I am very excited about this new Fantasy contest, the T-H Marine Bassmaster Pick ‘Em Challenge. Honestly, while listed with the “Fantasy Games” at Bassmasterfantasy.com, this one is less Fantasy and more like sports betting, without the betting part! Sportsbooks have done this for years in Auto Racing and Professional Golf, pitting 2 contestants against each other, with the highest finisher paying off. In this case, we are playing for great prizes from T-H Marine, B.A.S.S. and Bass Pro Shops
All season long, I will be handicapping these match ups, and we’ll be able to track right here how we do! So let’s get started with an opinion on the seven matches we have for the FXR Pro Fish Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River – February 20 – 23.
A key factor in this event is that Rodman Reservoir off limits. Rodman has been more of a scoper’s paradise in recent years, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
Match 1 pits reigning AOY champ Chris Johnson against the ROY champ, Trey McKinney, who finished 2nd in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year as well. If not for a timing snafu at Smith Lake last season, McKinney would have likely won the AOY as well. Last year, Chris was 2nd at the St. Johns, while McKinney finished 17th. Chris’ brother, roommate and business partner, Cory, won that week so I think the pick on this one is Chris Johnson…narrowly!
The 2nd Match is the Floridians, John Cox and Drew Benton. These guys finished close to each other in the AOY race, and at the St. Johns. Cox was 22nd, while Benton contended and finished 4th. Both are shallow water studs as well, so don’t be surprised if the winner of this derby comes from these two. With this tourney earlier in the year than last year’s event, I like Cox to find that shallowest of spawning holes and take down Benton.
Match 3 is between the bearded duo of Tennessee sticks, Jacob Foutz and Robert Gee. Both of these guys are proficient with their forward-facing sonar, and Foutz finished 3rd out of Rodman last season, while Gee was 30th. But again, no Rodman this year, and Gee loves him a bladed jig, which should play well here… I think he flips the table on Foutz this year, slaps a few more bellies, and gets the W.
Match 4 has an international flavor with Japan’s Taku Ito taking on Australian Carl Jocumsen. Look, I love Taku, but this is no “Smallmouth Disneyland”, and he has repeatedly said that he doesn’t like big largemouth. This is a Big Largemouth event… neither one of these guys did well last year at the St. Johns, with Carl finishing 77th, to Ito’s 80th, but this is 2 months earlier, and I’m taking the man from Down Under, Carl Jocumsen…
Match 5 is a tough one as Patrick Walters and his roommate Justin Hamner are teamed up…Neither of these guys were particularly good last year at the St. Johns with Hamner finishing 55th, and Walters bombing at 82nd! Hamner is a hammer with a jerkbait, but again, time of year is in play here. I like Walters to get it done and get room preference at the rental house on the 2nd stop of the year!
Match 6 gives us a couple of former St. Johns River winners in Cory Johnston, who won there last April and John Crews who snagged the Blue Trophy in 2022. Crews did it old school, Johnston had the FFS going. Cory has been on a heater for the past couple of years, while Crews splits time between tournament angling and running a very successful bait company. I’ll take Team Johnston again here, eh?
And finally, we get the Tylers, Rivet and Williams, and it would be truly epic if they actually, you know, tied! Let’s assume that’s not going to happen, and let’s assume Rivet is not going to find a honey hole while fishing for crappie to toss in a skillet. If you don’t get the reference, look up Rivet’s win at Okeechobee a couple of years ago. In any event, I like Williams and his jig fishing prowess to get the win in this pairing.
As for the Tiebreaker, you are on your own there! Cory Johnston had over 93 pounds last year and won by 20 pounds! In 2022, Crews had just over 75 and won by less than 1 ½ pounds, so I am going to say that the number is somewhere in that 78-82 pound range. Good luck and pick ‘em well!
