I’ve been covering this sport long enough to remember when Stan Sloan won the first Bass Anglers Sportsman Society tournament at Beaver Lake, Arkansas, in 1968. Back then, virtually every angler clamped an electric trolling motor to the transom of his boat. Everyone but Sloan, that is. At the weigh-in, when B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott asked the Tennessee police officer what gave him an edge over the competition, Sloan credited his bowmounted trolling motor, which facilitated quick positioning of his boat for accurate casting. “It’s easier to pull a chain than push it,” Sloan reasoned. By the next B.A.S.S. tournament, every competitor had moved his electric motor to the bow.

Since the dawn of organized bass fishing, professional anglers have rigged their boats to complement their unique fishing styles. Here are some rigging tricks top pros are using to improve their rides.

Nixon’s Low-Tech Flasher

Veteran Arkansas pro Larry Nixon is among the top money winners on the pro bass circuit. His credentials on the B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail include four MegaBucks victories, two Angler of the Year titles, and a Classic crown. As you might expect, Nixon’s Stratos 21XL is loaded with every conceivable fishing feature, including the latest liquid crystal recorders and GPS. But one item that Nixon relies on more than any other is a vintage Eagle Silent 60/30 flasher mounted on the bow.

“Call me low-tech, but I’ve never been comfortable reading an LCR,” Nixon admits. So, exactly how old is his flasher? “There’s no telling,” he laughs. “Seems like I’ve had it forever. My tournament partners are surprised that it’s still working, but it has never broken down once and still performs fine. Flashers often fail when they’re subjected to a lot of vibration, so I keep mine in a padded case when I’m trailering my boat, then attach it to a Ram mount, which has shock-absorbing rubber grommets.”

Nixon knows his faithful flasher won’t live forever. “I dread the day when it finally bites the dust. I suppose I’ll have to scour pawn shops and yard sales for a replacement.”

Grigsby’s Sight-Fishing Rig

Florida pro and TV show host Shaw Grigsby’s specialty is sight fishing. He’s earned the reputation as the man to beat in spring tournaments when bass move onto their spawning beds. Grigsby knows that bass seek secluded, protected areas to spawn, and he’s designed a rig capable of getting to the fish regardless of where they’re nesting.

Most anglers on the Triton Boats pro staff fish from a Tr-21, which is 21 feet long with a 94-inch beam. Not Grigsby. His Triton of choice is a Tr-20. “It’s a foot shorter and an inch narrower, which doesn’t sound like much, but makes a huge difference when I’m trying to sneak into shallow spawning areas or weave my way through brush and standing timber to access open pockets where bass bed,” he points out. “I have one of the smallest boats on the pro tour, but for what I do, smaller is better.”

Grigsby’s Mercury outboard sits on a Bob’s Machine Shop hydraulic jack plate, a device that adjusts the engine up or down on the transom with the turn of a knob. “This is a huge timesaver because it lets me take off under full throttle from incredibly shallow areas.

“I raise the engine until the prop is barely in the water, then put the hammer down. Without the hydraulic plate, I’d waste precious fishing time idling out of shallow spots with my engine tilted up.”