I sorta get it. Many so-called collectibles were created from promotional gimmicks. Heck, the fact they put bubble gum in packs of trading cards was as much to sell the gum and it was to sell the cards.

Still, when we learned last week that the “post season” for the Bassmaster Elite Series would be marked by Bass Pro Shops (in Prattville, Ala.) giving out one of a set of 12 Elite qualifier cards with each purchase for a chance at 400 prizes in what’s called the “Bassmaster Collect & Win Contest,” I was not impressed. A mere 12 cards, in my eyes, does not make much of a set.

And more than that, I’m willing to bet that most fishermen don’t know that the whole bass trading card thing was a California idea. Just as so many other cool things come from the Golden State, it was Michael Jones, former Western Outdoor News as well as Bassmaster Senior Writer, who came up with the original Pro League bass cards.

But not only were those first three sets (1990-1993) both curious and collectible, they were much more. Looking back, the sets actually chronicled the top pros of that era, highlighted important achievements in the history of the sport, and truly elevated the fishermen as notable “sports” figures. Indeed, one of the great ironies of these sets is the sport’s most significant figure–Roland Martin–was not included, for at the time, he did not own the rights to his own name and likeness!

So, while I intended to trim this story down, instead, I’ve decided to let Jones relate the story in his own words:

“Anyone who remembers the very late 1980s, remembers the absolute frenzy for trading cards of all kinds. With professional bass fishing on the cusp of going big-time, I saw an opportunity.

With the support of Al Kalin and an Apple computer, I decided to pursue the idea of providing pro fishermen with something for their fans. Since so many companies and individuals were dipping into the trading card market, I felt that keeping a low profile was the best strategy. As a BASS Senior Writer, I had access to the pros and their trust.

Slowly, I contacted the pros, one-by-one, taking their pictures as time permitted and building a groundswell for the idea. To a man – and woman – the idea met with total support. The pros wanted to be looked upon as professionals in a professional sport. This, in a small way, was confirmation of that notion. At the time, I could promise them nothing other than a quality product. Ultimately, we paid them $100 per angler – more as a thank you than anything else. But, $100 times 50 was an upfront cost on a product that had no track record in fishing. Call it a leap of faith.

With the card design done, printing arranged and all of the other thousand details attended to, I decided I needed a few more big names to round out the set. Of these, Ray Scott was number one.

At the time, I didn’t have Ray’s number, so I called BASSMaster editor Dave Precht. Within moments of laying out my plan, Dave immediately said that I better speak to Helen Sevier (CEO). His comment was this “We were thinking of doing that.” It didn’t sound good. In no time, Helen was on the phone giving me one of the soundest tongue-lashings I have ever experienced.

This was not a no, but a hell, no. When I found a moment in this tirade to plead my case, I told her honestly that my secrecy had nothing to do with BASS. Why would I be calling Ray if that were the case? Naively, I thought they would be ecstatic that someone within the BASS family was doing something to promote their most valuable asset. I could not have been more wrong.

At the time, I offered Helen exactly what I planned to offer Ray – a cut of the proceeds if BASS wanted to add their logo and market the cards as a BASS product, promotional item, whatever.

Nothing I said made a bit of difference. I was told very simply, “Do not do this.” For me, with the project nearing completion, there was no alternative. And, perhaps hearing the words of Hank Williams Jr. in my brain, it was a case of “If you think I won’t, then believe I will.”

It didn’t take long to realize I had just been excommunicated from the church of bass fishing. Not Dave Precht, not Matt Vincent, no one could save me. So, I moved on. Taking a job with Kalin and moving forward with the cards.

When the cards came out, we had Bass pro Shops interested and other outlets on line to distribute them across the country. Admittedly, the difference between what we could do without BASS support or with it was huge. Nevertheless, we forged ahead and created a grass roots interest.

Personally, I had gained the absolute respect of the fishermen. They knew I had stood up to Helen and taken a huge hit for a product that would ultimately benefit them more than it did Kalin or me. To this day, it is one of the things that gives me the most satisfaction. Yes, I wanted to make a buck, but I knew it would never be anything that significant – at least in the short run.

One story that has never been told was this: The first set of cards were called “Big League Bass.” I thought it was a fitting title for a sport just ready to break out. What I didn’t count on was a guy by the name of Jim Bouton. For those who may recall, Bouton was a major-league pitcher who wrote the first tell-all book about the public and private lives of his major league colleagues. Predictably, Bouton was not embraced buy his fellow players for violating the clubhouse creed of “What is said her, what you see here, stays here.”

Out of the blue, Bouton calls me and basically threatens me with legal action if I don’t change the name of the cards. Somehow, he felt this was detrimental to the name of his “Big League Chew” bubble gum. While I felt he had no legal claim, the fact of the matter is that anyone can sue anyone over anything. And, as a ballplayer who competed from a child through young adulthood, I knew the kind of guy I was dealing with. If you could dump on your teammates, you could do anything. Not to mention selling bubble gum that duplicated chewing tobacco. As a result, the name was changed the following year (1991) to Pro League Bass.

Perhaps the best review I had of the trading cards was the one delivered by a national trading card magazine. It was a backhanded compliment in some ways when they said that the staff really wanted to hate bass fishing cards, but the quality was so superior, they couldn’t help but give them a thumbs up. At the time, their reaction was similar to many in the general public who laughed when the words “professional” and “bass fisherman” were used in the same sentence.

When we debuted the cards at the BassMaster Classic, BASS was none too happy. We had several local fishing dealers selling the cards at the 1991 BassMaster Classic in Baltimore. Fortunately, I knew what to expect and had already discussed the matter with Pat Marley. In keeping with what is now a legendary career, Marley knew what to do. Having previously represented Rick Clunn when BASS thought they could limit the sponsor patches on pro jerseys to BASS-related sponsors, Marley knew that a simple injunction could stop the Classic in its track. He held that card with Clunn and did the same with me. When Helen’s nephew approached me at the Classic show and relayed the BASS directive that I could not sell my cards at the show, I simply handed him a Pat Marley business card with the instructions to give it to his aunt. She would know what to do. Which, of course, was nothing.

About two or so years into this ridiculous situation, I felt it was time to approach Helen. Both Dave Precht and Matt Vincent wanted me back and I wanted the same. I moved on as a reinstated BASS senior writer.

Did the cards make a difference? Perhaps, perhaps not. At least, there was one guy at the Chicago Classic who make the local papers as he tried to complete a fully autographed collection of Big League and Pro Bass cards.

What never happened was a yearly card set that would have chronicled the modern rise of bass fishing as a legitimate sport.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Features, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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