Hank Williams Jr. On Stage (2)

WATCH: Amazing Vintage Video Of Hank Williams Jr. Bass Fishing In Guatemala

This vintage video of Hank Williams Jr. might be the coolest fishing video on the internet. The video is courtesy of Rapala. Rapala is one of the biggest brands in the fishing industry. It was founded in 1936 in Finland by a man named Lauri Rapala. He’s credited with creating the world’s first floating minnow lure. He first whittled a cork into the shape of a small fish. Then melted candy bar wrappers and photography film negatives over it for waterproofing. He was initially just trying to find a better way to catch a pike. Instead, he wound up launching one of the biggest companies in the fishing industry.

Rapala lures are now sold in more than 140 countries. In 2019, Field and Stream named the original Rapala Floating Minnow the 3rd best topwater bait in fishing history. An American-based subsidiary known as Rapala USA is now based out of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Additionally, their lures can be found in every single Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas across North America. Rapala has long marketed and showcased their lures through fishing videos and T.V. shows. That trend continues today, with new content about their most modern products periodically popping up online. However, 2 years ago Rapala opened up their vaults. They released 9 full-length episodes of some of their earliest T.V. shows from way back in the day. They’re all amazing, but the one featuring Hank Williams Jr. is particularly incredible.

Rapala’s Vintage Episodes Are Like A Time Machine Back To The Glory Days Of Fishing

The videos found in the vintage vault are best summed up by a direct description from Rapala:

“Witness first-hand the glory days of sport fishing’s past as you travel to some of the world’s most fabled fishing destinations. Come along with fishing industry legends and Rapala Founders, Ray Ostrom & Ron Weber plus Bill Cullerton – Rapala’s first rep group namesake with a supporting cast of others from Ray Scott, founder of B.A.S.S., Mark Sosin, legendary saltwater angler and fishing celebrity and the local guides that put them on some of the best fishing in the western hemisphere.

Filmed in the 1960s into the 1970s, witness a bygone era with trips from Alaska to the Amazon to the Baja and Costa Rica featuring fishing gear, tackle, and boats from the fledgling days of some of today’s most famous brands that will make any collector swoon.”

Hank Williams Jr. Goes Bass Fishing In The Land Of The Giants

All of the videos are well worth tuning into. But easily the most amazing episode in the collection includes a young Hank Williams Jr.. It’s him just absolutely crushing monster bass down in Central America. The video opens with Hank introducing himself as Bocephus and then breaking into an acoustic performance of the Montana Song in front of a gun cabinet while a taxidermied grizzly bear, zebra skin rug, and elephant tusk decorate the backdrop.

Hank Williams Jr. then talks about some of his favorite North American fishing trips. Then he sets the stage and talks about the stories he had heard about the absolute slabs fishermen were hauling in from a lake down in Guatemala, and then the adventure begins.

Bocephus narrates the video which picks up with him boarding a flight in New Orleans. Then it details the entire adventure. It wraps up with him back in front of the gun cabinet reminiscing on his fishing trip to the Land Of The Giants.

Rapala / YouTube