A Conversation with a Legend: Bill Dance
When Byron Velvick opened the latest episode of Fishtails, he didn’t hide his excitement. In fact, he admitted he was more nervous hosting this interview than he ever was handing out roses on national television. And the reason was simple. His guest was someone he’s admired for more than three decades—a mentor, a supporter, and one of the most influential names in the sport of fishing. This episode belonged to Bill Dance.
Velvick began by describing the impact Dance has had on countless anglers, including himself. From the moment he met him 30 years ago—nervous, hat in hand, asking for an autograph—Velvick said Dance made him feel welcome in a sport that can be notoriously difficult to break into. That support stayed with him throughout his professional career.
Dance, recently celebrated for his 85th birthday, has no shortage of accolades. A bridge has been named in his honor. Luke Bryan wrote a song about him. He has been recognized as Tennessee’s Man of the Year. He holds an honorary doctorate in fish ecology from the University of Tennessee. And since 1968, “Bill Dance Outdoors” has been a staple of American fishing culture. As Velvick put it, there may be no more recognized fisherman anywhere in the world.
When Velvick finally introduced him, Dance responded with the same humility he’s known for, crediting his success not to fame or luck but to surrounding himself early in life with people smarter than he was. That, he said, created stepping stones he never could have imagined as a kid growing up in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
Dance then shared the story of the first bass that changed his life. Long before modern tackle shops existed, he would stare at lures locked in the display case of a small hardware store. The one he dreamed of—a frog-colored wooden jitterbug—cost 75 cents, a fortune for a child in the 1940s. One day his grandmother handed him three silver quarters from her apron and told him to go buy that bait. That lure became the centerpiece of a moment he still remembers vividly: spotting two bass in clear water at Cumberland Springs Lake, making a cast with shaking knees, and watching a two-and-a-half-pound fish explode on his jitterbug. That fish, he said, determined the direction of his entire life. From that moment forward, he knew he didn’t want to be a doctor like generations of his family before him. He wanted to fish.
That childhood spark eventually carried Dance into tournaments, lure testing, newspaper columns, radio, television, and a career that redefined outdoor entertainment. But one pivotal encounter came years later on Pickwick Lake, long before modern electronics or advanced mapping. While fishing from a small aluminum boat with his wife, Diane, a boat pulled up carrying three men: a state game official, legendary angler Glenn Andrews, and Ray Scott, the founder of B.A.S.S.
That chance meeting changed everything. Andrews explained deep-water structure—creek channel turns, contour breaks, and offshore lines Dance had never considered. Dance took their advice, made a cast to 23 feet of water, and caught his first true deep-water bass. The moment stunned him. He instantly realized that the bass world was bigger than he had ever imagined and that if he wanted to compete in the coming era of tournament fishing, he had to completely relearn how he approached the sport.
He did just that. Night after night, he called Andrews to ask questions about topo maps, line compasses, and underwater structure. He began scanning Pickwick for anything unusual—roadbeds, ledges, and bluff edges. When he eventually fished his first major tournament, he relied on what he learned offshore and found several productive deep-water locations that set the tone for his competitive success.
Velvick listened, captivated, as Dance traced the line from a jitterbug bought with three quarters to a career that spanned generations and shaped the sport of fishing.
It was more than an interview. It was a story of passion, mentorship, and the unexpected moments that define a life. And as Velvick said at the start, spending a podcast episode with Bill Dance was an honor—one that showcased not just a fishing legend, but a man whose influence reaches far beyond the water.
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