Ray W. Scott, Jr. was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1933. He served in the US Army in Germany and when he returned to the states he attended Auburn University on the GI Bill where he graduated with a BA in business.

He is best known for founding the world’s largest sport fishing organization – the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). It all started in 1967 when Scott walked away from a successful career in insurance to host the first national pro bass fishing tournament on Beaver Lake, Arkansas. Six months later he created B.A.S.S. and changed the face of bass fishing forever.

He set in motion one of the most successful wildlife conservation campaigns of modern times—“Don’t Kill Your Catch.” He delivered his message to his exploding membership and today it is part of the American sportfishing psyche.

In 1989 he established the Whitetail Institute of North America which researches and develops nutritious deer forages and supplements and educates hunters and land managers about sound management practices to improve the environment and the resource.

In 2010 Scott founded another successful enterprise – the Ray Scott Trophy Bass Retreat, where guests can bring their family, business associates and friends to enjoy bass fishing on his private lakes. The world famous President’s Lake – named for the numerous visits by President George Bush Sr. and President George W. Bush – is one of the most legendary lakes in the United States, and he is proud to make it available for the first time to anyone interested in an outstanding bass fishing trip.