Happy Hump Day Obots!
Today’s sportsman is a true pioneer in the world of professional bass fishing. The first African-American to compete and place in the top five of a major tournament, the first to host his own television show on the sport, and the first to create his own professional tournament, as well as founder of the largest African-American organization for Professional Anglers.
Jim Austin
Fishing is in Jim Austin’s blood. He was only five years old when he reeled in his first bream—a thrill he has never forgotten and he’s been smitten with fishing ever since. Today, Austin is well-known in the southeast fishing circuit as a champion angler and holds the record for the largest bass caught on Lake Oconee, Georgia, weighing in at nearly 14 lbs.
Austin is a native of Atlanta, GA and was raised in the segregated South during the 1950s and 60s where African Americans were restricted to fishing mostly in small creeks and ponds. His passion for the sport led him to break through the ranks of national fishing tournaments as a young adult. Austin became the first African American to successfully compete in the Red Man Tournament, where he captured 5th Place in the Bulldog Division.
As a result of Austin’s determination to eliminate the many obstacles faced by African American anglers striving to compete on a professional level he founded the “Sportsman Association of Black Bass Anglers” (S.A.B.B.A.) in 1985. SABBA is the first national African American fishing organization. Austin’s enthusiasm and expertise in the sport attracts more anglers each year and today there are SABBA clubs in 29 states with more than 1,500 members. Since its start in 1985, SABBA has awarded more than $1 million in cash and prizes to competing anglers during annual national tournaments.
Still making history, Austin is the first African American to host a television fishing series on a major network. “I needed to find a way to make fishing a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone,” said Austin. Angler’s Paradise made it debut on Fox Sports South in 2001 and developed loyal multi-ethnic audiences during seven cumulative seasons on Fox, Comcast and the Black Family Channel. As the host of Angler’s Paradise, Austin has found the perfect vehicle to increase public awareness of bass fishing as a major sport, improve the fishing skills of outdoor enthusiasts, and promote fellowship while encouraging young people to participate in this growing sport. Austin teaches fishing at Morehouse College in Atlanta and his fishing trail, “Fishing with Jim Austin,” has five tournaments a year.
