Congratulations to Edwin Evers! What a monster final day. I cannot imagine the feeling of needing a huge bag on the final day and then coming through with it. Well played sir, well played.
How did you all fare in Fantasy Fishing for the Classic? I finished in the Top 10 percent, but I missed by not taking Evers and I missed by choosing Mike Iaconelli. I was happy with Aaron Martens, Todd Faircloth, Jason Christie and James Watson. Oh well, it was still fun.
The live footage reminds me of watching the Masters. Jumping from competitor to competitor, knowing roughly how many bass, or pounds (strokes) back, a competitor is makes for a fun watch. I feel like I will be less productive on several Thursday-to-Sunday stretches coming up.
Even with minimal research, the St. Johns was one of the easiest events to pick. Here is how I see it.
Bucket A: Jones
A is for Alton Jones. Three Top 5 finishes makes him probably the most popular pick. Jones had a great Classic, and he has shown in the past that the St. Johns is right in his wheelhouse.
Something new I did this time to put my mind around who has had success and who has momentum is picking a Top 5. In order, I chose Jones, Chris Lane, Keith Combs, Greg Hackney and Evers.
Bucket B: Faircloth
Faircloth has three Top 10s, including a second and a fourth, in his last few events on the St. Johns. Faircloth and Jones excel at the same techniques this time of year. I fully expect the Texas duo to come out on top of their respective buckets.
My Top 5 for this bucket are Faircloth, Steve Kennedy, Mark Davis, Brett Hite and Randy Howell. I counted nine Florida anglers in the event. None are in this bucket, and that is partially why I think Faircloth wins this bucket rather handily.
Bucket C: Scroggins
Bucket C has three Florida anglers, and one happens to live in Palatka and also happens to have won here before. Evers and Christie showed in the Classic what a home-field advantage can do if there is a tough bite. I expect Scroggins to have enough spots to hold him for all four days.
My Top 5 in order were Scroggins, Shaw Grigsby, Koby Kreiger, Andy Montgomery and Davy Hite.
Bucket D: Tharp
Randall Tharp is ready for a rebound of sorts. Because he did not fish the Classic, he should have been able to focus on a strong start for 2016, and I assume that means the Honey Badger will find some bass. Tharp will be right at home with the heavy tackle in hand.
My Top 5 in order would be Tharp, Mike McClelland, Cliff Prince, Paul Elias and Takahiro Omori.
Bucket E: Benton
I am going Texas, Texas, Florida, Florida and then Florida again. Drew Benton will be looking to get off to a quick start as he starts his Elite Series career. This bucket is actually loaded with both new and experienced talent, and I expect the Top 5 I give you to move out of Bucket D within three events, tops. My Top 5 to watch in order are Benton, Luke Clausen, Adrian Avena, Brock Mosley and Dave Lefebre.
Maggie and Sam made their picks as well. Maggie has A, Chris Lane; B, Morizu “Big Mama” Shimizu; C, Davy Hite; D, Randall Tharp, and E, Chad Grigsby.
Sam is rolling with A, Greg Hackney; B, Todd Faircloth; C, Casey Ashley; D, Randall Tharp, and E, Drew Benton.
Remember, points are back to zero. The Classic scores do not count, so we are all tied for the season as of right now.
Pick carefully. You can go with your heart instead of head, or mix it up in the first event. It should be another great year that I think will go down to the last event for the anglers and the Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing players. Good luck to all of you!