ATHENS, TX - The Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame announced two inductees to its class of 2025 — Ann Thomasson-Wilson of Jasper, Texas, and Rick Clunn of Ava, Missouri.
Thomasson-Wilson is a two-time bass fishing World Champion, fishing tackle innovator and owner of Ann’s Tackle Shop, which she opened in 1986.
Clunn is a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame. He was B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in 1988 and is a four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion.
“Ann and Rick are two of the greats when it comes to Texas freshwater fishing, but their achievements also resound on national and worldwide scales,” said Kelly Jordon, Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame selection committee chairman. “Ann is a two-time world champion, but the impacts she has made on the lives of children and those who come into her tackle shop are innumerable. Rick’s professional career spans an incredible 50 years with multiple championships and victories. His work with high school bass programs and the inspiration he has given to many anglers and non-anglers alike are immeasurable. Ann and Rick were resoundingly selected to be the 2025 inductees, and the Hall of Fame is proud to have them.”
Thomasson-Wilson began her career as a professional angler in 1970 and competed in both Lady Bass and Bass’N Gal’s events until 1996. She secured world championships in back-to-back years, claiming victory at the 1988 Lady Bass Classic Showcase on the Ouachita River in Louisiana followed by a title at the 1989 Bass’N Gal’s Hummingbird Classic Star XIII on the Hudson River in New York.
Ann’s Tackle Shop in Jasper near Lake Sam Rayburn is a destination stop for anglers to pick up their gear before heading to the water. Thomasson-Wilson was hands-on running the daily operations of her tackle shop. She shared her knowledge with her customers and always served as a mentor to those who came through the doors. At the end of 2024, following 39 years in business, she turned the daily running of the shop over to her daughter, Debra Pryor, and longtime staff member Laren Bush. They continue to visit and share their knowledge of what’s happening on the lake with customers.
Some of the gear and baits in Thomasson-Wilson’s shop were also designed by her. She created a brand-new hook design called the G-Lock worm hook #2044, manufactured by Gamakatsu. She invented the “Plum Apple” color which is available in multiple styles of plastic baits. The color was first manufactured by Gene Larew and is now available in several brands. In addition, the “Chrome Red” version of the Rat-L-Trap was also created by Thomasson-Wilson and is still available today.
“I was proud and shocked when I learned that I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Thomasson-Wilson. “I’m so excited and never dreamed about being in the Hall of Fame, but it is such an honor to represent my community, my state and all of those who I’ve had a contact with. Especially all the young folks that are grown now, because I learned from them just like they learned from me.”
The Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame announced two inductees to its class of 2025 — Ann Thomasson-Wilson of Jasper, Texas, and Rick Clunn of Ava, Missouri.
Clunn is one of the greatest professional bass anglers of all time and currently resides in Ava, Missouri, but called Texas home for 50 years. He graduated from La Porte High School and attended the University of Texas. Clunn was a computer programmer at Exxon in Houston but ultimately settled in Montgomery on Lake Conroe where he raised his family and built a guide business. The guide business helped launch his career as a professional angler.
“It’s an incredible honor to be inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame,” said Clunn. “I lived in Texas for almost 50 years of my career, and I knew about the Ed Partens, Jackie Hewletts, Leonard Rannes and others that are in the Hall of Fame. These people are amazing to me, and to be mentioned with them in the Hall of Fame is incredibly humbling. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to be successful, and I have a great family to support me. They are the ones who really have to make sacrifices to allow me the time, energy and resources to go out and achieve something like this. I can’t thank them enough for the sacrifices they made.”
Clunn has competed in an incredible 500 B.A.S.S events during his 50-year career, a feat that may never be duplicated. Clunn is a four-time (1976, 1977, 1984 and 1990) Bassmaster Classic Tournament Champion, tied for the most titles with Kevin VanDam. However, Clunn was the first to achieve the four-win milestone. Clunn has recorded 16 Bassmaster titles (1974-2019) and competed in 32 Bassmaster Classics. He fished in 28 consecutive classics, a Bassmaster record.
Clunn was named the 1988 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, won U.S. Open Championships in 1983 and 1986, the 1985 Red Man All-American Championship and a three-time FLW Tour winner. In addition to his 2001 induction into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, Clunn was selected to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and WON Bass Hall of Fame.
Clunn aimed to use his success to inspire and motivate everyone to achieve their dreams. He sought out ways to teach other anglers the intangible fishing skills that he used during his 50 years as a tournament angler. He worked with high school bass fishing programs through seminars and individual teaching. Some of his students have gone on to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“One of the most rewarding things now is to see all of these young anglers not only getting into fishing, but getting acquainted with nature,” said Clunn. “All of a sudden, the high school kids started competing in high school fishing tournaments and then college fishing tournaments. It was so rewarding to watch, because fishing in my mind is one of the last remaining vehicles to keep humanity connected in this country, to the outdoors and to nature. It’s encouraging to see more young people fishing now than I have ever seen before.”
Shortly after his Bassmaster Classic victory in 1976, Clunn began to refine and expand the concept of seasonal pattern fishing that Roland Martin first began to explore. The concept recognizes that bass relate to specific areas of a waterbody depending on the season. The movements are driven by the presence of food and ideal prevailing environmental conditions. The patterns Clunn refined revolved around dividing a lake into specific areas where the bass would be during a given season, thus eliminating the other areas of a fishery that were unproductive.
“The induction into this Hall of Fame means probably more to me than the others, which will surprise some people,” said Clunn. “The reason is because I worked with a lot of those people and from Day 1 observed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the work they were doing. I was in the Texas Association of Bass Clubs, and we were constantly partnering with TPWD on different things. Over time I came to realize how special TPWD really was because of their creativity and willingness to really try to make things better for those who enjoy the outdoors.”
The Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame is located at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Its mission is to “recognize and honor those who have made a lasting contribution to freshwater fishing in Texas, and to foster a sense of appreciation, awareness and participation in the sport of fishing.”
Since 1997, the Hall of Fame has inducted 39 individuals and organizations, including “Pond Boss” Bob Lusk in 2024. Thomasson-Wilson and Clunn will be inducted as the 40th and 41st members during a ceremony at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in October. For photos of the recent Hall of Fame induction banquet, visit the TPWD Flickr page. To see the videos about each of the 39 members, visit TPWD on YouTube.
Nomination are accepted year round, forms and instructions are available online or by calling 903-676-2277.
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