Fantasy: Dark horses rule, and choose wisely in Bucket D

The Fantasy Fishing winner for this event won’t win because of his or her A, B, C or E buckets, but rather the choice of anglers in Bucket D.

ORANGE, Texas — Have fun with your picks in Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing presented by Toyota this season on the Elite Series, because this is the most stacked field that anyone has seen. There are so many options to choose from, and with only five spots available, each pick is crucial to success. The multitude of choices should keep the scores between players tight and the standings just as interesting.

Don’t make your picks for the Sabine River any harder than they need to be. Second-guessing can be fatal.

Here are my bounce-back picks after my poor showing at the Bassmaster Classic. Listen if you choose, don’t if you dare.

Bucket A

Conservative: Todd Faircloth

Dark Horse: Greg Hackney

Fishing for smallmouth up north, flipping heavy grass in Florida or any fishery in between, you can’t go wrong with Todd Faircloth. Faircloth has proven his consistency over the years, and he even did well at the Bassmaster Classic, considering he had double pinkeye all week. Oh yeah, and he won the 2013 event on the Sabine River. You can’t go wrong with this Texas hammer.

It’s hard to imagine that the 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year can be considered a dark horse in any event, but the Sabine is one I think Greg Hackney could sneak through the cracks. Revenge factor is something that could play a role for Hackney as well. He was a completely different angler in 2013 when he finished 45th in Angler of the Year and missed the Classic on Lake Guntersville. The momentum from his dominant 2014 season should contribute to his mentality early this season.

I’m taking Hackney.

Bucket B

Conservative: Alton Jones

Dark Horse: Bobby Lane

Texas native Alton Jones did well in this event two years ago, and he was disappointed to be on the sidelines for the 2015 Classic. He has had more opportunities to scout the Sabine and probably eliminate a lot of water. Look for Jones to make a statement and start his season strong in his home state.

Momentum is a thing, and I believe in it greatly. Bobby Lane isn’t happy with finishing second place in the Classic, but it is certainly a good thing that Big Fish Bobby Lane started his 2015 season with back-to-back runner-up finishes (Southern Open on Lake Toho and the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell).

Give me Alton, for now.

Bucket C

Conservative: Ish Monroe

Dark Horse: Russ Lane

Ish Monroe finished the event on the Sabine with a Top 5, and the shallow nature of the Sabine played into Monroe’s comfort zone. Monroe did well to start the season with a 15th-place finish at Lake Toho, despite the circumstances. I think Monroe is mentally ready to bounce back and have a better season than 2014. Running and gunning can hurt anglers on the Sabine, but if he can settle into an area and break it down, then he can most likely be successful again.

Russ Lane is someone I expect to have a good season this year. Last year, he finished 60th in Angler of the Year and missed the Classic, but I expect the Alabama angler to start the season off strong on the shallow confines of the Sabine River.

Sign Russ Lane up on my team.

Bucket D

Conservative: Cliff Pace

Dark Horse: Mark Menendez

You can’t get much more conservative than Cliff Pace, who seems to catch them decent everywhere the Elites travel. Bucket D might be the hardest bucket to choose from because finding a diamond in the rough can be a tough task. The Fantasy Fishing winner for this event won’t win because of his or her A, B, C or E buckets, but rather the choice of anglers in Bucket D.

It’s been quite a long time since Mark Menendez graced the Elite Series with his presence, but he certainly thinks his timing to return couldn’t be any better. I spoke with him at the College Championship at Lake Chatuge last summer and everyone asked him questions pertaining to fishing. My question was simply, “What have you learned since taking a break from the Elites?” He responded with, “I learned that fishing doesn’t matter in the big scheme of life.” That response tells me that he won’t obsess over missed fish and fishing stress-free will be key for his first season back.

I’ll take Menendez.

Bucket E

Conservative: Brent Ehrler

Dark Horse: Koby Kreiger

I don’t think you can go wrong with Brent Ehrler on any body of water, but if there is one venue that is unique on this schedule, it is the Sabine River. I can’t imagine a bad finish for him here, but it’ll be interesting to see how he kicks off his Elite Series season.

With this group of Elite Series rookies, Koby Kreiger stands out to me. Just like Ehrler, he is seasoned and has seen it all. When it comes to diverse fisheries, he manages to figure something out. Hailing from Florida, Kreiger knows how to pick apart shallow targets.

I’m putting my faith in Kreiger.