06/09/2026
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame has learned that Harold Allen, a 2015 inductee and member of the famed Hemphill Gang, is battling an aggressive form of cancer and would ask that you keep him and his family in your thoughts.
Known across the sport as “The Legend,” Allen helped shape professional bass fishing as we know it today from his home base in east Texas. Alongside fellow Hall of Famers Larry Nixon, Rick Clunn and Tommy Martin, among others, Allen was one cog in the Hemphill Gang that used Toledo Bend Reservoir as the backdrop to develop techniques and innovations that helped shape modern competitive bass fishing. Allen’s specialty has always been deep water structure and he was known as a great soft-plastic worm angler. He competed in 264 Bassmaster events and made 15 Bassmaster Classic appearances.
Beyond statistics and accomplishments, though, Allen earned the respect of his peers through his professionalism, humility, and unwavering passion for the sport. Allen is an indomitable character who has impacted countless people either on guided fishing trips, on the tournament trails or just amongst friends and acquaintances.
If you’ve got a story to share about your experience with Allen, feel free to drop it below.
