As the first woman to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic in the event’s 38-year history, Kim Bain-Moore has received significant exposure in a variety of media outlets. And the hits keep coming for Bain-Moore as she was the subject of a feature that aired on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric on Dec. 11.
The Australian-born professional bass angler now living in Alabaster, Ala., was interviewed by CBS correspondent Mark Strassman when she was in Shreveport-Bossier City, La., last week to scout the Red River, the tournament waters for the Feb. 20-22 Classic.
CBS Evening News anchor Couric introduced the feature, mentioning she counts herself as among the growing number of women who enjoy sportfishing.
Bain-Moore, who won her berth in the 2009 Classic when she was crowned the 2008 Toyota Tundra Women’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year in October, talked with Strassman from her boat as she fished and on shore.
She commented that being a pro angler is “the best kind of job,” and described herself as “very, very” competitive.
“I get more competitive with myself, and with the fish,” said Bain, 28. Toward the end of the interview, she emphasized that she’s not content to just qualify for bass fishing’s most prestigious tournament.
“I’m going for the win,” she said.
The piece on Bain-Moore aired at the tail end of the newscast, and teaser footage of Bain-Moore repeated throughout the half-hour program kept viewers tuned in for the story. Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2003 Classic champion Michael Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., also appeared.
IN THE HUNT. Success breeds success — and a busier schedule. Coming off a very successful 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series season, Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., finds he doesn’t have as much time to pursue his second outdoor love — hunting — as much as he’d like to.
Howell finished eighth in the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, an accomplishment that qualified him for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. The Feb. 20-22 Classic will be his eighth time in fishing’s most major event.
Earlier this month Howell hit Shreveport-Bossier City, La., for a few days of practice on the Red River, which will serve as the tournament waters. He’s had speaking engagements and other appearances, and he’s been spending a lot of time securing new sponsors for the 2009 Classic and Elite season.
Still, he made time for a hunting trip recently. His main motive was to give his two sons, 7-year-old Laker and 3-year-old Oakley, a deer-hunting experience.
That’s right: 3 and 7 years old. It’s a priority for Howell to have his kids enjoy and appreciate the outdoors. He wants his sons to have the same experiences he had when he was a kid growing up in North Carolina. Howell, in fact, was such an accomplished angler and hunter by age 12 that he was guiding anglers and duck hunters on Lake Gaston.
Howell has taken both his boys fishing many times, and Laker’s been hunting before, but the recent outing was Oakley’s first trip to the woods in pursuit of deer.
“He’s so rambunctious at 3 years old, he didn’t understand why we had to be quiet in the shooting house, but I wanted to get him out and see what hunting was about,” Howell said. “We saw a bunch of does, but nothing to shoot.
“With kids, sometimes you can’t be too concerned about the outcome as far as success in shooting a deer or catching a big fish,” he said. “You just have to go and let them experience it, from getting all suited up to seeing deer. They had a ball. That’s what’s important.”
SKEET ONLINE. On his new Web site, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., promises cutting-edge ways to keep his fans posted on his 2009 season.
The personable Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year announced this week that www.SkeetReeseInc.com is up and running.
He’s offering video blogs, photography, articles, and more, including a virtual store for signature gear and exclusive products made by his sponsors.
In a home-page letter, Reese promises that his v-blogs will be “raw, unscripted and on the fly as I travel across the country. These will also serve to provide a look into my mind as I compete on the toughest tournament trail in the world.”
First up for Reese is the Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La. He qualified for his 10th Classic by finishing in fourth place in the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
SAILFISH SMARTS. “A lot of times guys who enter these things just wing it. But out here, it is important to know what you are doing. Experience is huge.” — Capt. Alex Adler at the Don Gurgiolo Sailfish Classic presented by ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series in Islamorada, Fla., last weekend. The series will be featured on a new ESPN2 saltwater-fishing show Sundays at 8:30 a.m. ET starting in April 2009.
About BASS
For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
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