February 23, 2022
By Todd Ceisner
Steve Quinn and his wife were supposed to be dog sitting last weekend for their daughter, who had an out-of-town trip scheduled. They planned to meet halfway, pick up the dog and head home. Pretty simple stuff.
When they arrived at the designated drop-off spot—a McDonald’s in Hinkley, Minn.—Quinn was surprised to find his son and his wife, and their two kids were also there. He wasn’t expecting a fast-food family gathering.
“I was like, ‘What’s up? What are you all doing here,’” said Quinn. “That’s when they pulled out a sign that said ‘Congrats. Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.’ I still didn’t understand what was going on.”
Surrounded by his wife and kids and grandchildren, who were all in on the surprise, Quinn, an editor and contributor at In-Fisherman since the late 1980s, got the news that he has been elected to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
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“I was flabbergasted and really taken by surprise,” he said.
Legendary bass angler and In-Fisherman editor Steve Quinn receives Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction honor. Joining Quinn in the 2022 induction class are pro angler Tommy Biffle, Major League Fishing executive Kathy Fennel, former B.A.S.S. tournament director Dewey Kendrick, the late pro angler Aaron Martens, and the late pro angler and lure designer Lonnie Stanley. The induction ceremony will take place Oct. 6, 2022, at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo.
“It’s a wonderful honor and very humbling,” Quinn said. “I have had such a varied career, which has been very fulfilling and to see it come around full circle feels great.”
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A native of Manhattan, N.Y., Quinn earned an English degree from Dickinson College and a graduate degree in fisheries biology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1982. After graduation, he took a job as a fishery biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
In 1988, Quinn joined the editorial staff at In-Fisherman, where he oversaw the magazine’s annual Bass Guide, served as co-host of the In-Fisherman TV and radio series and contributed writings to an extensive book series covering everything from bass to catfish to crappies.
It was soon after he started at In-Fisherman that Quinn received a call from B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott, who invited him to attend the 1988 Bassmaster Classic at the James River near Richmond, Va. Quinn jumped at the opportunity to get an up-close look at the event and be privy to some of the pro-driven tackle trends that often arose from the prestigious tournament.
During the past three-plus decades, Quinn has penned countless words – his byline has appeared approximately 800 times in In-Fisherman—that have helped anglers across North America catch more and bigger fish—and have more fun on the water.
“Steve brought new and unique perspectives to problems anglers faced, by bringing science to bear in conjunction with intense field research,” said In-Fisherman Editor-in-Chief Doug Stange. “That combination made In-Fisherman unique—honest and seasoned field perspectives tempered with the best science available. Steve was the heart and soul of that initiative.”
Quinn’s work was not limited to the pages of In-Fisherman or its broadcast airwaves. He continued to write papers and collaborate on research projects that were published in scientific journals. His first scientific paper in 1989—one of more than 50 that he authored—offered proof that voluntary releasing of caught largemouth bass leads to improved fishing quality. He was the first fishing magazine editor to hold the status of Certified Fisheries Professional with the American Fisheries Association.
Quinn, who was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2016 as a legendary communicator, retired from his full-time role at In-Fisherman in 2018, but remains a Field Editor and continues to contribute to the magazine on a regular basis.
