I know there’s going to be a lot written about the Classic — there always is.
But I wanted to touch on the Classic in this space, too, because I really believe this one’s going to be different.
Different in a good way, for sure.
Typically, the Classic, depending on where it’s at, is a full-blown winter prespawn tournament. But with this one being held in late March in Texas, I could see it being a true spawning Classic.
Surely everyone recognizes how much fun that could be.
There hasn’t really been a lot of footage of guys catching big bass off beds in the Classic, but you’ll see that this year — and just imagine watching a pro work an 8- or 9-pounder on a bed with the Ray Scott Bassmaster Classic Trophy and $300,000 on the line.
That’s good TV any way you slice it.
It won’t necessarily be a total sight-fishing event. Being that time of year, you could see the tournament won a variety of ways on a variety of baits — and obviously, you’re gonna see guys use their electronics to catch fish.
But being a three-day tournament, you could also see guys not doing that at all — just straight-up power fishing in shallow water. I sure hope that’s how it plays out because that’s exactly the kind of tournament I like to fish.
I also like a tournament when the script isn’t already written, and there hasn’t been a big national tournament at Lake Ray Roberts this time of year. That makes it unique and interesting because you don’t know exactly what to expect, even if the techniques and location of the fish might seem a little predictable.
From a fishing standpoint, what baits are gonna dominate? It’s just wide open.
But, I think you could have a lot of good visual fishing, and you’re gonna see some big fish caught that time of year in Texas, which makes it exciting as well.
An interesting element could be the mixture of true visual sight fishing with the use of electronics to catch big bass that are bedding a little too deep to be seen. The guy who can do both of those things could be in a really good spot.
I don’t think it’ll be a consistent 20-, 20- and 20-pound tournament. I really expect it to be won by a guy who busts a really big bag of fish one of the three days, like a 30-pound bag, and then backs it up with two more really solid days.
This will be my first Classic since 2019, and while I won’t experience the nerves and butterflies that I did back at the beginning of my career, there is obviously an added boost of excitement for this tournament.
As I sit here and tell you what I think you should expect, I think back to my two Classic wins (2017 at Lake Conroe and 2018 at Lake Hartwell), and I remember what I believed going into those tournaments. I could have never sat down and written up a game plan to win those two tournaments. Everything just lined up for me, and I made the right calls in the moment to win.
I think one of my strengths as a pro is keeping an open mind and figuring things out on the fly. I kinda know what I’m good at and what I’m not maybe the best at.
I also understand the margin of error for a tournament like the Classic is tinier than most people could imagine.
If another angler misses a fish and you end up catching one, that could put you over the top. If you’re the one who misses that key fish, you could end up watching him circle the arena with the Classic trophy.
All of that is what makes the Classic such an incredible event — and I believe this one has a chance to have a flavor all its own.
