The Cast Archives - Bassmaster https://www.bassmaster.com/category/the-cast/ Pro Bass Tournament Fishing, Bass Fishing Tips & News Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:57:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/bass-favicon-removebg-preview.png?w=32 The Cast Archives - Bassmaster https://www.bassmaster.com/category/the-cast/ 32 32 206333197 The Cast: B.A.S.S. Superstar Aaron Martens https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-aaron-martens/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:55:52 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-aaron-martens/ Aaron Martens was revered by many as “The Natural” for his uncanny ability to find and catch bass anywhere. His unique mental approach to the sport made Martens an angling phenom not seen since, punctuated by his three AOY titles and nine wins.

]]> 1379456 The Cast: Turn of the century at B.A.S.S. https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/video/the-cast-turn-of-the-century-at-b-a-s-s/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:55:52 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-turn-of-the-century-at-b-a-s-s/ From the late 90s and into the new millennium a renaissance occurred with how the sport was covered on television. Technology and the high stakes drama of the new Bassmaster Elite Series took media coverage to new levels never seen in the sport.

]]> 1379454 The Cast: Bassmaster Angler of the Year https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/video/the-cast-bassmaster-angler-of-the-year/ Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:34:36 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-bassmaster-angler-of-the-year/ Winning Bassmaster Angler of the Year requires maintaining an uncanny level of consistency across an entire season of the Bassmaster Elite Series. See what it takes from the winners to win the title.

]]> 1378229 The Cast: B.A.S.S. Nation https://www.bassmaster.com/b-a-s-s-nation/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-nation/ Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:34:35 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-nation/ The B.A.S.S. Nation and its grass roots bass clubs and members are the heart and soul of the sport. Embracing conservation, mentoring youth, and climbing the club ranks to compete in the Bassmaster Classic are the fabric of the B.A.S.S. Nation.

]]> 1378227 The Cast: B.A.S.S. Superstar Kevin VanDam https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-kevin-vandam/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:03:09 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-kevin-vandam/ A Bassmaster Classic victory, two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and nine tournament wins are hallmarks of Davy Hite’s career. Hite’s gift of knowledge and engaging personality now make him a trusted voice of the sport on Bassmaster LIVE.

]]> 1377114 The Cast: B.A.S.S. Superstar Davy Hite https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-davy-hite/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:59:07 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-b-a-s-s-superstar-davy-hite/ A Bassmaster Classic victory, two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and nine tournament wins are hallmarks of Davy Hite’s career. Hite’s gift of knowledge and engaging personality now make him a trusted voice of the sport on Bassmaster LIVE.

]]> 1377116 The Cast: Giant Texas Bass https://www.bassmaster.com/the-cast/video/the-cast-giant-texas-bass/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:00:19 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/video/the-cast-giant-texas-bass/ Everything is bigger in Texas and the largemouth caught in Bassmaster Elite Series competitions prove it, and especially at Lake Fork, producer of the most Bassmaster Century Club entries. Lake Fork, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and more.

]]> 1376063 Bassmaster’s The CAST returns for third season on FOX Sports in 2026 https://www.bassmaster.com/the-cast/news/bassmasters-the-cast-returns-for-third-season-on-fox-sports-in-2026/ Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:00:20 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/?post_type=article&p=1376846 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After a wildly popular two-season run, B.A.S.S. is proud to announce the return of The CAST presented by Bass Pro Shops for a third season in 2026 with seven original episodes.

The series will premiere Jan. 11 on FS1 and will continue to give viewers even more insight into the personalities and stories of the meteoric rise of B.A.S.S. as the biggest stage in bass fishing.

“We’re happy to see The CAST come back for a third season so anglers and fans can experience more of what the initial run delivered,” said B.A.S.S. Chief Operating Officer Phillip Johnson. “The series features so much historical content about the sport and the legends who brought it to the forefront … it’s full of entertaining and nostalgic insight into how an idea transformed into what professional fishing is today.” 

