FIRST CAST : JOEL SHANGLE
waltzing down memory lane
Once you become of a certain age , I think it ’ s impossible not to succumb to nostalgia occasionally . Who among us hasn ’ t thought back wistfully to times when politics were less combative , there were no social media platforms to serve , and a gallon of gas was 79 cents ( yes , younger readers , there was a time when you could fill up your boat and truck for less than $ 20 !)?
I certainly have to admit to some nostalgic daydreaming in the recent couple of months ( or maybe I ’ ve just leaned into a heightened appreciation of history ). I suppose that ’ s partly due to celebrating another birthday , but it ’ s mostly due to fortuitous timing in my workflow , which allowed me to witness a handful of things that brought back fond memories of simpler times .
The first was at the Major League Fishing offices in Benton , Kentucky , where videographer Chris S . and I spent the day working on a mini-documentary on Kathy Fennel , MLF ’ s Executive Vice President and General Manager . To simply walk the halls of MLF headquarters is a bit of a study of bass-fishing history – with its walls lined with photos of champions of bygone days and thoughtful recognitions of Forrest L . Wood and other history makers , MLF ’ s mothership is always awash with nostalgia .
This particular visit , though , was even more special . Kathy , as you may know , started her career in the bass fishing world in 1982 , when she went to work as an office assistant at Operation Bass , the forerunner of FLW . She has since become one of the most respected and universally appreciated members of the bass community through four-plus decades of tireless , selfless service to bass anglers throughout the country .
Kathy is also an appreciator of history . As Chris and I started setting up lights and rearranging her office for the shoot , Kathy pointed us to the items on her tables that she had brought out “ just in case you guys wanted to see these .” Oh boy , did we ever . Kathy ’ s collection included the original tin sign from the Operation Bass office in nearby Gilbertsville ; her staff jackets from 1980s-era All-Americans ; photos and sleeves of slides that dated back to tournaments four decades in the past ; etc .
We left that day with a few hundred slides and several issues of Cast Magazine tucked under our arms ( if you ever want to take a trip down memory lane , look through the pages of a bass magazine from the 1990s ).
As fortune would have it , that same documentary project also took Chris and I to Springfield , Missouri , and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame , where Kathy is already inducted , and the subject of one of this issue ’ s feature stories – Alfred Williams – will be inducted in late September . If you ’ re an appreciator of the story of “ how we got here ” as a bass-tournament community and in need of some history , there ’ s no better place to spend the day than the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium ( where the BFHOF is housed ).
As you peruse this issue of MLF Bass Fishing magazine , you ’ ll notice that it ’ s a hearty mix of history / nostalgia and looking forward . Joe Balog ’ s column on “ The end of the specialist ?” will strike a chord with you Gen Xers ; Mitchell Forde ’ s feature on Deanna Moreno and Rachel Uribe will inspire you forward-thinkers . I hope you get a little something out of all of it !
joel shangle , editor-in-chief
6 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024