FishRook
By Raymond Partsch III
Written for the LSWA
Bo Dowden’s joyous scream that day along the choppy St. Lawrence River in upstate New York could be heard all the way back in Natchitoches.
The professional angler had just hauled in a 6-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass for his fifth and final fish on a blustery, rough day on the waters, which secured him his first professional bass fishing tournament victory
His first win also just so happened to be at the sport’s most prestigious event — the 1980 Bassmaster Classic.
“I was really happy when I stuck my thumb in that fish’s mouth,” Dowden said. “When I grabbed it, I knew that I had won the durn tournament. There was no way that anybody could catch…