Episodes feature interviews and personal stories never heard before from some of fishing’s most iconic voices as well as episodes featuring the grass-roots bass club influence of the B.A.S.S. Nation and showcasing how coverage of the sport evolved into the new millennium and beyond.

“The season kicks off with a one-hour episode based around who many believe is the sport’s greatest angler of all time, Kevin VanDam,” said Mike McKinnis, VP Media/Content, JM Associates. “In addition, there will be superstar episodes highlighting Davy Hite and Aaron Martens, along with a tribute to the grit and determination it takes to win Bassmaster Angler of the Year and the grass-roots impacts of the B.A.S.S. Nation.”

A longtime B.A.S.S. partner, Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor retailer and also serves as a premier sponsor for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, title sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic, title and presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Trail and the presenting sponsor of the Bassmaster College Series.

The CAST presented by Bass Pro Shops will begin airing in January on FS1 and lead up to live 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series tournament coverage on FS1 and the FOX Sports platforms.

Don’t Miss An Episode! Full Season Air Schedule Below.

B.A.S.S. SUPERSTAR: KEVIN VANDAM

Sunday, Jan. 11

8-9 a.m.

Kevin VanDam’s remarkable three-decade career is highlighted by four Bassmaster Classic wins and seven Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. KVD has an unprecedented 25 B.A.S.S. wins, with domination at every level of the sport. Follow the incredible angling achievements and get an inside look at the life of KVD, the angler known as the G.O.A.T.   

B.A.S.S. GIANT BASS IN TEXAS

Sunday, Jan. 11

9-9:30 a.m.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and the largemouth caught in Bassmaster Elite Series competitions prove it, especially at Lake Fork, producer of the most Bassmaster Century Club entries. Get an up-close look at Lake Fork, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and more.  

B.A.S.S. SUPERSTAR: DAVY HITE

Sunday, Jan. 11

9:30-10 a.m.

A Bassmaster Classic win and two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles are hallmarks of Davy Hite’s stellar career that also includes eight B.A.S.S. wins. Hite’s gift of knowledge and engaging personality later made him a fan favorite on The Bassmasters.

BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR

Sunday, Jan. 18

10-10:30 a.m.

Winning Bassmaster Angler of the Year requires maintaining an uncanny level of consistency across an entire season of the Bassmaster Elite Series. Competing at the sport’s top level is challenging enough, and to succeed as the season’s most consistently highest finishing angler is even tougher.  

B.A.S.S. NATION: FROM GRASS ROOTS TO THE BIGGEST STAGE

Sunday, Jan. 25

10:30-11 a.m.

Since the beginning of B.A.S.S. over five decades ago, the B.A.S.S. Nation has been the backbone of the organization founded by Ray Scott. He envisioned rallying the nation’s bass clubs to create a powerful grass-roots voice for protecting the sport, preserving its future and recruiting anglers to join the club camaraderie.

B.A.S.S. TOURNAMENTS MEET TURN OF THE CENTURY 

Sunday, Jan. 25

11:30 a.m.-Noon

From the late ’90s and into the new millennium, a renaissance occurred with how the sport was covered on television. Technology and the high-stakes drama of the new Bassmaster Elite Series took media coverage to new levels never before seen in the sport.

B.A.S.S. SUPERSTAR: AARON MARTENS

Sunday, Jan. 25

Noon-12:30 p.m.

Aaron Martens was revered by many as “The Natural” for his uncanny ability to find and catch bass anywhere, anytime. His unique mental approach to the sport made Martens an angling phenom not seen since, punctuated by his three Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and nine wins.

About Bass Pro Shops

Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors.

