specialists . Often imitated but never duplicated , they remain the true masters of their crafts , and whenever each decides to walk away from national competition , he will be missed .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 19