With temperatures in the 20s, winds around 30 and a Sunday fish-off to determine the winner of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open, there were plenty of quips Saturday. Here’s the best overheard from the final day weigh-in in the Bass Pro Shops parking lot in Grapevine, Texas.
“Today is a day I would have liked to been in 13th, but I came out and gave my all.”
— Mark Tucker, on frigid conditions for Saturday’s top 12
“I get to go fish for $500,000, so this lake I can’t complain about.”
— Tucker, who punched his Classic berth next week on Lewisville last year at the Central Open
“It might have thawed out.”
— Co-angler Jeff Randolph, on why Tommy Jonovich’s trolling motor suddenly started working after failing in the morning
“I realized it was cold when I couldn’t unzip my jacket.”
— Tommy Jonovich
“We had icicles hanging from our nose this morning.”
— Shawn Temple
“Some crazy things have happened this week, maybe I can get lucky and squeak this one out.”
— Brent Chapman, who had the craziest thing happen to him moments later – a fish-off.
“You don’t have a clue how tough these anglers are. I was a solid sheet of ice. Mike looked over and said, ‘Let’s go fishing.’ ”
— Co-angler Keith Glasby on fishing with pro Mike MCClelland
“This means the world to me. I just got really lucky. To weigh fish three days in a row in these conditions … I told myself if I could just weigh one fish today, mission accomplished.”
— Co-angler winner Keith Glasby
“It’s just those fish are a lot colder than they have been today. The water temperature is way warmer.”
— Mike McClelland as his shivering fish slowed the scale reading
“It’s just great to be up here next to Brent. It’s an honor.”
— Josh Bertrand, who tied with Chapman at 20 pounds, 9 ounces and will compete against him Sunday
“I was dragging this on the bottom. Everyone else was throwing it up in the water column.
— Brad Lankford on his 18-1 Thursday, the Luck “E” Strike Heavyweight Award for the heaviest stringer of the tournament, caught with an umbrella rig
“The way it’s been all week for all of us. I was very realistic about it. If it’s going to be my time, it’s going to happen.”
— Bradley Hallman, who held the lead after Day Two but zeroed Saturday
“We got a little situation right here. We’re going to send them out in about an hour … no.”
— Tournament director Chris Bowes, getting a rise out of the tied anglers
“I’ve never had one of these before. I was really looking forward to getting some sleep, but I guess I’m going fishing. How about we go into Bass Pro and have a fish-off in the tank there?”
— Brent Champman