Legend Biography

Born September 23, 1948, Bob grew up in Texas and graduated from Mexia High School. He and his wife Donna
married in 1976 and together they have four children and two granddaughters.
Bob has always had a love for the outdoors and at a very young age, his grandfather taught him how to fish.
Growing up as a cattleman’s son, Bob was generally was building fences, taking care of cattle, working the auction
ring and trying to do a little fishing at the local pond while other kids were out having fun.
Upon graduation, he moved to Oakbrook, IL where he worked for Bosie Cascade as the youngest sales person in the
organization and became their top salesman. He later moved to Jasper, TX where he worked in real estate sales and
later purchased a small convenient store on Lake Sam Rayburn, TX. He wanted to promote tourism and economic
growth in the area, so with this mind, along with his sales and promotional experience, he successfully negotiated a
contract to bring B.A.S.S. to the area.
It was at this point he began to get more involved with the fishing industry. He had a dream, that dream was to put
together the ultimate big bass tournament – one that was open only to amateurs, the grass roots of the industry
and to promote the sport of bass fishing and family weekend fun – fathers, mothers and children spending time
together. Today that dream has materialized into a reality with the creation of the Big Bass Splash.
The Big Bass Splash is the largest amateur big bass tournament of it’s kind in the world and featured as such on
National Geographic. Changing peoples lives is what the Big Bass Splash has been all about and most importantly
it’s where amateurs win like the pros. Families plan their vacations around the events each year traveling from the
east coast to the west coast and many come from foreign countries just to have a shot at one big bass.
Bob is known for mingling with the crowd and getting involved with them in addition to putting on the tournament
show. It’s not unusual to find him crouched down talking to a child and being totally upstaged by a youngster with
a story to tell. Each year, Bob proudly declares “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ yet” and feels blessed to be able to have a
job people only dream about.
Bob’s sincere appreciation of children and the promotion of their futures in fishing along with conservation are
apparent through his involvement and donations to the following organizations: American Cancer Society, Bass
Life Member, Boys Haven, CAST For Kids, Circle Of Peace, Department of Public Safety Officers, Eagles of Angling
Seniors Bass Tournament, Foundation for Abused Children Future Fishing Foundation-Hooked on Fishing Not On
Drugs, Jasper Chamber of Commerce, jasper Tourism Committee, Kids Fishing For Kids, Make a Wish Foundation,
March of Dimes, NFL Benefit Tournament, Project Graduations, Red Cross-911, Rayburn’s Florida Bass Restocking
Program, Ronald McDonald Houses, Sabine River Authority-Toledo Bend Restocking Program, Sea Center Texas
Hatcheries, Select McDonald’s Charities, Scottish Rite Hospital, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Texas Game Warden’s
Association, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Trinity Episcopal School and Umphrey Family Pavilion.
Awards Received: Small Business 2000; Business Person of the Year 2001; Proclamation City of Beaumont, TX;
Senate of the State of Texas Resolution; Celebrity Division –Lake Conroe, TX Tournament; Bum Phillips NFL Charity
Tournament; Make A Wish Foundation-Pineland Bass Club; Fort Polk Community Bassmasters; PAA Celebrity Golf
Tournament-CAS For Kids; TDCJ-Gib Lewis Correctional Peace Officers Foundation and KICKS Radio Twenty Years
of Service and Thirty Years of Service.
To sum this, Bob had an interest as a child in the sport of fishing, which has translated into his interest in active
participation, and promotion of the community. This in turn has promoted tourism in his community and through
the growth of these events; he has further promoted fishing and tourism from local to regional and now working
towards national.