Knoxville is not making it easy on the pessimists.
Even noted naysayer-slash-sandbagger Patrick Walters couldn’t hide his excitement about what is to come. “Fishing is good,” he said bluntly, without the slightest bit of hesitation.
He had 15 rods on the deck before blasting off for the final day of practice 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, perhaps fewer than usual, but enough to “keep ‘em honest.” While he was effusive in his praise for the fishing, like most of the field he’s still trying to figure out what it will take to win.
“People say they’re catching 20, 21 or 22 pounds, but I don’t think there are a huge number of fish in the system,” he explained. “It’s a huge fishery but it fishes small. I think on the high side it’ll take 18 a day.”
One angler who disputed that number is Elite rookie and first-time Classic qualifier Fisher Anaya, who won a blue trophy just a few weeks ago at Lake Martin. He plans to fish new water – and close new water – today because he’s confident that what he found in earlier practice has big bag potential.
“I’m just wasting time today,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ll find something to stop on if I catch my fish and head back early. I’ve pretty much put all my eggs in one basket. I just hope to God they stay put.”
How big are those eggs? What size basket?
“On a mediocre day I could catch 20 pounds,” he said, no hint of doubt in his face or voice. “And if things go really well I could catch 25.”
Prepare for a Knoxville Classic unlike any that we’ve seen before.
Here’s what I’m thinking 48 hours before take-off:
The What If – The fly in the ointment of all of this relentless positivity is the weather forecast. It’s been warm, and that has brought the water temperature up into the mid-60s in some parts of the system and has fish on the move. It was in the 60s this morning at blast-off, and the mercury should tickle 80 by mid-afternoon, but this evening the bottom will drop out. There will be strong winds, heavy rains, and dropping temperatures – all the way down into the 40s. That could be good for some anglers, keeping their fish from moving closer to spawning, but it could also throw the system into disarray. The anglers will have a day off the water to speculate and they could wake up to a totally new playing field when competition starts on Friday.
The Baby Pattern – Mike Suchan wrote earlier this week about Dakota Ebare’s path to the Classic, including the fact that his son Bowen is due to be born on the 19th. “I have the phone on loud,” he said before blast-off. “We’re at that point. We’ll have to play it by the minute, but Shelby and I have come to an agreement that I’m going to stay as long as I have a chance to win. The thought of missing it is bothering me quite a bit, but winning the Classic would be life-changing. We’re fishing for more than just blue trophies now.” He sought counsel from Brandon Palaniuk, who went through a similar situation in 2022, and missed the birth of his daughter to complete four days of competition at Pickwick. “What better person to get advice from?” Ebare asked rhetorically. “Shelby and I really look up to Brandon and Tiffanie.”
Many Happy Returns – Casey Scanlon’s second Classic appearance comes 13 years after his first. He finished 44th at Grand Lake – one of his favorite fisheries – in 2013.
Youth Movement – Bill Lowen, fishing his 12th Classic, is the only competitor in the field over 50. John Crews, who will turn 48 in June, is the next oldest. Woo Daves holds the mark for oldest Classic champ. When he won in 2000 in Chicago he was 54. While we have no chance of beating that record this week, there is a possibility that we’ll set the record for youngest champ, beating out the 21 year old standard Stanley Mitchell set in 1981.
Cut Weight Math – This is the rare tournament that cuts to 25 after two days of competition. In both 2019 and 2023, the cut weight mark after Day 1 was 9-4. In 2019, after two days it was 20-1. That’s over a pound and a half greater than twice the one-day mark. In 2023, however, it went down substantially. The cut to Sunday was 16 pounds, which is two and a half pounds under twice where the marker stood on Day 1.
Double Digit Appearances – John Crews and Brandon Palaniuk are tied for the most Classic appearance in the field with 14. This is Bill Lowen’s 12th and Brandon Lester’s 10th.
Patrick Walters on fishing new water today — “I’m not going anywhere to lose confidence in anything.”
Past Champs – Jordan Lee, Justin Hamner and Easton Fothergill are the only past Classic champs competing this week. If Lee wins, he’ll become the only three-time winner (Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam have four apiece). He would also become the youngest to get to three Classic wins as he’s yet to turn 35. Clunn was nearly 38 when he won in Arkansas in 1984. VanDam was 42 at the time of his third Classic win. If Fothergill were to win, he’d be the fifth back-to-back champ after Clunn, VanDam, Lee and Hank Cherry. As he’s yet to turn 24, he’d also become the youngest to earn two Classic wins. Jordan Lee holds that record currently. He was almost 27 when he won in 2018.
Father and Son – If Laker Howell wins, he and his father Randy will become the second father-son pair to win Classics. The first pair consisted of Guido Hibdon (James River 1988) and Dion Hibdon (Logan Martin 1997).
International Records – There are six international pros in the field, three from Japan and three from Canada. The only two past international Classic winner were Takahiro Omori at Lake Wylie in 2004 and Jeff Gustafson here in Knoxville in 2023, so if one of the six wins it’ll mark the second for his country and the third overall. If Chris Johnston wins, he’ll become the first international angler to win both a Classic and AOY.
Same Time, New Year – There are five anglers in the field who fished the 2019 Classic in Knoxville, including three – Brandon Lester, Brandon Palaniuk and Seth Feider – who also fished here in 2023. Lester has been the most consistent, finishing 6th both times.
Lester’s Streaks – In finishing 6th in 2019, Brandon Lester’s weights got better every day – from 9-11 to 12-0 to 18-10. When he finished 6th in 2023, they went in the opposite direction – from 17-7 to 10-2 to 8-1. The goal is not necessarily to go in a particular direction, but rather to avoid a clunker of a day that puts you in a hole on Day 1 or prevents you from closing on Day 3.
Speaking of Consistency – Bryan Schmitt and Jay Przekurat are the only anglers who had limits all three days in the 2023 Classic who are competing here again this week. The other three were Scott Canterbury, Brandon Cobb and Jacob Powroznik.
Wes Logan – “I wish there was a lot more current. It puts them in more likely places and stacks them up more.”
The Electronics Race – Logan Parks’ boat looks like a Radio Shack exploded on it.
Patrick Walters on whether the pundits’ and fans’ insistence that he’s due to win a Classic or AOY — “That’s just people believing in me.” One of the sport’s most backhanded compliments is “the best never to win a Classic,”
Smith Brothers Cough Drops sponsorship? – If Dillon Falardeau wins the Classic, he may eclipse 1982 champ Paul Elias for the best facial hair category on a champion.
How Many Species? – The “largemouths vs. smallmouths” story has been a consistent topic of conversation leading into this event, but they’re not the only species in play. Of course there are spotted bass, too, and Emil Wagner told me yesterday that he caught a 7-pound meanmouth during the prior three days of practice. Prepare for lots of pictures of mega-mixed bags.
Twenties – If, as suggested, there are multiple 20-plus-pound bags weighed in this week, it’ll be a far cry from past Knoxville Classics. In 2019, Ott DeFoe weighed in 20 pounds even on Day one and Chris Zaldain had 21-12 on Day Two. In the 2023 Classic, there were zero bags over 20 pounds and only four of 16 pounds or more. Gussy weighed in 18-8 on Day 1 and 17-3 on Day 2.
Perhaps more so than any venue that has hosted multiple Classics, this section of the Tennessee River is in flux. What you knew in 2019 doesn’t hold true today. In fact, what you knew yesterday might not play out tomorrow. That’s why we play the games.
