It’s crazy how this year’s Bassmaster Classic snuck up on me. I was planning to fly home to Canada after the Elite tournaments in Florida to do some steelhead fishing. Then it dawned on me I needed to drive straight west to get ready for the Classic.
I stopped in Louisiana before Classic week and stayed with bass pro Tyler Stewart. We’re both sponsored by Monster Energy. I met him for the first time a few months ago when Monster Energy brought us to New York City to attend a professional Bull Riding Event.
We met two of the world’s best bull riders — Boudreaux Campbell and Daylon Swearingen — who are also sponsored by Monster Energy. We made plans to take them fishing at Louisiana’s Caney Lake, Tyler’s home water.
Tyler always talks up how good the bass fishing is at Caney. He said we were sure to catch five that would go 30 pounds. I kind of believed him. I’ve only caught a 30-pound bag a few times in my life. While I had reservations, Tyler was confident about his prediction.
When we launched at Caney, Campbell was in my boat and Swearingen was in Tyler’s rig. We all caught fish and ended up with five that weighed more than 34 pounds, including two over 9. Most of them came off beds. A few of them were caught scoping with a minnow out deep.
While hanging out at Tyler’s home, I stayed up late at night editing videos and catching up on business obligations. I spent one entire day cleaning my boat and getting my tackle ready for bass fishing’s biggest show.
Then I made the 3 1/2-hour drive to the place where Jeff Gustafson and I stayed on practice days for the Classic. We were only 15 minutes from Lake Ray Roberts.
What the Classic Means to Me
I went to my first Bassmaster Classic as a fan in 2016 at Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. It proved to be a turning point in my life.
Tournament emcee Dave Mercer gave me front-row tickets to the weigh-in. I was so close to the pros’ boats I was getting splashed as they pulled fish from the livewell.
Being at the weigh-in with thousands of other fans and going to the Classic Outdoors Expo made me realize how big of a show Bassmaster puts on. When I realized guys actually make a living fishing tournaments, I knew I had to find a way to become one of them.
I didn’t have the money to pursue it, but I was determined to work hard and figure out how to make it happen.
I attended five of the next six Classics, and at each event I’d be in the stands just fuming with the passion to get on that stage. Each event fueled my fire to get there and to work harder, whether that involved fishing the Bassmaster Opens or doing whatever it took to succeed.
I’m very thankful to be fishing my third consecutive Classic this year at Lake Ray Roberts. I feel good mentally and physically, and I’m eager for the tournament to start.
I’m every bit as excited as I was when I went to my first Classic 10 years ago. I still feel the adrenaline rush and the goosebumps. I truly can’t describe the feeling of fishing the biggest event in our sport.