]]> 1376846 The Cast: Davy Hite through the years https://www.bassmaster.com/elite/slideshow/the-cast-davy-hite-through-the-years/ Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:29:13 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/?post_type=photo-gallery&p=1376076
Davy Hite’s bass fishing career history is like none other in the sport. For 23 years, Hite competed in 252 B.A.S.S. tournaments, beginning with the Bassmaster Invitationals, and progressing through the Top 100, Tour and finally the current Elite Series. 
After retiring from competitive fishing in 2016, Hite was recruited to join the broadcast team of The Bassmasters TV series, now Bassmaster LIVE. 
The show producers recognized Hite for his wisdom, knowledge and expertise that would allow him to relate to his peers as a pro angler, while connecting with fans and the audience. 
The combination was the perfect fit. The Bass Fishing Hall of Famer is highly respected as a revered voice of the sport, while passionate about promoting and preserving its future. 
On Hite’s angling resume are eight Bassmaster wins, including the 1999 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta near New Orleans. Hite twice won the prestigious Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in 1997 and 2002. 
Hite was 27 years old when he quit his full-time job in South Carolina to pursue his lifelong dream of fishing professionally. “It was a leap of faith,” he said. “Some of my friends thought I was crazy. This is different, but at the same time it’s a a leap of faith, as well.”
Hite first fished a couple of B.A.S.S. events in 1989 — he even recorded a second-place finish to earn his first check of $4,400. Things really took off for him in the 1993 season, when he won more than $50,000 in 10 events.
Hite won his first event in 1994, the Alabama Invitational on Lake Eufaula. His $35,000 payday topped his previous best of $30,000 for taking fourth in the B.A.S.S. MegaBucks the year before.
It took him another two years to win his second tournament, which again came in Alabama.
Hite won $45,000 at the 1996 Alabama Bassmaster Top 100 on Lake Neely Henry, really establishing himself as a force on the circuit.
A handful of top 10 finishes in 1997 led him to the Angler of the Year title, and in 1999 he became one of the few anglers to hold both of bass fishing’s top titles when he won the Bassmaster Classic. There are only 12 men who have won both.
Hite fought through 100-degree temperatures in late July at the Louisiana Delta to bring in 55 pounds, 10 ounces during the 1999 Classic.
He earned his $100,000 prize, topping his closest competitor, Denny Brauer, by nearly 10 pounds.
In his 23 years competing, Hite totaled more than $2 million in career earnings.
He also won the Forrest Wood Cup title in 1998.
A title in Michigan was one of his eight tournament victories.
Hite earned cash and prizes totaling $110,000, his biggest payday to date. But a trip back to Louisiana late in 2001 would see him top it.
With another grand in bonus money, Hite earned $111,000 in the Louisiana Bassmaster Tour event on the Red River.
Hite became one of the most popular anglers on tour.
With momentum from 2001, Hite added a second Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in 2002. Hite is one of only 11 anglers with more than one Bassmaster AOY title.
From 2002-05, Hite posted top 12 finishes in four consecutive Classics.
Of the 14 Classics he fished, Hite finished in the top 25 11 times.
In 2005, Hite ended a four-year victory drought by winning the Elite 50 on Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle.
A year later, Hite blew away the field at Clarks Hill Reservoir in Georgia.
It was Hite’s seventh B.A.S.S victory, and it came during the inaugural Elite Series season.
A victory looked in the offing in 2010 at Guntersville as Hite busted bags of 24-7, 27-0 and 28-6 for 79-13 and the lead heading into Championship Sunday.
But the magic didn’t come as Hite only managed 13-6 and missed the Century Club belt and the title. Skeet Reese topped 100 pounds and made Hite runner-up.
The following season, Hite broke through with his eighth Bassmaster title, tying him for sixth all-time in wins. Hite did damage near Pickwick Lake Dam in totaling 84-9 over four days.
“I don’t take for granted winning No. 8, I promise you,” Hite said at the time. “This is as meaningful to me as the first one I ever won. It’s like a drug; I can’t describe the way it feels to win one of these things.”
“I wanted it bad. I’m just going to be honest here, although I hate to admit it: Probably at No. 4, 5 or 6, somewhere in there, I kind of took it (winning) for granted. I wanted this one as bad as the first one I ever won.”
