Texas has lost a legend. Bob Sealy of Brookeland passed away on July 2 following a battle with cancer. He was 75.
Sealy’s name is legendary throughout the fishing world. He was a visionary and clever businessman who turned a love for little green fish into a whale of a fishing tournament called the Big Bass Splash. Today, it’s widely known as the largest, richest and oldest “amateur only” big bass derby in the world.
The event and its lucrative pay days have changed the lives of dozens of anglers — young and old, male and female — since its inception on Sam Rayburn Reservoir 1984. The family- oriented fishing tournament has grown by leaps and bounds along the way, attracting thousands of anglers from dozens of states and several countries while raising millions of dollars for charity organizations.
The trail now makes regular stops at Lake Fork, Toledo Bend in Louisiana and Lake Guntersville in Alabama. But the annual Sam Rayburn event held each April ranks as the granddaddy derby of them all, one that created a passel of fond memories for Sealy, his staff and other faithful followers of the popular circuit.
Sealy always seemed to have a good story with a neat twist following one of his tournaments.
Sealy, himself, was a pretty neat deal — an affable family man with a contagious laugh who was always full of surprises and willing to help others. He was a fisherman at heart and a brilliant promotor savvy to all the little things that make the fishing industry and the millions of grassroots anglers who support it click.
Those traits, coupled with a remarkable knack for making things happen and a tireless work ethic aimed at always delivering the very best to anglers, are deep rooted in a legacy that is sure to be everlasting.
Perhaps Kacy Hoyt summarized it best. Hoyt is a 20-year employee at “The Stump,” a local restaurant and angler hub that Sealy visited often.
“He came by just about every day when he was he wasn’t out of town,” Hoyt said. “Bob was a great friend and mentor to lots of people around here. He is going to be missed, no doubt about that.”
In April, Sealy emceed what would ultimately be his last turn on the big stage at his beloved home lake. Fittingly, the 40th Anniversary event was also the richest Big Bass Splash ever.
The tournament paid out cash and prizes totaling $1.3 million, the richest payout since the $1 million 25th Anniversary event in 2009. Kary Essl of Crosby topped the 2024 field of more than 5,400 anglers and netted prizes and cash valued at $320,000.
Tight lines, ol’ friend. Job well done.