®
Spe nc e r
p n a e r v S t t e o I ry r I by c K a E u N g D h U t K a E bass:
B F auir l dlerto n
ust as it’s true that not
J
every important po-
litical leader rose to the
position of President of the United States, there are
critical figures in the history of
bass fishing who weren’t great
anglers … or even avid fisher-
men. In fact, several seminal
influencers of our sport never
caught a bass.
This series started in the
last issue of Western Bass with
Thomas Jefferson — statesman,
architect of a nation and creator
of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, which is probably
responsible for more bass
water than any other entity.
Despite his critical impact on
bass history, we have no reason
to believe that Jefferson ever
caught a bass.
22
Portrait of Spencer Fullerton Baird
(1823-1887)