I’m working on this column in my truck, which is parked at a boat ramp in Knoxville, Tenn. It’s Monday morning, Dec. 15, and a crisp 20 degrees.
I backed my rig into the water to practice for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic, only to find that the boat is frozen to the trailer. I need to give it a little time to thaw out.
You’d think someone who hails from Canada would bring sufficient clothing to combat winter weather. I brought bibs, boots and warm socks but left my cozy insulated jacket at home. I have a jacket on the way to me, but that won’t do me any good today.
This will be my second frigid day on the Tennessee River. I intend to stay with it until I drive back to Canada on Dec. 24 to be home with friends and family for Christmas. While I’m here, I’ll be idling around and looking for as much sneaky stuff as possible.
If I find bass in certain areas now, I believe I can go back and relocate them during the Classic in March. Should I get bit doing one thing in the Classic, what I learn this week should help me duplicate whatever’s working.
I fished my first Classic on the Tennessee River in 2023 and finished second to last. I hope to redeem myself this time. I roomed with Jeff Gustafson, who won the event. I knew he was on them before the tournament started.
A few weeks before arriving in Knoxville, I spent a few days on Santee, which the Elite Series visits next May. I wanted to see how much the grass had changed, and if it was growing in places where it wasn’t the last time I was there.
From there, I drove straight to Guntersville, which will be the first Elite tournament next year in February. I idled around as I had done at Santee and did not make a cast for the six days I was there. I looked for areas, especially grass, where I suspect the tournament could be won.
I hadn’t been on Guntersville for at least nine years. It’s one of the “no-scope” events. There will be big bass and heavy limits weighed in, but the catch will fall short of recent forward-facing events that have taken place there. It will be very cool to see the stats after that derby.
At the Guntersville event, there’s sure to be a lot of chunking with ChatterBaits, jerkbaits, diving crankbaits and lipless crankers. Since we’ll be there well ahead of the spawn, the bass will be off the bank, on the bank and everywhere between.
I looked for places where they might be bunched up in the grass in February, but the bridges, causeways and riprap could also be players. A lot will depend on the weather.
Practice fishing in cold weather doesn’t qualify as fun, especially when you go for days without making a cast. But I know I’ve got to put in the work.
I hope the time I’ve invested over the past month or so pays off once the Elite season begins.
