Fantasy: Go for the closers

Pick anglers who have a knack for swinging for the fences and also anglers who know how to close it out in crunch-time situations.

South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell is the host lake for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. When it comes to selecting my Classic picks for Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing, I like to pick anglers who have a knack for swinging for the fences and also anglers who know how to close it out in crunch-time situations.

Here are my picks:

Bucket A: Powroznik, Pace

Conservative pick: Jacob Powroznik

Powroznik had a fantastic “rookie” season and showed that he can compete wherever the Elites travel to. He won on Toledo Bend bed fishing and fishing shallow areas for largemouth and then they traveled to Escanaba, Mich., where he smashed on some smallmouth and notched the two-day victory there. Bottom line, Powroznik puts in the time and knows how to fish any way he needs to.

Dark horse: Cliff Pace

Not many people will even remember that Pace is in the Classic because the last time they heard his name was after he won the trophy at the 2013 Classic. Hartwell will have low water temps and if it plays out like it did in 2008 when Alton Jones won, then Pace is certainly the angler it sets up for. Slow, methodical jig fishing is his game.

Bucket B: Ashley, Crews

Conservative pick: Casey Ashley

Casey Ashley had a fantastic 2014 on both pro circuits, and while many anglers struggle to close the deal on a body of water close to home, Ashley didn’t. Last season he won the FLW event on Lake Hartwell convincingly, so no doubt he will be highly owned when it comes to picks for the Classic. But you can’t go wrong with a South Carolina stud on a body of water he is comfortable with.

Dark horse: John Crews

Crews has been a consistent force on the Elite Series for the last few seasons, and the versatility of Crews should help when it comes to the Classic. Not to mention that Crews finished 16th in the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, which was on Lake Hartwell as well.

Bucket C: Evers, McClelland

Conservative pick: Edwin Evers

Evers has been at the top of his game for quite some time and on some of the biggest stages, he shows up. Since 2005, Evers has six Top 12 finishes in the Bassmaster Classic, including an 11th-place finish on Hartwell previously. Evers has never won a Classic trophy, but his third-place finish last season definitely has him wanting more, and you can’t go much farther up from third.

Dark horse: Mike McClelland

Mike McClelland is one of the best jerkbait fishermen on the face of the planet, if not the best. His cold-water fishing ability is noted, and I expect McClelland to bring his A-game when it comes time to launch for Day 1 of the Bassmaster Classic. He notched a win on Table Rock Lake early last season and after struggling at Hartwell in 2008, I think redemption is on his mind. This should be in his wheelhouse.

Bucket D: Montgomery, Mueller

Conservative pick: Andy Montgomery

Andy Montgomery finished his season with a good performance in Michigan in the weather-shortened Top 50 event and then a victory on Lake Norman in the final Southern Open of the 2014 season. He punched his ticket to the big dance, and he is one of the closest anglers geographically to Lake Hartwell. Being from South Carolina can give him some sort of advantage, but I think it will be more based off of renewed confidence and a strong end to last season.

Dark horse: Paul Mueller

Last season, Paul Mueller found himself on the map after catching the biggest five-fish single-day weight of any Bassmaster Classic ever. That big day pushed him way up the leaderboard, and if not for Randy Howell’s excellent final day, he very well could have cashed in on a Classic victory. Mueller won the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in November, and after accepting an invite to fish the 2015 Elite Series, Mueller seems ready for another big moment. Coming from the Northeast, Mueller should do well in mid-February on Lake Hartwell.

Bucket E: Fukae, Kilgore

Conservative pick: Shin Fukae

Shin Fukae is one of the best anglers in the world and he has proven it against anglers on the FLW Tour. Fukae qualified for the Classic via the Bassmaster Opens series after winning the Northern Open on Lake Champlain. It’s his first Bassmaster Classic, but he is not a newbie to the big stage. Fukae should be a good option, and he also knows the lake well because the FLW Tour has regularly fished Hartwell in the past.

Dark horse: David Kilgore

The tallest angler to ever compete in the Bassmaster Classic is at it again and back in the big dance for back-to-back years. Kilgore notched a win on Smith Lake in Alabama for the second event of the Southern Opens. The one thing that Smith Lake and Lake Hartwell both have in common is the presence of blueback herring. Blueback herring have completely changed fisheries and how the bass population may relate to cover. If Kilgore has a handle on that, it could help him tremendously this year on Hartwell.