Hite was emotional on stage as he garnered the $100,000 check and berth into his 14th Classic, his first since 2009.
Hite fished the Red River in his most recent Classic. The resident of Ninety-Six, S.C., finished in the money 140 times in 254 total tournaments, including 45 top 10 finishes. He’s looked forward to his new endeavor in fishing.
“I view this more as a transition, rather than a retirement,” he said at the time. “In a perfect world, I wish I could keep competing for a few more years. But this was a golden opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
“This is a way for me to continue to have a positive impact and stay involved with the sport of bass fishing, which has meant everything to me,” he recalled.
]]> 1376076 The Cast: Aaron Martens through the years https://www.bassmaster.com/the-cast/slideshow/the-cast-aaron-martens-through-the-years/ Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:28:31 +0000 https://www.bassmaster.com/?post_type=photo-gallery&p=1376426
Aaron Martens will long be remembered as a bass fishing legend. A-Mart was among his monikers, as was “The Natural” for his innate ability to find and catch fish. Logging long hours prepping, Martens built one of the most successful careers in tournament bass fishing. Following are images of the life and times of the 49-year-old who on November 4, 2021 succumbed to brain cancer.
Martens grew up fishing in Southern California with the likes of friend David Racusin on Lake Castaic. Racusin recalled Martens’ mother, Carol, was trying to get them to leave when they doubled up for these fish.
Martens competed with Carol in his first tournament, and the results were rough. “We got a lot better pretty fast and won Angler of the Year honors the next year in the A.B.A. ‘Super Team,’ a three-tournament series on those same lakes,” Martens wrote in a post.
Martens also wrote how his mother always liked to remind him of their fishing exploits, including him hooking and losing a monster 16-pounder on Lake Casitas. The two bonded through fishing, and she was a regular at Elite Series events. This photo is from 1997, when Martens began fishing for B.A.S.S.
Martens qualified for his first of 20 Bassmaster Classics in 1999, when he finished 24th on the Louisiana Delta. He won his first B.A.S.S. tournament months later in the California Western Invitational on Lake Oroville. He was later featured on the cover of BASS West Magazine, one of many.
The 2004 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Wylie was Martens’ second runner-up finish in the championship. He had four in all — 2002 on Lay Lake, 2005 on Three Rivers and 2011 on the Louisiana Delta — to hold the record. He never won a Classic but finished in the top 10 nine times.
Leslie, his wife of 23 years, and daughter, Jordan, pose for a photo early in his career.
The Martens, shown in 2005, were well-known road warriors on the Elite circuit, camping with and befriending fellow competitors. The family eventually moved to Leeds, Ala., to get closer to the venues, where Martens was known to spend late nights at campgrounds working on tackle.
In 2005, Martens won his first of three Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, handed to him by Marty Stone after the Table Rock Lake event. Martens is one of only five anglers who have won more than two AOYs.
In the 2005 Classic on Three Rivers out of Pittsburgh, Martens had his third consecutive runner-up finish, losing to Kevin VanDam by 6 ounces in the stingiest championship on record.
Martens was in the original field for the first Elite season in 2006. In the Santee Cooper Showdown, Martens finished second with 108 pounds, 4 ounces, his first of three Century Club belts awarded to those eclipsing 100 pounds.
Here he shows his grit while fishing with a co-angler at Grand Lake in 2006. Martens was a determined angler, always thinking, tinkering and figuring out how to better catch fish.
With an easy laugh and big smile, anglers always found him a joy to be around, even when he was schooling them.
In 2007, the Elites ventured to Martens’ home state of California, where he recorded his first three B.A.S.S. wins, Oroville in 1999, Lake Shasta in 2000 and Clear Lake in 2002.
The first event of the Western Swing was on the California Delta out of Stockton. Martens concentrated on a short stretch of cover, where he worked a worm in his trademark color of Aaron’s Magic on drop-shot rigs to sparse tulles.
“If there was one place on the entire Earth that I could pick to win, it would be the California Delta,” said Martens, who totaled 85-12 over four days to win by 7 pounds. “Finally winning here is an amazing feeling.”
