The Cast Archives - Bassmaster

2025 Classic: The Cast roundtable

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:50:30 +0000

Hear from bass fishing legends Johnny Morris, Bob Cobb, Bill Dance, Rick Clunn, Hank Parker and Roland Martin as they tell timeless stories about the history of this great sport.

The Cast: Casting Forward — Tackle

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:07:00 +0000

Tune in for the final two episodes of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops season two covering advances in equipment and tackle.

The Cast: Casting Forward — Equipment

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:06:58 +0000

Tune in for the final two episodes of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops season two covering advances in equipment and tackle.

The Cast: Previewing Casting Forward — Tackle

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:48:09 +0000

Tune in for the final two episodes of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops season two covering advances in equipment and tackle.

The Cast: Previewing Casting Forward — Equipment

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:48:07 +0000

Tune in for the final two episodes of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops season two covering advances in equipment and tackle.

The Cast: The Bassmaster Classic

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:42:54 +0000

Watch the inside story of bass fishing’s greatest show. From the fans and the fanfare, to the anglers and 54 years of history, it’s all about the Bassmaster Classic.

The Cast: Previewing the Bassmaster Classic

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:23:37 +0000

Get a sneak peek of this week’s episode of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops covering the inside story of bass fishing’s greatest show — the Bassmaster Classic.

The Cast: B.A.S.S. Superstar Bryan Kerchal

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:59:23 +0000

Bryan Kerchal is the only amateur angler to win the Bassmaster Classic. See the heartwarming story of his career on The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops.

The Cast: Previewing B.A.S.S. Superstar Bryan Kerchal

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:00:17 +0000

Get a sneak peek at this week’s new episode of The Cast presented by Bass Pro Shops that will cover the Bryan Kerchal, the only B.A.S.S. Nation qualifier to ever win a Bassmaster Classic.

The Cast: Kerchal’s Classic win

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 16:25:41 +0000

Before the tournament patches — and the sponsorships that included the likes of Wrangler apparel — Bryan Kerchal was just a 20-something restaurant cook in a Connecticut restaurant with a dream. And he dreamed big.

Nobody took Kerchal serious about his aspiration to become a pro angler. With his meager earnings, Kerchal bought a used beater truck and shabby boat, working by night and fishing by day.

At age 20, Kerchal joined the Housatonic Valley Bassmasters in 1991, fishing as a co-angler in the club tournaments. In 1993, everyone took note when Kerchal won the Connecticut state berth in the 1993 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, and then qualified for the 1993 Bassmaster Classic. Kerchal finished in last place.

Kerchal was soon back on track to return to the Classic after winning the state championship, advancing to the national championship and earning the divisional spot in the 1994 Classic.

Everyone noticed something was different about Kerchal. He wasn’t nervous. He had pre-fished High Rock Lake; he’d taken public speaking lessons and gotten a haircut. And he was confident.

As it turned out, Kerchal, by then sponsored by Wrangler Rugged Wear, was the only angler in the entire Classic field to catch a limit every day. Catching a daily limit was his only goal — all Kerchal wanted was to prove to himself he could compete against the top pros.

Kerchal tuned out the talk of how other Classic pros planned to fish. Instead, the amateur angler confidently made plans of his own. Kerchal did what felt right to him, and it was as simple as fishing with a Texas-rigged plastic worm (along with a topwater lure).

Kerchal would stun the bass fishing world by winning the Classic as the only amateur bass club angler to win the sport’s world championship, doing so by a margin of 4 ounces. His winning weight of 36 pounds, 7 ounces, surpassed the 36-3 caught by veteran Tommy Biffle. Other seasoned pros in contention were Denny Brauer, Guido Hibdon and Rick Clunn, making the victory even more monumental.

Kerchal’s win became known as ‘The Dream,’ an inspiring true story of someone who didn’t fit the quintessential mold of a world championship bass angler. Even so, Kerchal remained humble to his bass club roots.

The story caught the attention of the media, and not just specific to bass fishing. What happened at the Greensboro (North Carolina) Coliseum was indictive of the media attention to come.

Tragedy struck just four months later. On Dec. 13, 1994, Kerchal, 23, was killed in a commuter plane crash while returning home from a sponsor engagement. At the 1995 Classic, and in complete darkness, a bass boat carrying only the spirit of a man was driven through the same arena where Kerchal had triumphantly won. Thousands of people sat silent in the stands and emotions ran high. Today, Kerchal’s memory lives on in dreams and reality. The Bryan Kerchal Trophy is awarded to the national championship winner. And his story continues to inspire all.

The January 1995 cover story featured news of Kerchal. Link to the original article here.