2010 Bassmaster Classic: Day 4, Practice

Jeff Kriet didn’t wander far from home before he put down the trolling motor and started fishing, not a bad idea as the temperatures hovered near 30 degrees.

Kelly Jordon of Minneola, Texas was working hard early on the final day of practice to put together a winning strategy.

Arkansas native Mike McClelland will be fishing his seventh Bassmaster Classic this year on Lay Lake. He finished fourth last year on the Red River at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

Cliff Crochet qualified for the Bassmaster Classic through the Bassmaster Central Opens and will also fish his rookie year with the Bassmaster Elite Series as a result of his efforts.

Kevin Wirth has qualified 11 times for the Classic and his best finish was in 2007 on Lay Lake where he placed 6th.

Kevin Wirth makes a move. Several times throughout the morning he was spotted “scanning” the waters quickly before moving on to another location.

Bobby Lane finished fourth at his very first Bassmaster Classic, his first year to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series. He also took Rookie of the Year honors in that year, 2008.

Frank Scalish fought his way back into the Bassmaster Classic and received an Elite Series invite, through his amazing finishes in the Bassmaster Northern Opens.

Darrell West drops his trolling motor in one of the many creeks that feed Lay Lake, part of the Coosa River system.

West had ESPNOutdoors.com’s Editor Kyle Carter in the boat with him for the final practice day.

John Murray, an Elite pro from Phoenix, Ariz. will be fishing his sixth Bassmaster Classic this year.

John Murray makes a quick lure change after an unfruitful stretch, hoping to dial it in. Murray has won 31 bass boats in his career as a bass fisherman.

Many of the anglers were running from one area of Lay Lake to the other, trying to dial in that final piece to the Bassmaster Classic puzzle before the competition begins.

Elite pro John Murray was no exception, wasting no time on the water, making moves from one area to the next.

Elite Pro Scott Ashmore is fishing his first Bassmaster Classic. He started fishing the BASS weekend series and worked his way thru the Bassmaster Opens where he qualified for the Classic and the Elites this year.

One of the local favorites, Elite pro Russ Lane, hales from Prattville, Alabama and is fishing his third Bassmaster Classic.

As we have seen with many of the other competitors, Lane wastes no time on the water, checking each spot before moving on to the next.

Elite pro Casey Ashley has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic for the last three years running, with his rookie year being the only year he didn’t get an invite to the biggest tournament in bass fishing.

Elite series pro Byron Velvick from Del Rio, Texas, will be fishing his second Bassmaster Classic. His greatest sports hero? Rick Clunn.

Elite Series pro Kevin Short from Mayflower, Arkansas was moving a lot and targeting specific locations. This will be his second Bassmaster Classic.

Elite pro Kevin Short points to shad that were floating up around his boat.

Dean Rojas bundles up for a cold run across Lay Lake early on the second day of practice.

Lay Lake was not only filled with Classic qualifiers and fans, there was also a fair amount of media on the water, such as this crew from Fox Channel 6 out of Birmingham.

Elite pro Kevin Van Dam has been billed “the most dangerous man on the water”. He is fishing his 20th consecutive Bassmaster Classic, two of which he won, and placed in the top five, five times.

Randy Phillips is fishing his first Bassmaster Classic. He qualified by winning the Federation Nation Championship on the Harris Chain late last year in Florida.