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In no other town in America will you find three of these coveted trophies earned by current pros fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series. This beauty belongs to Chris Lane, the 2012 Bassmaster Classic champion. Guntersville, Ala., is home to world champions Lane, Boyd Duckett (2007) and Randy Howell (2014).
Photo: Craig Lamb
The business side of the sport happens in this home office. Behind Lane is the winner’s trophy from the 2015 Elite Series on the Sabine River. Flanking the top shelf are trophies from Bassmaster Open wins at Lake Okeechobee (2010) and The Harris Chain (2012). In between are trophies from Elite Series wins at Lake St. Clair (2013) and the St. Johns River (2014).
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane’s home office is conveniently located just outside his man cave. Keeping up with travel expenses and itineraries is a full-time job. Lane prefers other tasks, and he’s about to get his wish.
Photo: Craig Lamb
When we visited early in 2016, Lane was typing a reply to B.A.S.S. that he and wife Holly would attend the Night of Champions. It’s a special evening celebration of the season’s past winners. There’s a red carpet entrance and lots of glitz and glamour.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Just a few steps away is the man cave. Lane had a lot of work to do before departing for the 2016 Classic in Tulsa, Okla. He spent the better part of a week organizing tackle in preparation for the tournament.
Photo: Craig Lamb
The truck is still dripping wet from a road trip that ended in the wee hours of the morning. Over the weekend Lane appeared at a Spring Fishing Classic held at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Portage, Ind. He tried, unsuccessfully, to outrun a winter storm on the way home.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Evidence of the appearance is made obvious by this stack of personal photos that Lane uses for signing autographs. What else is obvious is the travel season begins long before the first cast is made on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour.
Photo: Craig Lamb
The tackle you see isn’t left over from the 2015 Elite Series season. Last month Lane used it in his first tournament of the year. In January Lane traveled back to his home state of Florida for the season opening Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open held on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.
Photo: Craig Lamb
What storage compartments are to bass boats these slide-out boxes are to the trucks. You’ll find such a setup on everyone’s rig. The truck boxes eliminate having to climb into the bed and search for unorganized tackle and gear.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane gets busy putting the final touches on his new boat. There are minor details needing attention outside the final factory rigging job of his Legend rig. Tending to rods, reels and unpacking the familiar shopping bag from a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will have to wait.
Photo: Craig Lamb
This decal is displayed proudly near his name. Applying decals is a tedious job but it must be done. Such are the rituals required each season before the pros even think of loading their boats with gear and tackle.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane finishes applying the decal before moving on to other work. He spent many days in the shop working on the boat in preparation for the Classic and the Elite Series season ahead.
Photo: Craig Lamb
The decals come in pages for easy identification. Once he finishes this job he’ll move on to more work. There will be plenty of it to do and he doesn’t’ mind. “It beats being in the office,” he says.
This looks like any workbench garage in America. There’s a football for tossing around in the front yard for breaks with his kids. Lane says this spot is for house chores and boat work.
Photo: Craig Lamb
The only evidence this bench belongs to a fisherman is the assortment of random bobbers. Those are byproducts of outings on Lake Guntersville with his children.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Here are some of those children posing in a photo booth picture with Holly. Hannah, Hunter, Cal and Coleman make up the Lane clan.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane’s children made this sign bearing their signatures. “I’m so glad you are home dad,” is the message from daughter Hannah. The sign was a sight for sore eyes after Lane returned from a long road trip.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Shrines from the past fill one wall of the Man Cave. Family pictures and mementos surround keepsakes from the tournament trail.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Classic anglers wear this laminated credential during the event. Each area is secure and requires special access according to the job. For Lane that means access to the Boat Yard, Backstage, Media Room and Takeoff areas.
Photo: Craig Lamb
“The Father’s Hand is always there to guide you through the seas of life.” That’s the quote on this framed picture given to Chris by wife Holly. She wrote the headline and with Proverbs 4:20-23 for the inscription. The hand belongs to Chris with his oldest son Cal sharing the wheel of their boat.
Photo: Craig Lamb
This treasured banner is from the Elite Series held in Palataka., Fla., where Lane won the 2014 event on the St. Johns River.
Photo: Craig Lamb
This certificate is more official business than tournament keepsake. Lane got his U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license in 2009. In official terms he’s approved as an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane likes to go shopping for tackle like anyone else. When making personal appearances at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World he searches for anything he might not already have. These are the results of a shopping trip prior to the Classic.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Above the boat is this homemade rod rack. It’s a simple and functional design for temporarily storing rod-and-reel combos. Lane can easily see and then reach for what he needs to load in the boat.
Photo: Craig Lamb
This spinning rig is going to the Classic. Lane said he might use it for fishing lightweight jigs and soft plastics around boat docks. Those are found in abundance on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
Photo: Craig Lamb
The work shifts to rigging new casting outfits. Lane carries a dozen combos in the boat and spares go in the truck. Some pros, he says, carry twice that many. Lane narrows down the choices to the basics and whatever specialty outfits he needs.
Photo: Craig Lamb
A shipment of Johnny Morris Carbonlite casting reels is unpacked and ready for matching up with the brand’s recognizable white rods. Lane tries to speculate and plan every scenario he will encounter for a specific tournament when choosing his rods and reels.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Another Carbonlite reel comes out of the box. Today is like Christmas morning anywhere else in America. Here, it’s another day at the office.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Lane enjoys this kind of prep work. It’s a much better alternative to organizing travel receipts and other desk jobs inside his office, he says.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Simplicity is what Lane likes most about his man cave. His resembles a garage but there are subtle reminders of what else goes on there.
Photo: Craig Lamb
He proves the point on this shelf that is loaded with fishing line. The “FL” label on the boxes stands for fluorocarbon. That is his line of choice, most of the time.
Photo: Craig Lamb
Another combo goes into the boat. Lane likes to keep his boat loaded with only what he needs for a given event. This one happens to be the biggest of the year. The Classic.
Photo: Craig Lamb
These duck decoys and waders hanging on the wall are reminders of what else Lane likes about living in Guntersville. “I can do it all here,” he says. “Work and play.” Play comes during duck season. Lane hunts on the lake with his Labrador retrievers, Legend and Gator.
Photo: Craig Lamb
To begin the 2013 season strong, Lane came up with this motivational phrase. Staying focused, finding bass, figuring out ways to catch them and having fun remain his goals.
Photo: Craig Lamb
