Yesterday was Veterans Day. The Lane family wants each and every man and woman who’s a veteran to know we appreciate what you did, or what you are doing. Because of you we are able to enjoy the freedoms and the lifestyle we have. We thank you for that.
And, I’m sad to report that the Guntersville Wildcats lost their Super Bowl game to the Etowah Blue Devils by a score of 6-0. It was a hard fought game. We congratulate the Blue Devils on their win.
This week, and next, we’re going to talk about the upcoming Bassmaster Classic and about the Alabama Bass Trail. Both are important events in bass fishing. They show the importance and the depth of our sport.
The 2014 Classic is likely to be one of the great ones. I suspect it’ll be written about for some time to come. Here’s the thing — Guntersville is probably the hottest bass lake in the country right now.
But there’s more to Guntersville than a lot of guys think, at least as far as the guys who don’t fish here regularly anyway. What I mean is that it has a reputation as a big bass lake. That reputation is well deserved. It’s probably your best shot at the biggest fish of your life.
The thing is, though, there’s more to Guntersville than that. It’s one heck of a numbers lake. It’s possible to catch dozens of bass in the 3-4 pound class in a day. And, it has a wealth of different areas in which to do it.
The upper end of the lake is much like a river system; the middle section is full of creeks and other inflows, along with a ton of grass; and the lower section will give you access to plenty of deep water.
Fish this bad boy anyway you want.
What do you think is likely to happen when the best competitive bass anglers on the planet are turned lose on a place like that? There’s no telling what kind of bags will be carried to the scales when the action starts. I’m thinking it’s possible that new records will be set. I’m also thinking that those records will hold for years and years.
The other thing about this Classic is that the city of Guntersville has excellent facilities for the trade show. There’s plenty of parking available and plenty of display room. The weather will likely be decent and there will be enough hotel and motel rooms available to handle the crowds.
Add to that the fact that the city is really taking this Classic seriously. Mayor Leigh Dollar attended the Classic in Oklahoma this past February with the express purpose of making sure she knows what happens at a Bassmaster Classic. She’s working hard to make sure Guntersville and all its citizens do B.A.S.S. and the Classic proud. The bottom line is that this Classic will be one for the ages. I’m really looking forward to fishing it.
Another thing that’s happening around here is the Alabama Bass Trail (ABT). Next week we’re going to go over the details of what it’s all about. But for now let me tell you that we’re the only state that’s offering 11 tournaments, on 11 dynamite waters, with $10,000 guaranteed to the winner of the first 10 events and a fully rigged bass boat to the winner of the Championship.
Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.