If I told you I was OK with not fishing the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour, I’d be lying. However, I chose to make the most of how I spent those three days, and I’m glad I did.
When you don’t qualify for the Classic, you usually work the Bassmaster Outdoors Expo for your sponsors. That’s what I did this year, and it was a great experience.
The Bassmaster Classic was one of those events I went to for years. I’ve been on the fan side and it’s like a vacation. I loved fishing in general so I enjoyed coming and watching my favorite pros compete.
Today, the Classic still represents an enjoyable experience, and the Expo is a big part of that. There are so many new rods, reels, tackle, line and so many different baits. Anything cool about fishing is at the Classic.
What I really enjoy about the Expo is just talking to people. Back when I was running my family’s hardware store, I enjoyed the people element. I’ve been without that since we don’t have the store anymore.
Now, when I work the Classic Expo, I get to talk about fishing with people who are fully into the sport. They love it, and they just want to talk about it.
That’s a lot of fun for me and a lot of people I haven’t seen in years come to the Expo. Several people from my home state of Oklahoma made the trip all the way to Knoxville, so it was really cool to see that we’re all fully connected.
Also, I don’t get to see a lot of my sponsor companies, except for at ICAST and the Classic. These meetings provide great opportunities for me to connect with these folks and see the new things that come out.
Every time I’ve worked the Expo, interacting with fans is a big part of this positive experience. I get a lot of questions about new baits and tackle, what are my personal preferences and what I think about the different lakes we’re scheduled to fish.
Fans see us on social media and that’s an important thing, but when they get to interact with you one-on-one and see your real emotions, that forms an important connection. When you’re promoting sponsor products, fans need to see that you’re sincere and that you believe in the brands that support you.
One of the new items that debuted at the Classic Expo is Falcon Rods’ Bait Finesse System (BFS) rods. I had that rod during the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin, so I was able to discuss that new addition to Falcon’s Cara line.
I’ve not been a spinning rod guy my whole life. Being on the Elite Series, I’ve gotten acquainted with it. Now, with the Falcon Cara BFS rods, I can throw a YUM Sniper Minnow on a jighead with a baitcaster. I can’t skip a YUM Dinger, but when it comes to throwing a jighead minnow, I’m probably going to have that BFS rod in my hand 90% of the time.
Back to the fans for a moment: I’ve noticed people from all walks of life attend the Expo. Some may not be into the sport, but they come and buy their first rod and reel and then they go fishing.
It’s a very interesting deal; you have your diehard fans who love fishing. Then you have those newcomers. It’s great to see the excitement in their eyes when they experience the Classic Expo and then they want to get out and go fishing.
