Countdown to Classic

There's nothing bigger in the bass fishing world than the Classic, and maybe I can make it even more interesting.

I'm going to do my darnedest to keep this blog fresh between now and the Bassmaster Classic. There's nothing bigger in the bass fishing world than this event and maybe I can make it even more interesting. I might give you a reason to root for a certain competitor or hit on something you hadn't thought about.

The Bassmaster Classic — Wow, what I wouldn't give to walk across that stage with a good bag of fish. Yes, me and about 10 million other bass fishermen.

So, if that's the truth (and it is) how do you think Brandon Palaniuk feels right about now? Just two weeks out from actually crossing that stage.

Brandon is only 22 years old. I'd bet the average Classic angler is more like 45. Brandon is from Idaho. There's never been a Classic angler from Idaho.

Brandon qualified through the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation. Good bass fishermen compete in the Federation Nation, but they're not grizzly veterans like Skeet, Ike, Klein, KVD, etc.

The playing field for this year's Classic is the Louisiana Delta. My guess is that Brandon has never been on a piece of water this large and this daunting. It scares me to just look at it on a map. Getting to the fishing spot you have chosen might require an hour run across the ocean."Don't go Brandon. Turn and go back to Idaho. Catch you a few smallmouth on the Snake River and call it a day."

That's what some might do, but I bet Brandon doesn't. Heck, he's got himself a brand new boat, wrapped to promote the Federation Nation and I hope he gets a standing 'O' when he walks across the stage to weigh his limit — you're darn right he's going to get a limit.

There is someone to really root for.

By the way, we intend to "blow out" the coverage of this year's big event on Bassmaster.com. Our dotcom content gang will be kicking it in like never before and bringing you fresh material throughout each day starting real soon. Expect to see live leaderboards, live blogging and timely catches from the water. Also, live interviews concerning the techniques and strategies that these Classic anglers are using will come from the "Hooked up" set. James Hall, Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona, Dave Mercer and others will be handling their chores… Wondering who these "others" are? Well, it's not important. The thing that is important is the fact that you can plug in to Bassmaster.com and follow the Bassmaster Classic all day long.

You can even keep up with Brandon Palaniuk.