RAY SCOTT HAD a lot of visions when he started B.A.S.S. The well-known story begins with him sitting in a motel room in his underwear, watching basketball and envisioning people as excited to see professional anglers catch fish as men in shorts shooting at baskets.
The “brainstorm in a rainstorm,” as Scott referred to it, was the beginning of everything that is celebrated in these pages. It’s easy to get lost in the visions of grandeur, even with a backdrop that includes a grown man in his underwear.
The truth is, before the screaming fans, packed arenas and a litany of fishing heroes, Scott knew all those visions would never happen without the presence of a specific foundation that is always there but seldom thought about.
“Ray had a lot of dreams,” said Bob Cobb, who walked in lockstep with Scott while helping him see those dreams come true. “He knew for any of it to work, he had to have strict rules and absolutely no monkey business.”
The “no monkey business” mantra was ingrained into the fiber of the sport before Scott ever put
