Best Bass fishermen

[Zeno]

Every area has its own legend...in NY no bigger than Al Bentsen

[Squidhound]

Sherwood Lincoln maybe.

[numbskull]

Stan Gibbs. There is more to being the best than just what you catch.

[JohnR]

Tough call - especially the earlier guy as some of us are not as "historic" as you Pail

Then? No idea, all we know are the big names of the day, Woolner, The Mad Russian, plus all the guys we never heard there names on...

Best today? Could throw a few names out there certainly. Stetzko is probably one of the best, his record speaks for itself.

Best I personally ever fished with? Nolan, no doubt in my mind...

[piemma]

Just to throw out a few names that you guys may not know.

Jack Linton,
The late Lanny Grazinni
Gil Guillitone
Tony Chirapo (sp)
Andy Lamar
George Calzone
Bill Nolan
Jerry Sylvester
Billy the Greek

[riverrat2]

Another vote for TC

[Backbeach Jake]

There are names that most have never heard who were unreal. John Lambro, Sr. comes to mind. I saw his Army surplus Jeep loaded with huge, not large many many times. There are others who I was never priviledged to have been introduced to. They didn't put up pictures of their work either, so no fame...

[nightfighter]

There are many legends who have helped the sport over the years. And it takes years to become a legend. They all contributed in different ways, even with different approaches to their fishing. The best? There aint one. I don't dare list names for fear of a significant omission....
However, in the recent era, our own Leo's consecutive Derby wins has been a great story!

[Flaptail]

I once asked Frank Woolner that question. He stated that the best bass fisherman knows how to use all the methods there are to take bass. The best are not relagated to just trolling wire or using live bait or just ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g a plug. The best know how to do it all and don't measure a man's place in the best because he catches this many fifties or that many forties because a lot of the best just catch a hell of a lot of fish, big and small.

I knew a few of the guys now gone and worshipped on this board and many others. Woolner, Gibbs, Murat, Perry, McArdle, Williams and many others now gone or who still quietly ply thier trade in the dark of night and say nothing. Some of these greats never took a fifty yet they could always produce. Money had a lot to do with pushing a man to go to extremes and therefore be noted as one of the best.

My personal opinion is that for just as many that we note today as being great there more who were just as good or better and kept thier mouths shut and shunned notoriety.

But if pressed it would have to be Laine, Chiarrapo (who incidently put more fish on the beach and eventually to the market than Laine ever did) and an old friend of mine Dave Kosewski of Falmouth, who only fishes for money and always did but quietly goes about his business putting lots of big fish each year on fish market or contest scales.

[numbskull]

Frank Sabatowski has to be in the mix.

[keeperreaper]

Ed Reid, Coddington, Luce. Names that few know but always catch.
Don't forget P. Lewis.oke:

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Stan Gibbs. There is more to being the best than just what you catch.

I was going to say you,,but gotta go with Stan Gibbs ,,