After fishing professionally for more than four decades, Shaw Grigsby retires with plenty of fish stories. But few are more memorable than the time he landed a 10-pound bass.
“A friend and I were fishing a little lake in Florida, and we were casting out of opposite sides of the boat,” recalled Grigsby, 69, who lives in Gainesville, Fla. “Pretty soon, I felt a bite and let her run a ways before setting the hook. A few seconds later, my friend says, ‘I got one, too.’ We’re both fighting what seemed like big bass when one fish pops to the surface with both lures in its mouth. The best we could figure is that this bass hit both baits. And it was a big fish; a big Florida bass.”
So, who got credit for landing the giant bass? “It wasn’t in a tournament, so we called it a tie,” Grigsby joked.
A Lifetime of Accomplishments
Such moments are what made life as a pro bass fisherman special. He went on from that day of “fun fishing” to become one of the legends of the sport.
Known as one of the best sight fishermen on the pro circuits, he amassed nine wins and 64 top-10 finishes in tournaments on the BASS, FLW and Major League Fishing circuits. He was a consistent contender in just about every tournament he entered, and his humble, outgoing personality earned him a huge following.
But he decided in July that it was time to walk away. Following the last Major League Fishing Tackle Warehouse tournament of 2025, which ran July 25 to 27, he retired as a full-time pro.
“I expected to just go out quietly, but the response has been overwhelming,” Grigsby told Wired2Fish. “I can’t believable the number of emails, phone calls and messages I have gotten since I announced I was retiring. It’s truly touching.”
But Grigsby is convinced he made the right decision. Forty-one years of life as a fulltime pro is enough, he said.
While he plans to still fish a tournament or two, his days of fishing a circuit’s complete schedule are over. “Doing this fulltime takes its toll, both physically and mentally,” he said.
Times Have Changed
It takes Grigsby a while to relate everything on his medical chart. He has had a triple-bypass heart surgery, two back operations, a hip replacement, and knee and shoulder surgeries. That amounts to a lot of new parts.
Mentally, a long career also has taken its toll. “I can tell I’m not as sharp in my decision-making as I once was,” he said. “It’s hard to adjust mentally to not doing as well as you once did. But I have no complaints. I consider myself lucky to have made a career out of something I love.”
Grigsby has come a long way since he first got into competitive fishing. He remembers his first BASS tournament before he even became a fulltime pro. He finished 28 and earned a check for $625. “I thought I was rich,” Grigsby told Wired2Fish.
Back in those days, Grigsby’s only electronics were flasher units, a wheel with marks that indicate the bottom and anything that breaks the signal. He goes out in an era when technology is a big part of the game. His boat today includes everything from sophisticated fish finders to forward-facing sonar, which show live movement of fish.
But old-fashioned fishing is still a big part of the game. Grigsby still relies on sight fishing, spotting bass and figuring out how to get them to hit.
What’s Next for Shaw?
He plans to continue fishing, albeit at a much more leisurely pace, and represent his longtime sponsors. Meanwhile, he uses his fishing tackle to cast for much bigger game — alligators.
He works as a nuisance alligator removal specialist, replying to calls about reptiles that are harassing pets in swimming pools or in backyards. He lures the alligators to the boat with his fishing tackle, then fellow workers use a PVC pipe to extend a lasso to loop the beast’s snout, and the fight is on. Once the alligator is subdued, its mouth is taped shut and it is transported to either a gator farm or a wildlife sanctuary.
The biggest benefit of retirement is getting to spend more time with family, Grigsby said. He looks forward to being around for his wife Polly, their children Amy and Shaw, and his grandchildren.
“I’ll miss the competition,” Grigsby said. “But it was time.”
