Bill Dance (born William George Dance, Jr.; October 7, 1940) is an

angler Angler may refer to: * A fisherman who uses the fishing technique of angling * ''Angler'' (video game) * The angler, ''Lophius piscatorius'', a monkfish * More generally, any anglerfish in the order Lophiiformes * '' Angler: The Cheney Vice Pres ...

and host of '' Bill Dance Outdoors'', a

fishing television series Fishing television series are a genre of television programs revolving around recreational and sport fishing. Shows usually share a similar format and features with hunting television shows, and could be considered a subgenre Genre () is any ...

on the

Outdoor Channel Outdoor Channel is an American pay television channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including ...

, and ''Bill Dance Saltwater'' on the

Sportsman Channel Sportsman Channel is an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network owned by the Outdoor Sportsman Group subsidiary of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The channel is dedicated to programming about outdoor sports, incl ...

Biography

Raised in Lynchburg,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, Dance considered becoming a doctor, but changed his mind after happening upon a grisly motorcycle accident in the early 1960s. He then turned his focus to competing in bass tournaments. A

fishing lure A fishing lure is a broad type of artificial angling baits that are replicas designed to mimic real prey animals and attract the attention of predatory fish, using appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud ...

manufacturer that sponsored him suggested he should start a TV show to promote the product. The program originally began on

WHBQ-TV WHBQ-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with the Fox network and owned by Imagicomm Communications. The station's studios are located on South Highland Street (near the campus of the Univers ...

, then the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

affiliate in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, in 1968. Dance's signature look includes sunglasses and a

Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegi ...

baseball cap. He received his first cap from their coach,

Doug Dickey Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, wher ...

, in the late 1960s. He lives in Eads, with his wife, Dianne. With fellow fishermen Roland Martin and Jimmy Houston, he formed the company Th3 Legends to sell signature products.

Achievements

* 1969 Barry Hamilton World Gut Hook Champion * Member,

International Game Fish Association The International Game Fish Association (''IGFA'') is the leading authority on angling pursuits and the keeper of the most current World Record fishing catches by fish categories. Fishermen who are sport fishers are careful to follow their string ...

's Hall of Fame * 1970, 1974, 1977: B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year. * 23 National Bass Fishing titles and 7 B.A.S.S. titles. * Caught first bass in B.A.S.S. history. * 1986: National Freshwater Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dance, Bill American fishers Angling writers 1940 births Living people People from Collierville, Tennessee People from Shelby County, Tennessee People from Lynchburg, Tennessee