Beyond his success in those circuits, he also took a shot at the B.A.S.S. tour near the end of the 1970s, which culminated in his qualifying for the 1979 Bassmasters Classic. He added one more gold star to his resume more than a decade later when he won the B.A.S.S. Invitational on Lake Powell. But he was candid in comparing the earliest days of tournaments with the state of the sport today. “To be perfectly honest with you, it was a lot easier to win then.” With a record that featured such gaps in tournament activity, the question begged. But as Ward stated, “I never went to a lot of things. It was hard being away from your family and not a lot of prize money.” What may not have been evident at the moment, it wouldn’t be too many more years before opportunities for bigger cash prizes appeared on the horizon. Ironically, there was yet one more Western angler to break out of the territory and qualify for the World Championship at the turn of the decade. A successful contractor, Don Doty had the re- sources to travel and fish, and he set out to compete with the Bassmasters in the late 1970s. But with little time on the water outside the West, he needed assistance in shrinking
Rich Tauber parlayed a win in the second U.S. Open and an easily approachable manner into a long career as a tournament pro and speaker.
down the new water—and he got it. “I spent a lot of time with Tommy Martin, Rickey Clunn and Ricky Green,” said Doty. “Green really took me under his belt and I fished with them all. I had the money to go and I was so fortunate to go with those guys; it really helped me.” And how much help was it? Clearly, Doty’s learning curve went into warp drive. “When I went back and fished Lake Eufaula (Alabama), 10-pound test was the heaviest I had; and 14-pound was the lightest Ricky Green had.” The net result, Doty scored enough points to qualify for the 1980 Bassmasters Classic. But what makes the feat so incredi- ble, he did it as a non-boater in an era when all the partner pairings were pro on pro—no shared weight. It’s an accomplishment that’s never been matched. Then, within two years, Doty became a principle in the upstart U.S. BASS Fishing As- sociation that had purchased WBFA. Soon, U.S. BASS would host tournaments paying $50,000 and $100,000 prizes—the biggest in the sport. And one event, the U.S. Open, became the fo- cal point as Southern pros found out just how tough it was to face the best in the West.
July 2011 _ SILVER EAGLES 9