Bill Dance

“When I think about all the positive changes made in the sport of fishing, and a few that I may have helped contribute to, the one that sticks out most in my mind is the change in attitudes regarding catch-and-release...we needed to protect our resource... A lot of ingenuity and some great promotional work certainly helped.”

​​​​​​​-Bill Dance, tournament fisherman and host of one of the first televised fishing shows.

Following in the footsteps of Lee Wulff and Ray Scott, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Bill Dance broke barriers by making catch and release more relatable to the casual or weekend angler. In 1968 Bill Dance broke barriers by creating one of the first televised fishing shows and allowing him to introduce catch and release to a large population of fishermen.

In 1968, “Bill Dance Outdoors” premiered on National Broadcasting Company Sports Network, eventually attracting millions of viewers weekly. Each week Dance caught fish on new lures and introduced catch and release to viewers by releasing his catch. Since then Dance has recorded over 2000 shows and 18 million viewers.

“The catch-and-release movement became a big part of the fabric of fishing. As I reflect on it, I now realize it was going green in a way, and recycling long before recycling was even on the radar of most people. But were recycling fish and not cans, cardboard or plastic.” -Bill Dance.