I’ve been home in Texas for a couple of weeks after my subpar finishes in Florida. I had to mentally put those events behind me so I can focus 100% on the three most important tournament days of the year. I dream of holding that coveted brown trophy over my head.
So many things happen during Bassmaster Classic week that it’s easy to get distracted. Most people don’t realize how much preparation goes into fishing the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing.
I’m especially excited about this year’s Classic because it takes place on Lake Ray Roberts, my home lake. Besides getting my boat and tackle ready, I’ve been playing host. Several Classic contenders have stayed at my house this week, and several others have shipped packages to me.
Eight friends who hosted Trait and I when we ventured to South Africa back in October will be flying in for the Classic. We put together a video of that trip and posted it on our YouTube Zaldaingerous channel.
Please come to the Classic Crawfish Boil
On Monday night of Classic week, Trait and I will host the Classic Crawfish Boil. We’re inviting the Classic anglers and any fans who wish to mingle with us. Although this festival is occupying a lot of my time, it’s for a great cause.
Trait, Gilchrist Automotive, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Cook Children’s Hospital have been hard at work planning and organizing this event. A catering service will boil 900 pounds of crawfish. There will also be beverages and music.
Fans who are 21 and older may buy tickets to attend the boil, and 100% of the proceeds will go to St. Jude and Cook Children’s Hospital. It all takes place at the TX Whisky Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas. If you’d like to attend, please visit www.classiccrawfishboil.com.
Preparing for the big show
The biggest thing I’m keeping an eye on is the 10-day weather forecast. As it stands right now, it looks promising. Warming temperatures in March in North Texas always equals big bass.
While I expect my competitors to utilize forward-facing sonar to find bass on my home lake, I’ll be taking an old school approach. I’ve caught numerous heavy bags in March on Ray Roberts, and I know my swimbait and power fishing techniques give me a great shot at winning.
I don’t want to get too fired up for the practice period, because I need to save as much energy as possible for the three intense competition days. I know many areas where I’ve caught heavyweight bass in the past, but I intend to avoid them during practice.
Just observing weather patterns and wind directions will help me understand the areas I already know without even putting a trolling motor down on them. I’ll invest my practice days looking for new water and possibly adding to my repertoire.
When I hit my historical sweet areas on the first tournament day, I need to keep an open mind and let the bass tell me what they want. I have a huge advantage with my library of fishing locations.
I believe it will take at least one 30-pound bag to claim the Classic crown. I’ve done that many times on Ray Roberts. I just need to execute. I’m encouraging everyone to follow along during the crazy Classic week because records are likely to be broken.
I fully intend to put on a show for fans across the world this week.
