Harold "The Legend" Allen passes at age 81!

By Craig Lamb

BASS Press Release

Harold Allen, a legendary B.A.S.S. pioneer whose career began in the mid-1970s, passed away peacefully on June 26 after a prolonged illness. He was 81 years old. 

Born and raised in East Texas, Allen honed his angling skills as a guide on Toledo Bend, which back in its early heyday of the 1970s was a haven for some of the nation’s top bass guides. Specifically at mid-lake where the top names were based in Hemphill, Texas. A cadre of guides emerged as powerhouse anglers on the B.A.S.S. tour due to their considerable time spent on the big bass fishery. Most of them fished over 200 days each year, keeping them sharp regardless of where the tour stopped. 

B.A.S.S. founder and president Ray Scott collectively called that group of anglers the “Hemphill Gang” with Allen as a founding member. Others included Tommy Martin and Larry Nixon, both of whom won Bassmaster Classic titles, and John Torian and Jon Hall. 

Allen’s standout B.A.S.S. career began in 1974, making him one of the pioneers of modern-day tournament angling. Allen competed in 264 tournaments during a career spanning four decades. He qualified for 15 Classics from 1977 through 2004, finished a remarkable 114 times in the money, and earned 38 Top 10 finishes. A career highlight was Allen’s performance at the 1981 Classic on the Alabama River, where he finished by less than one pound to winner Stanley Mitchell. That memorable finish remains one of the closest championship battles in Classic history. 

All the above accolades validate why Allen was affectionately referred to as “The Legend.”

Ask anyone who fished against Allen, and one technique immediately comes to mind—the plastic worm. Allen elevated worm fishing into an art form. His uncanny ability to read offshore structure, interpret subtle bottom changes, and patiently work a worm through productive areas became his trademark.

Long before GPS mapping and forward-facing sonar changed tournament fishing, Allen relied on instinct, experience, paper maps, triangulation, and countless hours on the water to find productive structure. His presentations were rarely flashy. Instead, they were methodical, deliberate, and incredibly effective. Many pro anglers credit Allen with helping popularize deep-water worm fishing throughout the South, particularly on reservoirs like Toledo Bend.

In 2015, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame recognized what anglers had known for decades by inducting Allen into its prestigious ranks. The honor celebrated not only his accomplishments but also his lasting impact on the sport.