Classic Nation angler profile: Troy Diede

South Dakota angler Troy Diede wants to win the Classic trophy and show it off to his young daughters.

Whenever their dad comes home from a tournament, 5-year-old Gabby and 3-year-old Makiah Diede ask him if he got a trophy.

Troy Diede hopes to show his daughters and his wife, Jen, the grandest bass fishing trophy of all after winning the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.

“I have been dreaming about this ever since I was a little kid,” Diede said of his chance to fish his first Classic. “I would like to hoist that trophy over my head. It would be an absolute blessing, an absolute honor.”

Diede, 30, follows in the footsteps of Jami Fralick as only the second B.A.S.S. Nation angler from South Dakota to qualify for the Classic. He earned his Classic berth by finishing as the top Northern Divisional competitor in the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship (BNC).

His love of bass fishing and competitive nature prompted Diede to join the SOO Bassmasters club in 2007. His Nation highlights include making the South Dakota state team twice and placing 13th overall in the BNC.

During the BNC, Diede got to “brush up against” Paul Mueller, Jeff Lugar and Coby Carden, three Nation anglers he watched on television as they competed in the 2014 Classic. Diede remembers how amazing it was for him to watch Mueller weigh in his Classic record limit of 32 pounds, 3 ounces.

“He is an inspiration to me,” said Diede, an engineering technician from Sioux Falls. “He is a super, super sharp guy and a super nice guy.”

Diede had never been on the Classic waters of Lake Hartwell until he took the 20-hour drive in December to pre-fish the lake for a week. During his time on the water, Diede saw some of the pros he will have to compete against in the Classic.

“It was pretty intimidating,” he said. “I was on Hartwell a couple of days and I saw Mike Iaconelli buzzing around out there. One day I launched and there was Keith Combs and John Crews and then Chris Lane came zipping by me at one point during the day.”

Preparing for the Classic has been surreal for Diede.

“Sometimes I feel like I am actually not in the Classic and I just get to go to it,” he said. “I am more excited about meeting some of these anglers because I have never been to a Classic, even just to watch it.”

Diede will be more than a spectator at this year’s Classic, though. He wants to bring home that trophy for his girls.