Classic, Classic, Classic – everybody is talking about the Classic, so I figured I would, too. I mean it is the single most important tournament of the year! Shreveport will put on a heck of a show, and I can’t wait to get down there. I will be at the Pinnacle and Triton booths at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, so come by and visit with me awhile.
This will only be my third time attending the Bassmaster Classic. I went to the 2004 Classic on Lake Wiley and last year’s Classic on the Delta. Both Classics were incredible, as Takahiro Omori had the great comeback and KVD set the record for the all-time heaviest winning weight.
The 2004 Classic was an unbelievable experience for me. I had always heard about how fun the Classics were, and I couldn’t have picked a better one to be my first. Takahiro Omori and Aaron Martens are my two favorite anglers, and it was really cool to watch it come down to the two of them. I really admire Takahiro because of his amazing background and desire to pursue the sport of fishing. I like Aaron because he is usually doing something different than the rest of the anglers.
I actually stood on the bridge and watched Aaron fish on the final day. It was pretty awesome to get an up-close look and watch him throw his little beetle spin! He chatted with us as he fished, and told us what he thought was going on under that bridge as he fished. I bet it was exciting for him, too, because he had a huge crowd watching him from the bridge.
The best part of the entire Classic was the final day weigh-in and watching Takahiro’s insane comeback. He had two fish with just a few minutes of fishing left, when he caught three good ones back to back to back! In my book, I think his last minute heroics were better than Ike’s never give up fish. I actually watch the video all the time. It just gets me pumped up and it reminds me to stay focused until the very end of the day, because in this sport, it can happen at any second. I will watch the video at the start of every tournament this year.
I also got a chance to talk to one of my heroes, Rick Clunn, at the Expo. We talked about peak performance and getting in the zone. He is full of knowledge and is very easy to talk to. In case if you were wondering, I didn’t tell him about mine and his first encounter. Ha-ha.
Remember to chase your dreams!