Former Bassmaster competitor and renowned bait manufacturer Lonnie Stanley died today at age 76. He'd been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer last spring and was also battling other health issues.
A five-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier who resided in Huntington, Texas, Stanley won the 1987 Megabucks event at Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. His other B.A.S.S. victory was at the Sam Rayburn Reservoir Central Invitational in 1997. He competed in his last B.A.S.S. event in 2002 – another Central Open at Rayburn.
He founded Stanley Jigs in 1979 and the company later expanded into producing spinnerbaits, specialty blades and plastics. The Ribbit Frog was its most popular plastic offering.
"He was a pioneer in the fishing industry and the jig business," said Larry Nixon, a longtime Stanley pro-staffer. "He was constantly tweaking and coming up with colors we needed to catch bass and he was one of the first to put a good hook in a jig for casting. He was the man."
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Carroway Funeral Home (2704 S. John Reddit Dr., Lufkin, Texas. Visitation will begin an hour earlier.
To read a 2019 feature article on Stanley and his company from the Athens Daily Review, click here.
