TULSA, Okla. — With snow starting to fly, Mike McClelland looked at peace on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
Winter Storm Q, which produced snowstorms that wreaked havoc on Wednesday’s final day of Classic practice, gave the Bella Vista, Ark., angler warm fuzzies.
The first flakes flying could in part be why he hooked two fish within minutes, but it also helped put McClelland more at ease where he’s already right at home.
“It definitely is a confidence builder,” he said of the catches. “I started in a place today that I haven’t really had a lot of bites in. It was really an area I felt confident in. I felt like I needed to get back down here and look at some water just to kind of firm up what I had going in practice.”
He worked slowly, moving about 40 feet in 20 minutes. It was a stark contrast to the frenzied pace of many others running up and down the lake, hitting spot after spot, in their last shot at Grand before Friday’s first day of the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
While some cried cold and that continuing practice day in the snow was fruitless, McClelland soaked up the trying conditions.
“I’m getting exactly what I wanted,” he said. “I’ve said all along I wanted this to be the coldest Classic in history. You can see it’s snowing. I’m getting just what I wanted.
“The water temperature’s actually falling a little bit this week, and I really think this will kind of play in my favor. The fish were pretty active, biting pretty good the first couple days of practice. This is going to slow them down a bit, but I think by the weekend will be looking good again.”
The six-time B.A.S.S. winner, including the 2006 Elite event on Grand, could see this as his prime shot for seventh heaven. The stars could be aligning for McClelland to break through and capture bass fishing’s top prize.
“No one wants to fall into the same deal of the hometown jinx,” he said. “The thing about Grand Lake, it’s definitely not a lake I consider my home lake. It’s just a lake I’ve always loved to fish. And I’ve been fishing it for a lot of years. It’s a lake I’ve always come to with a lot of comfort, with a lot of confidence. That’s the biggest thing about bass fishing. It’s a mind game.”
The wintry mix of precipitation continued Thursday, further exacerbating the stress level of some of the competitors. The temps for Friday’s launch will be in the low 20s. Much of the field is dealing with the task of keeping storage compartments on their boats from freezing. McClelland has the luxury of having his rig garaged.
The Classic is setting up nicely for McClelland, who appeared relaxed and focused on his fishing when interviewed during the Classic Night banquet. Some pundits put him among the favorites, maybe the favorite. He just appreciates his chances are good.
“This is a place I’ve always come to just relax and fish,” he said. “I can get caught up in fishing here and forget the hoopla of the Bassmaster Classic. A lot of places you go are a long way from home, a lot of travel. A lot of things that come into play.
“But being an hour from the house, having the friends and family that I do around here, I feel really good. I feel really confident. It’s like I’ve always said, good Lord willing, it will all come together.”