07/30/2026
Why we do it...
The History of the Buchanan Bass Battle
Some fishing tournaments are built around competition.
The Buchanan Bass Battle was built around friendship.
In 2011, two men who shared a passion for bass fishing, Hardy Buchanan and Tony McCalmant, set out to answer a simple question.
"Why is there such a divide between the Washington club and the Idaho club?"
At the time, the Inland Empire Bass Club and Idaho Panhandle Bass Anglers shared the same waters yet rarely had an opportunity to come together as one community. Hardy believed the sport was bigger than club rivalries. He envisioned an event where anglers from both organizations could compete together, build friendships, share stories, and strengthen the bass fishing community throughout the Inland Northwest.
With that vision in mind, Hardy and Tony created the Bass Battle.
The tournament wasn't designed simply to determine who caught the biggest limit. It was created to foster camaraderie, friendly competition, and lasting relationships between anglers from Washington and Idaho. As the years passed, additional clubs joined the event, further strengthening the friendships and proving that while anglers may belong to different clubs, they all share the same love for bass fishing.
Sadly, only months after helping create the inaugural Bass Battle, Hardy Buchanan passed away on October 7, 2011.
Hardy's life was one of service, leadership, and family. A United States Marine Corps veteran, he served in law enforcement with the Kern County Sheriff's Department, Culver City Police Department, and later the Spokane County Sheriff's Office before retiring in 2001. Alongside his wife, Christina “Chris”, Hardy made North Idaho his home, where he became known as a devoted husband, father, mentor, and community volunteer.
Retirement gave Hardy the opportunity to pursue what had become his greatest passion…bass fishing. As Vice President of the Inland Empire Bass Club, he poured his enthusiasm into growing the sport and bringing anglers together. Those who knew Hardy remember not only his love of fishing, but also his welcoming spirit, genuine kindness, and ability to make everyone feel like they belong.
Following his passing, the tournament was renamed the Buchanan Bass Battle in honor of the man whose vision helped create it.
Today, the tournament continues to celebrate Hardy's legacy. More than a competition, it serves as an annual reminder that the greatest victories in fishing are not always measured on the scales. They are measured in friendships formed, stories shared at the weigh-in, and the lifelong relationships when clubs come together as one community.
Each August, near Hardy’s birthday on August 19, anglers gather not only to compete, but to carry forward the vision he and Tony shared in 2011, a vision of unity, sportsmanship, and friendship.
