When 30-year-old aspiring bass pro Jonathan Carter launches his Bass Cat on the first day of the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, he’ll be breaking new ground.
The anglers competing for the world championship in 2013 are an interesting mix of rookies and veterans, favorites and long shots, usual suspects and virtual unknowns.
With the newest six, the Fed Nation has now qualified 181 anglers for the Bassmaster Classic since the program started in 1973. They've represented 44 different states and three foreign countries.
It may be that we too often partition ourselves as anglers — either bass or walleye, freshwater or saltwater. But when it comes to access to fisheries, we are all in the same boat.
While growing up in Alaska, Chad Griffin followed The Bassmasters and idolized anglers like Kevin VanDam through hellacious winters. He said his passion was so strong that he used to tell family members that he was going to be a pro.