Bass fishing legend Ken Cook to bid farewell

Like any aging athlete, there comes a time when even a pro bass fisherman knows it’s time to quit.

For Oklahoma pro Ken Cook, that time is here. Only one tournament remains during the regular season of the Bassmaster Elite Series.

The August tournament on New York’s Oneida Lake will be the former Bassmaster Classic champion’s final event on BASS’ highest level of competition, barring a miracle and somehow Cook qualifies for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic through the Northern Opens.

In the world of pro bass fishing, Cook’s retirement from the Bassmaster Elite Series is akin to Mickey Mantle hanging up the pinstripes.

"Ken Cook brought a level of professionalism to bass angling that had been badly needed in the early ’80s,” said James Hall, editor of Bassmaster Magazine.

"He wasn’t just an angler, but a fisheries biologist who was a competitive bass fisherman. His background and immediate success (Cook won the 1980 Chapter Championship, his first BASS event) opened the eyes of many.

"His 1991 Classic victory got the attention of all the rest.”

Cook won the 1991 Classic on a gold-bladed spinnerbait with white, chartreuse and blue skirt that he designed.

Winning the Bassmaster Classic is a life-changing event for a bass angler.

Cook still has fishing sponsors today because of that victory.

He was able to buy his beloved Tarbone Ranch in the Wichita Mountains near Meers because of it.

Tommy Biffle of Wagoner can make an argument as the best pro angler ever from Oklahoma.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next