It’s Bassmaster Classic time!
While every Classic is a big deal for me, this one is very special since it’s held in my home state of Tennessee.
B.A.S.S. has had a lot of great hosts, but Knoxville ranks right up there with the best. If you’ve attended either of the two previous events held there, you know what I mean.
Everything is centrally located and basically within walking distance of downtown hotels. You can park your car, walk to the outdoor show, the weigh-in, the takeoff at Volunteer Landing or visit many of the great restaurants downtown.
I think this tournament is going to be different than last time. Now that the smallmouth size limit has been reduced from 18 inches to 15, you can bet a lot of anglers will be fishing for them since the system has an abundance of nice brown fish as well as some good largemouth. It will add an interesting twist to the contenders’ strategies.
Of course, the Classic offers more than a tournament. The Outdoor Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall will be jam-packed with bass fishing goodies.
I’ve been to a lot of shows around the country, but nothing compares to the Classic Expo. It’s where you will find exhibits from darn near every company that sells to bass fishermen as well as some smaller companies that offer cool stuff you might have never heard of.
Not only will there be company representatives for boats, motors, rods, reels, tackle and electronics available to answer questions, but many of the companies use the Classic to introduce new products. While some may use the ICAST show in July to roll out new products, many popular bass fishing companies get the jump on it at the Classic.
For example, electronics are a hot deal right now, and I have heard Lowrance and Garmin are rolling out new technology and wouldn’t be surprised if Humminbird had something up its sleeve as well.
We hope you will stop by our Phoenix Boats booth and check out the new 920 and 921 Elite X boats. We’re really excited about these rigs that have been getting rave reviews from our pro staff. Interest rates are starting to trickle down, and we will have a strong dealer presence at the show.
It will also give you a chance to talk to our pros who either didn’t qualify for this year’s Classic or who don’t make it into the final round. Feel free to ask them questions about boat choices, rigging tips or just fishing talk.
There’s no better happy place for a bass angler to surround himself with like-minded people and a ton of products to see and touch while witnessing the next Classic champion be crowned.
And there’s no better place to do it than in Knoxville, Tenn.!
