In every single way possible, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour is a unique tournament. The build-up, hype, media attention, pressure and stakes of the event alone make it the biggest event in all of bass fishing, but as far as the fishing is concerned, the practice period is a challenge. Unlike other events, practice happens a full week out from the start of the tournament.
What does that mean for the competitors?
In a springtime event like this one, it can mean everything. The natural progression of the bass movement can change rapidly with changes in the weather, water temperature and water clarity. Things can change by the hour. So, how do you manage your practice time as an angler knowing that things can change drastically from the start of practice to Day 1 of the event?
Local favorite Chris Zaldain has three major keys in place for how he will tackle the practice period in his ninth Bassmaster Classic.
Stay in touch with the weather
Zaldain’s first key to practice doesn’t necessarily happen out on the water. Given the fact that the weather will likely determine how this Classic plays out, paying close attention to the current weather and predicted weather trends on the Weather Channel app and the Deep Dive App will be crucial to success come game time.
“What we’re really going to be looking for here in North Texas in March is stable weather,” Zaldain stated. “As we’re having this discussion just a couple of days away from the start of practice, the weather is currently in the 80s. The warming trend that is predicted between now and the start of the event is setting up to make this an absolute home run.”
After an unusually brutal winter in the area, signs of life are starting to arrive which has the Fort Worth pro fired up for the possibilities.
“My yard has been yellow and dead for the last three months, but over the last week my yard has started turning green and the flowers are starting show up a little bit,” he said. “Before even making a cast, this tells me is that the fish should be on the move to set up on those textbook Texas prespawn areas. This is a huge plus before practice ever begins.”
Practice in unfamiliar areas
Living just 45 miles away from takeoff, it’s no secret Zaldain is incredibly familiar with Lake Ray Roberts. With 100s of preexisting waypoints on the lake, the Texas pro feels as if a good bit of his practice time early on will be fishing areas that he’s less familiar with.
Additionally, the first day of practice is calling for high winds. This presents a guy with a lot of knowledge the opportunity to do some unorthodox things.
“On the first day of practice, we’re going to have high winds with gusts up to 40 miles per hour,” Zaldain said. “I’m going to practice in areas that I have very little experience in to try to find something new. Really, I want to do some things in practice that I would not typically do.
“I know darn well in the back of my mind that I know where to go to get some bites, so I don’t really want to check what I already know. In a way, I’m really trying to play defense and try to uncover some areas and techniques that a guy from Florida, North Carolina or New York might find before me.”
Stay away from ‘points type fish’
As it’s been stated hundreds of times through the history of the Classic, nobody is here to fish for points. Anglers show up to the Classic with the sole intention to win. That’s something Zaldain is holding firmly at the top of mind.
“Later in practice we’re going to go look for an extreme mega-bag pattern,” he said. “What I really mean by that is in this case, less is more. I don’t want to get a lot of bites in practice; I really want to get a lot of clues or one giant bite.
“With it being the Classic, we’re not looking for points fish – we’re literally looking for the type of fish where you could win this thing by a lot. I’m trying to stay away from a lot of the traditional springtime baits that get a lot of bites. I want to find those 6-, 7- and 8-pounders with bigger-than-average size baits.”
Being that Zaldain lives so close to Lake Ray Roberts, he has one advantage the majority of the field doesn’t readily have – he gets to fish the adjacent lakes that set up similarly to the host lake of the 2025 Classic.
“I was out on Eagle Mountain Lake, which fishes very similar to Ray Roberts just a couple of days ago, and I caught two 8-pounders doing exactly what I hope to be doing in the Classic,” said Zaldain. “Needless to say, I like what I’m seeing right now. Again, that forecast is everything though.
“Just seeing what the environment is in North Texas right now with a hard warming trend after a brutal winter has this tournament setting up exactly how I want it.”
Having fished eight Bassmaster Classics, Zaldain also prioritizes the importance of preserving energy in order to make it through the grueling week.
“You can’t get too fired up during practice,” he said. “You really have to save all your energy and all of your hype for the actual big show.”