It was his first of six Elite Series wins, and it put him in an exclusive club with 18 others who had earned more than $1 million in B.A.S.S. events. It was even more special that the Martens’ second child, son Spencer, was born that week.
In 2009, Martens scored his second Century belt by catching 107-8 to win on Lake Guntersville.
Known as much for his finesse-fishing prowess as his stream-of-consciousness comments, Martens once said, “I wonder if people believe drop shotting is my least favorite technique. I’ve hated it since it came out. I hate it, but it’s so effective.”
Martens was a fan favorite for his abilities and easy-going nature. Many pulled for him to break through and win a Classic, and many more sent prayers to him and his family during his cancer battle.
It could be said that Kevin VanDam was Martens’ nemesis, handing him his fourth runner-up finish in a Classic. While the two fished alongside each other on the Louisiana Delta in 2011, VanDam captured his fourth Classic title.
Off the water, Martens and Kevin VanDam had each other’s respect, even though Martens once mildly complained that VanDam seemed to be winning everything at the time.
Martens landed another Elite win in 2012 on Lake Decatur in Illinois …
… and after starting the 2013 season with an 85th on the Sabine River, Martens went eight events finishing 25th or better, including four Top 10s, to win his second AOY title.
On the eve of the 2015 Classic, Martens’ father, Jerry, died after battling a nerve disease for years. Jerry instilled Aaron’s love of the outdoors, taking the family on adventures in the California wilds. Martens finished 30th in that Classic on Lake Hartwell.
The season ended up being magical for Martens and B.A.S.S., which launched Bassmaster LIVE that year. Martens kicked things off with a third-place finish at the Sabine Elite and followed it with a second on the Sacramento River in California before heading to Lake Havasu, a first-time Elite venue.
Martens introduced the fishing world to the bird pattern, pitching deep into grass where bass awaited wayward redwing blackbirds. “I do that all the time,” he said, adding that he learned the tactic years earlier.
Carol was there for Martens’ Mother’s Day win with 68-9 on the fishery bordering Arizona and California. It was his fifth B.A.S.S. win out West, and he also won three U.S. Opens there. But he proved he could catch bass anywhere.
Three events after Havasu, Martens was in position to win in the Chesapeake Bay Elite in Maryland. Waiting for the tides to get right, Martens fell behind on BassTrakk but landed a 7-pounder in the final two hours.
With 70-2, Martens secured his fifth Elite title and eighth B.AS.S. tournament win, and he was well on his way to another AOY.
With a sixth-place finish at Lake St. Clair, Martens secured his third AOY title, joining Bill Dance and Mark Davis. Only Roland Martin (9) and Kevin VanDam (7) have more. Martens was happy to have his family there when he received the crown, something he was not afforded in 2013.
The Furious Hog Snatcher, another of his nicknames, was back with a vengeance.
Aaron and Lesley pose during the 2017 Night of Champions at the Lake Conroe Classic in Texas.
In 2017 at Lake Champlain, Martens delivered what many consider the greatest come-from-behind win in Elite Series history, one that may never be broken. With weather canceling a day, 51 anglers competed on the final day. Martens began the day in 19th place, 3-1 out of the lead, and sealed the victory with the event’s biggest bag, 23-5, finishing with 58-12.
Martens finished his B.A.S.S. career with nine wins, which is tied with Shaw Grigsby for seventh all-time. In 241 B.A.S.S. entries, Martens was in the money 183 times, had 13 second-place finishes and 10 thirds. He weighed in 8,547 pounds and topped $3 million in earnings. Photographer James Overstreet said this shot illustrates how fierce a competitor Martens was.
Like his parents, Martens was a true family man.
… who imparted his love of the outdoors to his children …
…and was a loving husband and father.
Martens, shown in a hospital with wife, Lesley, suffered a massive seizure while fishing in 2020. He woke to doctors informing him he had brain tumors, specifically fast-growing glioblastoma, that required surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. Later, Lesley posted he died after a valiant, 19-month battle. “We are heartbroken beyond words,” she wrote. “I can’t imagine life without him, but we take solace in knowing that he’s walked into glory … “
Aaron Martens will always be an inspiration to anglers who followed his career. He accomplished more than most ever will, not only as a competitor, but as a husband, father and son. He will be missed.
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