Hank Cherry was within striking distance of winning the 2013 Bassmaster Classic during his Elite Series Rookie of the Year season. After not qualifying in 2019, Hank Cherry came charging back with a wire-to-wire win in 2020, the historic 50th anniversary of the Bassmaster Classic.
On Lake Ray Roberts, Hank Cherry became one of only a handful of tournament anglers to win 2 Bassmaster Classic world championships. Cherry also joined Rick Clunn, Kevin VanDam and Jordan Lee as the only anglers to win the tournament back-to-back.
Hank Cherry's father "created a monster" when he started taking him fishing at an early age. While Hank was also a talented baseball player, fishing was his real passion, and winning the Bassmaster Classic quickly became one of his life goals. Other priorities and financial hardships took Hank away from the sport he loved on more than one occasion, but something always drew him back.
In 2012, Hank, with his family's support, committed to fishing the Bassmaster Opens, one last attempt to become a full-time tournament bass angler. That year, on Smith Lake, the good Lord blessed Hank with a win, a qualification for the Elite Series and a spot in the Bassmaster Classic, a tournament he nearly won. "The one that got away", would haunt Hank until sweet redemption came right around the corner from the tournament launch site on Lake Guntersville seven years later.
With the Lord's help and encouragement from wife Jaclyn and children Christian and Bella Grace, Hank Cherry led all three days of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic and, at the final weigh-in, the Cherry family took a victory lap with the American flag and the 50th Bassmaster Classic trophy. The blessings continued in 2021 when the confetti dropped and Hank hoisted his second Bassmaster trophy, making him only the 4th back-to-back Bassmaster Classic champion.
