I have probably the most haphazard method of picking my Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing teams, but it works.
I usually do well in the Classic buckets and then bomb out as the season progresses. I pick my teams based not on how well the angler has done in previous outings on a particular body of water or their particular technique, but on my heart. That being said, here are Team BassFishinMom’s picks for the 2015 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
Bucket A: Howell
Randy Howell, of course, is my Bucket A pick. He’s the reigning champ and he made me cry last year when he won. His family is awesome, and every time I’ve had the opportunity to be around them, they are incredibly nice.
However, Skeet Reese ranks right up there, too. He was my “man crush” for a long time. I have hundreds of pictures of him from different events. I gave up my free Mercury beanie to get on the front row at launch in Birmingham just to see him.
Bucket B: Palaniuk
Brandon Palaniuk — ’nuff said. Palaniuk wins my heart because he’s a Nation guy. He gave up his spot in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship a few years ago so another Nation guy could have a chance. You gotta love good karma.
I also like Jason Christie because he’s a deer hunter and he takes his kids fishing and hunting. He hunts with his daughter; I hunt with my son. His family fishes together; my family fishes together. He was a phenomenal basketball player; I’m from Kentucky. I mean, really … how can I not pick him?
Bucket C: Evers
I always pick Edwin Evers. Way back when the E-50 tournament circuit was around, my boys and I worked the tournament on the Ohio River in Paducah, Ky. The boys were fishing on the bank when he came in to fish the same spot. Naturally, they quit fishing and backed off the bank for him. Evers proceeded to tell them to get back up there and fish. They wouldn’t because he was fishing a tournament, but he insisted. Later, in the boatyard, he recognized them and thanked them. That will always get you bonus points with me.
However, this year, I might pick Paul Elias in honor of my dad who died suddenly two days after Christmas. Daddy always liked the guys he had watched over the years, and Paul was one of his favorites.
Bucket D: Mueller
Paul Mueller … again a Nation guy, second consecutive trip to the Classic — and he kicked butt last year. He’s a young guy like my boys and he’s from Connecticut, where my good friend Sylvia Morris is the Nation president.
Bucket E: Carden
This is always the one that I have trouble with. It’s most of the Nation guys and I have to pick just one. They are all chasing a dream and it’s hard to pick one over the other. I live in a house full of fishermen and know just how much this means to them. I know their wives, girlfriends, kids and parents and them personally. I get emotional about Nation guys.
For Coby Carden, this is his second consecutive trip to the Classic, and he is a tremendous representative for the Southern Division. He’s from my division, so naturally I’m pulling for him, and based on his past performances, he will do well.
I’ve known Teb Jones and his beautiful wife, Angela, for years. He’s worked so hard for a long time to make it to the Classic. Not sure who cried more in Monroe at the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship this year, Angela or me, when he won his division and qualified for the Classic. He’s a fellow president and we all have a common bond. Seeing one of our own make it to the pinnacle is pretty emotional.
Also, Jacob Wheeler is a product of the youth program and CastingKids. I used to watch him when he was a young kid, so watching him at this level is pretty amazing. He’s part of my boys’ group of friends, and all of them are pulling for him. He’s an awesome angler and is probably my sleeper pick for the event.
So there you have it — the most emotional and totally illogical Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing picks of the Classic.