Fantasy Fishing: Everything is bigger in Texas

Written by

Kyle Jessie

Everything is bigger in Texas – it’s simply too good of an overused cliché to not throw in somewhere. With that said, I truly believe that the age-old cliché will hold true at the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

With steady, warm weather predicted between now and the start of the event, it’s easy to think that a giant wave of bass could head to the bank before the start of Day 1. However, much like any springtime event, the anglers who are able to adapt on the fly will likely be the ones who make it to the final day and even the Super Six. With the craziness of the practice schedule, what an angler finds on the first couple days of practice could be vastly different once the event starts, so sticking with the migration of the bass is going to be critical.

I couldn’t help but be fired up when Mark Zona predicted sight fishing to be a major player on the most recent episode of the TnZ podcast. Frankly, I believe it will be as well, but the time of the year and diversity of Lake Ray Roberts should allow anglers to fish a wide variety of techniques and styles.

That makes Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing a bit tricky though. Do you put all of your hope in dominant bed fisherman, big bait guys, forward-facing sonar wizards, shallow water power fisherman or just select anglers that are known for their versatility?

Early report from Lee Livesay on Day 1 of practice is that the water temperature is still in the low 50s, so who knows if bed fishing plays as much as some think it will. There’s still plenty that can change between now and the first day of the event!

The Bassmaster Classic is the one tournament that I wish I could wait until the night before to make my Fantasy Fishing picks. It always seems to work out that how I have the tournament playing out in my head is different than the way it actually plays out, and a lot of that has to do with the time between the end of the first three days of practice and the start of the event. The picture always seems to get much clearer once we get through media day.

Nonetheless, let’s make some picks!

BUCKET A: PRZEKURAT

My biggest regret of the season so far in Fantasy Fishing is not selecting Jay Przekurat at the St. Johns River. He was my backup pick for that event, but I won’t be making that mistake again at the Bassmaster Classic. What the Wisconsin pro has done over the past several years hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves – in my opinion at least. At just 6.1% player percentage, Przekurat feels like a great value considering just how versatile he is on the water.

Solid secondary selection: You could easily justify picking any of the anglers in Bucket A, but Chris Zaldain is hard to ignore. We all know that the Texas pro is not scared to go for broke, and that’s the attitude you have to have in the Bassmaster Classic. This time around should suit Zaldain’s big bait style even better.

BUCKET B: BLAYLOCK

You can basically count on me selecting Stetson Blaylock in any springtime Classic, regardless of what Bucket he lands in. The Arkansas pro has proven time and time again that he is one of the best at adapting to different situations in springtime events – especially the Classic. While Blaylock may not have a ton of experience on Ray Roberts specifically, he has plenty of history on Texas fisheries like Lake Fork that share similarities. Additionally, Blaylock is an excellent bed fisherman if that comes to play.

Solid secondary selection: Greg Hackney is going to win a Bassmaster Classic. It’s basically the one thing that has eluded him during his unbelievable career. If we see a big wave a fish push to the bank, watch out for the Hack Attack. I feel as if I’ve been a bit of bad luck for Hackney considering I selected him for the first two Elite events.

BUCKET C: DAVIS JR.

Bucket C is a tricky one. The Bucket is full of more than capable anglers that you could easily justify selecting, but I’m sticking with the versatility theme by selecting Will Davis Jr. Over the course of Davis Jr.’s young career, he’s proven time and time again that he is capable of competing at the highest level regardless the style of fishing.

Solid secondary selection: At a much lower player percentage, Hunter Shryock is an intriguing pick in Bucket C. Shryock has historically done well when bed fishing is a player, and he certainly excels with a flipping stick in his hands. All signs are leading to both of those things possibly playing.

BUCKET D: FOTHERGILL

Simply put, I think Easton Fothergill is straight up mad at ‘em after a less than stellar start to his Elite Series career. It’s been well documented what the Minnesota pro has accomplished over the last couple of years in the Opens and the College Series, and this feels like the best possible way for him to bounce back and get the positive momentum rolling for the rest of the season.

Solid secondary selection: Jacob Powroznik could be a dark horse pick in the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. The Virginia pro is always a player when the bass are spawning or at least nearing that point. His versatility is another factor that makes him an intriguing pick in Bucket D.

BUCKET E: JACOB

I had the opportunity to cover Connor Jacob on the water back in 2021 at Smith Lake when he and his partner Sam Smith won their first Strike King Bassmaster College Series event, and from that moment on I have been incredibly impressed by the former Auburn Tiger. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Jacob shows the world just how good he is at the Classic.

Solid secondary selection: Arkansan Jeremiah Kindy was one of the first anglers to qualify for the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic, so there’s reason to believe he has done plenty of homework to prepare. Ray Roberts absolutely shares similarities with a few of the lakes that Kindy dominates back in Arkansas.