I had looked forward to my first Bassmaster Classic for many years, and now that I’ve experienced it, I have to say it was worth the wait. Fishing the Classic is something I’ll never forget, but along the way I realized a lot about what makes this event special and demanding.
For one thing, the amount of activities exceeded what I expected. I was a lot busier than I thought I would be.
All the activities were enjoyable, but I think they seemed more exhausting after getting off the lake following those windy practice days. Those long days in the rough water took their toll on us.
I drank a lot of Mountain Dews to keep myself awake.
I usually do well in fast-paced scenarios, but Classic Week was challenging, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect. I’d say it was mentally more exhausting than it was physically.
I have to say that one of my favorite parts of Classic week, aside from the competition, was Media Day. I had a lot of great interactions, but I really enjoyed talking with all the younger kids that came up and asked me how to get to the Elites.
That was the most meaningful part of Media Day — having the opportunity to tell these young anglers about the path they can follow to pursue their dreams. Sharing my perspective was rewarding because I know what that kind of ambition feels like.
I actually talked about this on stage the first day of the Classic: You have to want something as bad as you desire to breathe. That’s how you know you can achieve something. That’s how hard you have to work.
We all have different cards dealt to us and we all have different paths, but you have to want it so bad that you’re willing to take risks to achieve your goals.
As far as the competition days, the wind didn’t necessarily limit where I could go. I had already committed to where I would be fishing before I put my boat on the lake. I knew from looking at a map that the east arm, on the north bank set up the best to have the biggest population of fish.
The biggest challenge was I’d never been in weather where it was actually difficult to cast, so efficiency wasn’t the best. It was tough everywhere I went, but I didn’t worry about mobility. I just nestled in for the day and learned everything I could about that section of the lake.
Looking back, Night of Champions was my favorite Classic memory. It was a blast just being there because I actually took my fiancé, Mattie Pace. That event was more relaxing amid the busy schedule, allowing you to enjoy everything you worked for.
Also, I’ll never forget how it felt to enter the arena sitting in my boat and being towed around the track. With the whole crowd watching, it was a great opportunity to showcase a new sponsor — H&H Outdoors, which rigged my truck with a lift kit, tires and other accessories.
That’s one of the greatest benefits of fishing the Classic — the exposure for yourself and your sponsors.
Probably my biggest takeaway from the Bassmaster Classic is it’s something you have to experience to appreciate. You don’t want to miss that experience — ever. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t wait to get back.
