Elite

Christie’s 5 favorite career moments

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Written by
David A. Brown
Bassmaster Elite Series Emcee Dave Mercer introduces him as “one of the most feared names in fishing,” and that’s no exaggeration for Jason Christie. The Oklahoman has seven B.A.S.S. victories, including the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. Without any doubt, the seasoned pro brings a formidable set of skills and a deep wall of knowledge to every event.
After six years on the Elite Series, Christie spent two years competing on another circuit before earning his way back through the 2020 Bassmaster Opens season. In his first year back on the Elites, he won the Sabine River event and then fulfilled a longstanding career goal by winning the 2022 Classic on Lake Hartwell. Christie shared his favorite memories from his Elite and Classic wins.
Bassmaster Classic. It’s Championship Sunday of the 52nd Classic and a record-setting crowd saw Christie standing next to Kyle Welcher on the Bon Secours Wellness Arena stage. The two anglers entered the final day tied, and Welcher had just weighed another big sack. Mercer announced that Christie needed 17-5 to win, and the drama hung thick.
“Seeing those numbers (17-9) flash on that screen; I knew one second before everybody else in the world did. I saw the numbers flash, and before Mercer could even say anything, I knew that I had won. By the time Mercer said my name, all the things from the past flashed through my head — all the work, all the close calls, and I’m thinking ‘I finally did it.’”
2021 Elite at Sabine River. Each day of the Sabine River event, Christie made long runs upriver to fish a small backwater far secluded from the rest of the field. Water fluctuations nearly derailed his win, but the right adjustments kept him on track. The biggest challenge turned out to be Christie’s most meaningful memory.
“The fishing was what it was. I really felt like if somebody else was fishing in that creek, they would have had a chance to win. Being able to manage the fuel down to a gallon or less each day was one of the things I was most proud of. I wouldn’t have won that event without the Garmin and Yamaha technology.”
2017 Elite at Lake St. Clair. Looking back to 2017, Christie recalled the fishing was fairly easy on Lake St. Clair. A new technology breakthrough called Garmin Panoptix had only recently hit the market, but after seeing the impact this tool had on his winning performance, Christie knew he was witnessing the sport’s future.
“Even though, (forward facing sonar) is all you hear about now, this was the first time I got to use it in a major event. I didn’t even make a cast unless I saw a fish. Every fish I caught; I saw.”
2014 Elite at Lake Dardanelle. Clearly, Christie savors each of his victories, but Elite win No. 2 on Lake Dardanelle was particularly endearing. That 2017 tournament saw Christie win by swimming a black and blue Booyah jig with a matching YUM Craw Chunk — a technique deeply engrained in his angling roots.
“I grew up fishing the Arkansas River with my uncles and my dad, five pools above Dardanelle, where I literally was taught step-by-step how to swim a jig. To win that event the old-fashioned family way, like we’ve always done, that was the special thing about that event. It was as old-school as you get.”
2013 Elite at Bull Shoals Lake: Prior to joining the Elite Series in 2013, Christie had built a solid record on the FLW Tour. Stepping into the sport’s most prestigious league brought self-reflection: “Two events into the season, I was asking myself, ‘Do I belong here?’ So, to win on Bull Shoals did a lot for my confidence and for the fans.”
Christie said the most rewarding aspect of that event was the way he won. Catching his fish differently each day, he employed crankbaits, Carolina rigs, flipping rigs and topwaters. Christie made the right adjustments, got the job done and clearly answered the question of belonging on the Elites with a resounding, “Yes.”

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