Watch the 2026 WON BASS Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in-person at the Bass Pro Shops in Las Vegas Nevada October 8th, 2026!

The Godfather of flippin’, Dee Thomas was a true western winner

BY KENT BROWN

In the modern bass fishing world, anglers want to be known as an influencer or innovator gaining notoriety on social media and YouTube. One angler that was ahead of his time as possibly one of the biggest innovators in fishing was WON BASS Hall of Fame inductee and The Father of Flippin’, Dee Thomas.

Dee’s shallow water technique that became known as “flippin’” came on the bass fishing scene in the mid ‘70s, and along with showing anglers how to make a quiet presentation in shallow water it spawned other innovations such as weed-guard jigs with heavy over-sized hooks, 7.5-foot rods with telescopic handles that allowed them to be stored in the shorter rod lockers of the early 17-foot bass boats, raised casting decks, stand-up seats in bass boats and even thumb bar specialty reels for flippin’. All of these at the root of one man’s innovation and technique that was not only new, but very successful. Bassmaster Magazine even ran a year-long feature article on Dee and the technique along with a major advertising campaign from the California-based Fenwick rod company.

Dee did have some success winning on the national trails highlighted by his Bassmaster win on Bull Shoals and a Bassmaster Classic appearance along with the success that anglers like Dave Gliebe and Gary Klein had early on in their careers with Dee as a mentor. 

Traveling the national tour was not in the cards for Dee, a Safeway produce manager, so the majority of his tournament success came west of the Rocky Mountains. 

The original “Delta Rat Dee” claimed many titles on his California Delta, however he had wins on most every waterway in the west during his career, and when the idea of the very first US Open came to the forefront with the $1,000 entry fee and $50,000 payday on Lake Mead, the master of shallow off-colored water finished in 3rd place.

Dee was a presence on all the major western circuits, and his name appears on the top of tournament standings back to the beginning of the Western Bass, U.S. Bass and WON BASS as they evolved. 

Dee Thomas’ 2026 induction into the WON BASS Hall of Fame is a huge honor and a much-deserved recognition as Dee is already a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and California Outdoor Hall of Fame.

The list of Hall of Fame anglers that Dee and his technique have influenced is neverending, and as long as a bass lives in shallow water and hides in heavy cover, there will be flippin’ stick in our hands, and rest assured there are bass anglers that have not even been born yet that will stand on a box and swing a jig into a plastic cup trying to perfect their flippin’ game.

Denny Brauer was once quoted as saying “If Dee Thomas didn’t invent flippin’, I would still be a brick layer” and another Hall of Famer, Gary Klein, has credited his time with Thomas as the learning curve that started his career. When he left California for the Bassmaster tour at 21 years old, he left with only a handful of flippin’ sticks, and when Klein won his first B.A.S.S. tournament on Lake Powell, it was in a boat borrowed from Dee Thomas after his boat failed going into the final day.

Dee Thomas was larger than life in the world of bass fishing and a true pioneer whose influence will never expire. He was a tough competitor, a master of playing head games with other anglers including sending out less experienced anglers in his trademark red Ranger and Fenwick jacket on pre-fish days while he slipped around unnoticed in a borrowed blue boat until gameday. 

When he was catching them, you could hear his unmistakable laugh all over the lake. He was always smiling and chomping on his gum in the weigh-in line. But when it came to blast off, he could put on a game face that you knew meant business.

Dee kept many sponsors like Ranger and Mercury his entire career and was even flown on Forrest Wood’s plane to Flippin’, Arkansas, to see his Ranger being built. Ranger only needed to make one color boat when it came to Dee Thomas…red! 

As a tournament director, Naslund played a huge role in shaping competitive bass fishing across the West 

BY MIKE STEVENS

LAS VEGAS – In retirement, former WON BASS Tournament Director Harvey Naslund would freely admit that his multi-decade career in tournament bass fishing would not have been possible if not for some specific individuals he crossed paths with along the way. Hopefully before he passed away in July of 2011, he became aware of how influential he was on competitive bass fishing in the West, and perhaps how the elements of that influence ultimately resonated on a national level. If he had any idea, the ever-gracious Naslund likely would have never mentioned it. 

Naslund was born in 1936 in Havre, Montana, where his passion for the outdoors was sparked. After serving in the Navy as a combat photographer, his return from duty in the Far East brought him to San Diego in 1961 where he spent the rest of his life. Naslund was introduced to bass fishing in 1971, and by 1972 he fished in his first tournament with future WON BASS legend, Mike Folksteead. 

In 1974, Naslund found himself co-publishing a newsletter put out by the California Lunker Club (CNC) which highlighted the top bass anglers in the state. The club itself had been around since 1971. It was also around this time, Naslund first met WON Editor Bill Rice after a day of fishing on El Capitan Reservoir. 

“The California Lunker Club is important for western anglers because it was the first ‘association’ in the west that brought bass anglers together as a cohesive unit” wrote Terry Battisti in a 2022 article on Bass-archives.com.

Eventually, the CNC held tournaments for its members, and Western Bass Fishing Association merged with the CNC in late 1974. Western Outdoor News founder Burt Twilegar would eventually take over Western Bass Fishing Association when it was well established, and after another chance meeting with Rice, Twilegar hired Naslund 1975 to become the Director of Western Bass, taking those duties off Rice’s plate allowing Rice to focus on the publication. 

