Former Classic, Cup champion Hibdon passes at age 58

Dion Hibdon, one of five anglers in history to win the Bassmaster Classic and the Forrest Wood Cup, passed away Monday at the age of 58.

A resident of Versailles, Mo., Hibdon was the son of Bass Fishing Hall of Famer and 1988 Bassmaster Classic winner Guido Hibdon, who was a household name in the sport across his 30-plus year career. They are the only father and son to win the Bassmaster Classic.

Hibdon is survived by wife Amy and sons Payden, Connor and Lawson along with sister Dotty and brother Chuck. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. CT Sunday, Jan. 18 at the Stover Community Center in Stover, Mo.

The Hibdon name is synonymous with bass fishing, not just in their home region around Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, but across the sport and Dion helped cement that legacy throughout his career. A school project he did in 1977 became the basis for the Guido Bug, a soft plastic crayfish imitator that became a highly sought after bait once his father began winning tournaments with it.

As the son of a legend, Dion seemed undeterred following in his father’s sizable footsteps and forged a very successful career for himself.

He fished 168 B.A.S.S. tournaments and posted 21 top-10 finishes. He qualified for eight Classics with his only Bassmaster win coming at the 1997 Classic at Logan Martin Lake, edging Dalton Bobo by one ounce, the narrowest margin of victory in the event’s 55-year history.

His FLW and Major League Fishing career spanned 219 tournaments, which included five victories and 26 top-10s. He qualified for 11 Forrest Wood Cups and won the 2000 version at the Red River, beating Tommy Biffle by less than a pound. His other four victories came at his home lake of Lake of the Ozarks, the most recent of which was a BFL Regional in 2018.

Along with Hibdon, Davy Hite, Luke Clausen, George Cochran and David Fritts are the only other anglers to win the Classic and Cup. 

“I had a lot of respect for Dion and watched his whole career unfold,” said Hall of Famer Kevin VanDam. “Even when his kids got involved, he helped support them throughout their careers. They are a very tight knit family and extremely detail oriented. Being from the Lake of the Ozarks area and Missouri certainly shaped them as some of the best jig fishermen of all time.”

Jay Yelas, who competed against Hibdon for many years across Bassmaster and FLW events and was also part of Chevy’s iconic team alongside Hibdon during their FLW Tour days, was saddened to learn of Hibdon’s passing.

“Dion was a great fisherman and he always did things the right way,” Yelas said. “He was a tremendous credit to the sport of bass fishing. He will be missed by the bass fishing community.”

Sarcoxie, Mo., native and current pro angler Jeremy Lawyer was a fan of Dion long before he competed against him on various circuits.

“They helped prove that there were a lot of Midwest fishermen who could fish anywhere in the country,” Lawyer said. “What helped was the Brauers [Denny and son Chad] being from same area. They all played key roles.”

Lawyer said the Hibdons were always approachable and generous when it came to sharing their knowledge, especially about Lake of the Ozarks.

“What was more beneficial than watching them on a TV show was when they’d be at a boat show or outdoor show, especially around here, because you knew they’d be talking about dock fishing,” he said. “And they were always real open and honest, I felt. Those seminars and local interactions were more valuable because you knew it was going to benefit you at home.”

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