Predications on who will be the Bassmaster Classic champion are a dime a dozen. Every newspaper article or website having anything to do with the outdoors has a guess from people who think they know the winner.
I know it's all in fun, but why doesn't someone get creative and pick an angler other than KVD, Skeet or Gary Klein? Even Bassmaster.com has got their predictions. (I will say the people they're asking are pretty unusual.)
I've done the predicting myself. On several occasions I have said I believe someone surprising or unexpected will come away as Champion of this event. I don't know who that is, but I'm going to pick three names who I think could really surprise everyone.
No, I won't pick one of the qualifiers from the Open events, because I don't know them very well. Same goes for the Federation Nation anglers, although lots of people are picking Brandon Palaniuk. He's kind of a sexy choice because he's young, a new comer to the scene, he's from Idaho and is the Federation Nation Champion.
I'm going with Elite anglers.
Why hasn't someone chosen Dean Rojas? Boy, here's one heck of a bass fisherman. He's such a pleasant, unassuming guy, that you over look the fact that he's a competitive son of a gun. He knows his way around the Delta. He excels in shallow water and at this time of year. Heck, he caught the largest one-day limit in B.A.S.S. history. Yet I don't see his name on any lists. Dean has won three B.A.S.S. events and is in his ninth Classic. He's my favorite.
That is unless I pick Mark Davis. Now you talk about hiding in the weeds. Davis could possibly be doing just that.
Here's another great angler who's being overlook. He's won the Classic before. The big stage doesn't bother him. Winner of five B.A.S.S. events, this will be his 15th Bassmaster Classic. He is so knowledgeable when it comes to finding fish. Davis will be my No. 1 pick for your winner.
No, wait. I want to think about Todd Faircloth. Don't see Todd on anyone's radar and here is why he's so capable of winning. Out of 143 events, he's been in the money 103 times. That's pretty tough. He's in the B.A.S.S. million-dollar club. He is always right in the middle of the Angler of the Year race and like Rojas, excels in shallow water.
Then there's Boyd Duckett, Steve Kennedy and Dave Wolak. Anyone of those could be No. 1 on my list.
This is so confusing. Think I'll just go with KVD, Skeet and Gary Klein.