A salesman by trade, part of his duties included an ad sales territory that throughout the south, and according to an article by former WON columnist, Rich Holland, Naslund was a “natural organizer and leader” which, when combined with his skills as a salesman and promoter, resulted in as close as one could be to the ultimate tournament director. After stepping away from his position only to return to WON BASS, he met with Forrest Wood himself in the Sacramento Airport which, in a matter of minutes, resulted in securing Ranger boats as the exclusive boat sponsor of WON BASS which included seven prize boats and $80,000 in cash. That partnership also directly resulted in Mercury jumping in as well, and “the new WON BASS” had arrived in 1988 at a time in which many tournament organizations struggled if not failed. 

That skillset would eventually allow him to help the organization take a big bite out of the Northern California bass tournament market, which was a huge undertaking on its own. Under Naslund’s leadership, regional competition expanded even further in the west by adding Clear Lake, Lake Shasta and lakes Mead, Mohave and Powell to the tournament trail, and he quickly earned a reputation of being “stern but fair.”

“One thing I could say about Harvey, and I worked with him for years, was he was decisive, but also careful,” said former WON columnist, George Kramer. “On making tough tournament judgements regarding anglers and potential rule infractions, he told us one time at Clear Lake, ‘Think carefully about what happened, and if you think you need to enforce a DQ, do it! And then, stand your ground, and don't change your mind, no matter what.’”

Those traits were all put into play during a high-profile cheating scandal during the 2010 U.S. Open that, after an investigation spearheaded by Naslund, resulted in an accomplished pro angler being hit with a lifetime ban from WON BASS competition. While certainly a difficult situation for WON BASS to deal with, it undoubtedly protected the integrity of the sport by giving potential cheaters some consequences to weigh (no pun intended) before cheating. 

As it turns out, current WON BASS Tournament Director, Billy Egan, was also working that tournament, and Naslund passed the reigns to Egan shortly after that event. 

“Harvey was a one-of-a-kind guy,” said Egan. “Ruthless, but fair. Stern, but gentle at times. He had a heart if gold and paved the way for all Tournament Directors to come after him.”

Naslund will be remembered as a foundational figure in western bass fishing as well as for his charisma, leadership, promotional drive and unbending standard for fairness. 

Hall of Fame inductee Greg Hines remembered as a humble,
all-around outdoorsman

BY RICH TAUBER 

Greg Hines and I met in 1977 on the Western Bass tour, and at that point Western Bass was the big dog west of Texas, the big leagues for the west. When they announced the first U.S. Open in 1981, the fact that somebody could win $50,000 in a bass tournament was unimaginable, and this broke a new barrier. The following year, I won the tournament and Greg and I became tied at the hip for the rest of our careers, and we became best friends.

“Greg Hines contributed so much to the early years of where the sport is today,” said WON BASS Hall of Famer, Gary Klein. “He helped build the competition anglers across the nation know today starting with his first victory at the ‘81 US Open. They said anglers wouldn’t pay a $1,000 entry fee to compete, and we proved them wrong. We did that together as a supporting group of anglers trying to build a future in competitive angling.”

At the start of the 1983 season, we became traveling roommates, and the first thing I learned was you could not give him too much praise. He was just so humble. After a day of practice, we would talk about fishing, but he would only talk about it for a little while because he really wanted to talk about other things such as nature, wildlife and other subjects. Greg was incredibly intelligent.

As a testament to how humble he was, we once went to Lake Tawakani in Texas to fish in some championship event. Of course, he won and picked up about $12,000 in cash and a brand new car. That evening we went to dinner, and on the way I said, “Greg, it's so incredible you just won a new car!” and he said "Thanks. What do you think you're going to order for dinner.” 

He just would not accept you going on and on and praising him about his accomplishments; he was just the humblest person that I've ever met.

“Greg had a natural intuition when it came to the outdoors,” said 3-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, Joe Thomas. “Not only as a fisherman but also as hunter. But honestly, what always impressed me most about Greg Hines was his honesty and gentle spirit”

Greg’s greatest ability was driving down the lake, looking at an area and knowing that is the spot that will win him the tournament.  He just had this ability to get into an area and know it was where he was going to focus his efforts. It was natural for him. 

“The amount that I’ve learned from Greg and still apply to my fishing today is pretty crazy,” said 2-time Bassmaster Classic runner up, Brent Ehrler.  “I’m fortunate to have been friends with Greg and to learn from him. He was an amazing fisherman, a great person and an even better friend.”

I was inducted into the WON BASS Hall of Fame last October, and I'm so happy for my best friend Greg Hines to be inducted along with so many other great anglers. He would be so proud to know that at this year's U.S. Open, he's going to be inducted with two of his favorite people of all time, Dee Thomas and Harvey Naslund. 

“We never know how long we have,” said Greg’s brother, bass pro Larry Hines. “Greg lived a good life doing what he loved. Few people can say that. Everybody has said ‘I would sure like to go there or do that.’ Well Greg did it. I sure miss him.”

A statement sent to Western Outdoor News by his daughters, Staci and Amy Hines, read:

We are forever grateful for the way that our dad raised us. At a very young age we were outdoors, learning about nature. Our dad showed us how to navigate the ocean, the lakes, the forest and the desert. Fishing and hunting were not a just a hobby, but a way of life. Our dad was the quintessential outdoorsman. There are very few with the experience and knowledge that he has gained from his adventures in nature. Many of the lessons that we received were not taught, but experienced. The knowledge that he has shared with us will be his legacy, as it has already been shared and passed down to our children and will continue to be experienced and enjoyed.