As the sole competitor in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic over 50 years old, and one of two original Elites in the field, Bill Lowen is a relic of a different age who has kept his hands dirty to stay relevant.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s followed Dollar Bill since his earliest days on tour. He’s made a career of catching fish out of the shallowest, most off-the-grid places on any fishery, but as he saw his peers fade away, replaced by anglers young enough to be his kids, Lowen got away from himself.
“Probably the biggest achievement of my career, but the worst thing that ever happened to me, was winning at Pickwick in 2021,” he said. “After that, all I wanted to do was win another blue trophy. Throw forward-facing sonar in on top of that, and I lost myself.”…