Pre-fishing Grand Lake

Contenders in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa had until mid-December to scout Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Some anglers prefer to not fish the water ahead of time, while others fish it as much as possible before the cut-off. Some of the ones who spent time on the fishery submitted photos of their visit so fans could see what kind of bass we might expect to see come February. Enjoy this sneak preview of what this year's Classic on-the-water shots might look like!

Mark Pierce, who qualified for the Classic via the B.A.S.S. Nation, caught this one, which he jokingly called a “not-so-Grand” bass.

Brandon Palaniuk caught several during his trip to Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. “This one’s nothing big,” said Palaniuk, “but it made for a good pic.”

Casey Scanlon fished a tournament on Grand in mid-November, and here’s one he brought to the scales. It worked out well for him; he finished third!

Takahiro Omori said he only spent time at Grand scouting, getting an idea of the layout of the lake. “I mainly drove around just looking for stuff, so I don’t have any pictures with fish,” he explained. 

This fish put a smile on David Walker’s face. Walker will be fishing his eighth Classic next month, and he’ll be looking for his first win.

Jared Knuth caught this beauty during his trip to Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. Knuth, who finished third in the 2012 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, will be fishing as a Classic rookie.

Marty Robinson, who earned the nickname “Marty the Party” at last year’s Classic with his dance moves, is looking for a reason to dance on the stage again. Here, he shows off a 5-pounder he caught while pre-fishing.

Jonathan Carter, the first Maine angler to ever qualify for the Classic, spent his Thanksgiving break scouting Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Pete Gluszek hasn’t fished a Bassmaster Classic since 1999 — and he’s looking to make his return to the big stage a good one. Check out this bass he caught in pre-fish.

Gerry Jooste and Mark Dove visited Grand Lake together. The pair both qualified through the B.A.S.S. Nation, and they both qualified together in 1997 also.

Randy Howell’s trip to Grand Lake was a good one. He’s looking confident with this Livingston Lures crankbait-caught bass.

If Aaron Martens finds bass like these during competition days, he’ll have no trouble making the cut, and it might put him in contention for his first Classic victory.