Fishing in early B.A.S.S. events, Texan Bob Sealy admired Ray Scott and how he promoted professional bass fishing. Knowing he couldn’t compete, but Sealy dug out his own niche.
Sealy came up with a way to serve amateur anglers in a tournament circuit that has been going strong since 1984. This week’s Big Bass Splash on Texas’ Lake Sam Rayburn marks the 35th anniversary of Sealy’s brainchild.
“You know my slogan is, ‘Where amateurs win like the pros,’” Sealy said. “The Bassmaster Classic pays $300,000 to the winner, so the winning amateur, the one person who brings in the biggest bass this week, is going to win a $300,000 Sportman’s Package of cash and prizes.
“This year is going to be the biggest guaranteed payout I’ve ever done — $1.2 million. I’m looking to draw 8,000 entries or better.”
Having the second biggest bass is no chump change at $100,000, nor is third ($75,000), fourth ($50,000) or even fifth ($25,000). Yet another $376,000 will go out in hourly payouts, from $5,000 for largest to $500 for 15th largest each hour from 7-8 a.m. to 1-2 p.m. The hourly payouts was one of Sealy’s kicker draws to his events, as were his guaranteed payouts.
Sealy said it all came about because he wanted to emulate Scott, who became a good friend when he fished B.A.S.S. events in the 1970s.
“I was in awe of what he was doing. I just told myself one of these days I’m going to do what he’s doing,” Sealy said. “I knew I couldn’t compete with him and B.A.S.S. I was thinking about all the people like me who sit and watch TV and say, ‘I wish that was me.’”
It was 43 years ago when Sealy convinced three radio stations to hold such an event, and those one-day big fish derbies lasted around five years. But Sealy just ran them — he didn’t own them. He then teamed up with a Burger King owner in Jasper, Texas, for another two years before interest in backing it waned.
Sealy wasn’t sure what he would do next, but a representative from McDonald’s called and offered a deal.
“He said he’d be interested if I benefit Ronald McDonald House,” said Sealy, who was off to tour of one of its facilities in Houston. “It didn’t take me but about 5 seconds to see what they were doing. ‘Yep, this is what we are going to do.’ Raised tons of money for Ronald McDonald houses. I count my blessings every day.”
Now affiliated with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Sealy Outdoors and the Big Bass Splash have the same basic format as in 1984, “we’ve just added a lot more hourly places over the year, and our guarantees.”
At the event’s 25th anniversary, Sealy offered the first $1 million payout guarantee and $250,000 to the winner. That event at Sam Rayburn, which drew 7,552 entrants from 42 states and six foreign countries, is still the largest bass tournament held in history.
That huge event, which had Blake Shelton as entertainment, was featured on National Geographic. Sealy is thankful to the TV production arm of B.A.S.S. for chronicling his big to-do.
“Thanks to my friends at JM Associates, Steve Bowman, Mike McKinnis and Tim Schick, for showcasing us on National Geographic,” Sealy said. “That was such an honor. They did a hell of a job with it. It aired around eight times, and I still get comments about it.”
Sealy has earned great accolades in the fishing world, including inductions in the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame several years ago then the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2017.
“I was overwhelmed. I was so humbled,” he said. “We’re doing something right. We do what we say we’re going to do, that’s the most important.”
Winning changing lives. The amateur angler who walks away with the top prize is often overwhelmed, like 11-year-old Brandon Adams. Sealy recalls an event 12 years ago when the youth asked if he could bypass the Little Anglers division and fish as an adult.
“He looked at me, ‘Mr. Bob, all I want is a four-wheeler.’ ‘If you win, I believe I can help you with that,’” Sealy told the boy fishing with his father and grandfather. “I’ll be durned if that kid didn’t catch an 11.75 bass and won the tournament.”
At the awards ceremony in front of 15,000 spectators, Sealy told Adams and his family sitting in the front row that there were three parts to the Sportman’s Package he won.
“A check for $30,000. His mom was smiling pretty good,” Sealy said. “I gave him a 21-foot loaded out Triton boat worth $68,000. His dad smiled. And Brandon, I got you a four-wheeler — there was a big grin on his face — but it’s a little different four-wheeler than what you were imagining. I gave him the keys to a H2 Hummer. And his dad passed out.”
Many an angler has sweated out the final hours around a Big Bass Splash stage, hoping no one else comes and tops them. But anglers don’t even have to catch a lunker to win big. Each entrant has a chance to take home a boat in a random draw. There’s even a big cash prize for hitting exact weights each day.
“The first angler each day that catches a 3.0, 4.0 or 5.0, that’s worth $10,000,” Sealy said. “And believe it or not, they hit it. If the exact number doesn’t get hit, $10,000 goes into random draw for Sunday, but you got to be present to win.”
Oh, there will be plenty of folks at tournament headquarters of Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland, where the five-day fishing expo begins on April 24 and culminates Sunday with a cool million being given away.
It will be the largest amateur tournament, so how do you top that?
“I will probably announce something that Sunday afternoon about the 40th anniversary that’s in the works,” Sealy said. “If I do what I think I’ll be able to do, I’m going to raise the bar one more time. My favorite saying is, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet!’”
Go to SealyOutdoors.com for more details.