Well, as far as Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing goes, I’m off to a bit of a rocky start this season. My Bucket E pick Hank Cherry did me proud and won the tournament, but the rest of my picks averaged roughly a 74th-place finish. Only Cherry and Bryan Schmitt made the Top 50. I won’t even tell you what my overall rank is right now.
But it’s all OK. Martin is a new tournament, and surely nothing will be the same. The weather forecast is calling for much higher temps. Alabama bass will be in play. And forward-facing sonar will be back in use.
I anticipate a lot of ’Scopin’ and shakin’ going on. That’s probably not surprising to anyone. My picks for stop No. 2 probably won’t shock too many people, either.
Here we go.
BUCKET A: WELCHER
Bucket A was a tough pick for me. There are a couple of somewhat local pros on the list, but no one that I consider to be a dedicated “local ’Scoper.” I feel like Martin during this transitional time will favor the locals who know where the fish go and what they do during a late-winter warmup, yet being able to hunt for five of the right ones with live sonar also feels like a necessity. My first instinct was to follow the crowd and pick Trey McKinney (a 52.8% pick as of the morning of Monday, Feb. 9), who already feels like the AOY favorite, but I decided go with an Alabama pro and chose Kyle Welcher. I don’t have great reasons other than he’s Kyle Welcher, and he lives less than 90 minutes from the lake. He also is coming off a Top 10. Momentum matters.
Another great choice:
Obviously, McKinney is a great pick. You could pick him in every tournament, no matter who’s in his bucket, and you’ll score a ton of points. I also have this feeling someone like Wes Logan might get on a shallow bite throwing a buzzbait or something fun for some big largemouth and could make a Top 10 run. Oh, and Jeff Gustafson is a proven angler on fisheries with spotted or Alabama bass. Like I said, this is a tough one for me.
BUCKET B: MARKS
Live sonar, Alabama bass, clear water – sounds like a recipe for a Paul Marks victory. Calling Marks a specialist is selling him short, but you can’t deny that he’s a wizard with live sonar and he knows how to game plan on an Alabama bass fishery. Efficiency matters, and he won’t waste his time on the wrong caliber of fish. He’ll be head hunting all day, every day, and I think it’ll pay off for him.
Another great choice:
Cody Meyer is Mr. Consistency in professional bass fishing. He may not win a lot, but he doesn’t bomb. Ever. And on a place like Martin, he’s a lock to make a check and contend for a Top 20.
BUCKET C: WALTERS
This is another tough bucket. I actually picked Easton Fothergill initially, banking on his live sonar expertise, but I balked at the last minute and swapped to Patrick Walters. I could claim it’s because of his knowledge of Alabama bass, but the truth is it’s a total gut feeling. Oh, and Walters is a superstar, so he’s never a bad pick.
Another great choice:
Easton Fothergill is clearly a top choice. Give him a hard look.
BUCKET D: FUJITA
Bucket D is absolutely loaded with Alabama talent, and I really wanted to pick either Will Davis Jr. or Scott Canterbury (they’re both on my Falcon Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge team), but I had to give the nod to the laser-sharp sonar expertise of Kyoya Fujita. He missed a check at Guntersville and will be looking to rebound in a big way at Martin.
Another great choice:
Anyone from central Alabama is a good pick, including Davis and Canterbury, but there are others on the list, too. Also, Jay Przekurat is a strong choice. Those Northern pros tend to do well at clear Alabama bass fisheries.
BUCKET E: WAGNER
While it’s tempting to pick John Cox to win it throwing a Frittside crankbait for largemouth, I just don’t think that’s how it’s going to work out. So I went with another ’Scoper with a lot of experience on fisheries like Martin – Emil Wagner.
Another great choice:
Justin Hamner is one of the most popular picks already, and I can’t disagree with betting on him. He’ll be strong.
Falcon Rods Drain the Lake Challenge
• Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala.
• Will Davis Jr., Sylacauga, Ala.
• Justin Hamner, Northport, Ala.
• Russ Lane, Prattville, Ala.
• Sam Hanggi, Knoxville, Tenn.
• Logan Parks, Auburn, Ala.
• Cody Meyer, Eagle, Idaho
• Beau Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
