Daily Limit: What, no confetti?

You won't see the champion shrouded in confetti this year as MLB ballparks don't allow it.

HOUSTON – The confetti cannons will not, that is NOT in capital letters, be allowed in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

No confetti, you say, what’s up with that?

“That’s a big rule in stadiums,” said Eric Lopez, B.A.S.S. director of operations. “Because of that, we’re likely going back to what we used to do in the old days and use pyro. That’s approved in stadiums, confetti is not.”

Oooh, pyro, like fire and flames and things exploding. Cooool.

B.A.S.S. officials in charge of redesigning the Classic show for Minute Maid Park, the MLB stadium of the Houston Astros, have been rather secretive of how they’re going to pull off the usual weigh-in features in an open air stadium. Even if the roof is closed, above the left field wall is a bank of windows that allows in plenty of light, so the normal light show will not occur.

B.A.S.S. will utilize the fourth largest big screen in MLB, and has one about half its size as the backdrop to the stage being built. Right now, there are runways going in to accommodate the boats and any walking. Everyone from the anglers to the photographers to the Marshal have been told the No. 1 golden rule for being in MMP – Do not step on the grass.

It is rather nice, like the collar of a golf course green at a nice country club. A grounds crew member said it was one of those special, fancy blends the turf management folks develop.

“We’re staying off the grass,” Lopez said. “There’s a game with the Cubs a couple days later.

“We have some surprises for Astros fans during our show, and at the Expo as well.”

There might not be confetti, but weigh-ins have been well thought out to include a baseball theme.

“We have awesome plans,” Lopez said. “We’re working with the Astros for our Super Six reveal. We’re playing toward baseball and that environment. There will be strong baseball elements. We have a way to incorporate the dugouts in the show the baselines.”

B.A.S.S. owners Jerry McKinnis, who played minor league baseball, and Don Logan, who is involved in ownership of the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team, both know the game.

B.A.S.S. has worked hard to make this the most attended Classic ever. The facilities give it a great chance as Minute Maid could fit 19,000 easily, which is more seat than usual arena Classic. A short walk away in the George R. Brown Convention Center is the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

It’s the biggest on record with more than 300,000 square feet of showroom floor. Parking will be readily available to – there’s parking for 100,000 in that area and at least 25,000 spots within short walking distance to the ballpark.

Steve Kennedy goes large on his prediction for the winning weight this week.

BIG NUMBERS GET FANTASY NOD

James Overstreet has asked competitors their best guess at the winning weight of events for some time now, and it makes one wonder if anyone uses them to help set their Fantasy Fishing lineup. You know, pick the guys with higher weights because they’re apparently seeing bigger fish. I dunno.

Well, you can do that, pick your favorites, listen to the pundits or throw darts, just play.

Overstreet did it again on Thursday’s Media Day, and there were 45 to offered their guess at what winning weight will come from Lake Conroe after three days of competition.

Steven Kennedy came in with the high at 78 pounds, followed closely by Greg Hackney at 77. Only one other angler predicted a weigh over 70 pounds, and that was Todd Faircloth at 71-6. Those weights would eclipse the three-day Classic record set by Kevin VanDam (69-11) on the Louisiana Delta in 2011.

The lowest weight predicted was Jason Williamson’s 58-12, and  Scott Clift (59) and Kevin VanDam (59-12) were the only others under 60.

The guesses added up to 2,902, hence dividing that by 45, and carrying the aught, gives an average of 64-5. That’s 21-7 a day.

Alton Jones, grabbing some B.A.S.S. Times left in the Media Day dining room, lost a faithful fan.

KEEPING UP WITH THE ALTON JONESES

Alton Jones got a rude awakening on the Night of Champions during the Red Carpet interviews. Somehow he lost his closest, most faithful fan.

“Davy Hite asked Jimmye Sue, ‘As a mom and a husband of a Classic contender, who you rooting for?’” Alton said. “The first time I’ve ever been to a Classic and my wife is not rooting for me. Little Alton won that.”

Alton Jones Jr., an Elite Series rookie who qualified for the Classic by winning an Open, wasn’t surprised his mom was on his side.

“I knew that,” he said. “He may not have, but I knew that all along. Mom’s always going to root for her son. He’s already got one, so it’d be greedy if he got two before I got my first one. I’ve always been the favorite anyway.”

The Joneses will become the fifth father/son tandem to fish the same Classic. They join Bill and Greg Ward, Guido and Dion Hibdon, Denny and Chad Brauer and Woo and Chris Daves. Only the Hibdons both have won a Classic.

Dad got the last word with his wife, and also his son, who wants to go by Alton Jr. and not Little Alton as he calls him.

“I made sure she knew that if she’s ever competing against one of my daughters, I’m rooting for my daughter,” Alton said. “It’s all good, I understand it.

“Little Alton, it’s about the pecking order. As a dad, I got to try to keep him believing that I can still take him, even though we both know it’s not true.”

Alton said he’d be fine if his son beats him here at Lake Conroe, but he will give him no quarter.

“If he does, I hope I make him earn it,” he said. “That’s what we promised each other if we were in position, to make the other earn it.”

Classic qualifier John Garret of Bethel University if flanked by coach Garry Mason (left) and assistant Kenny Louden.

GARRETT MAKING BETHEL U. PROUD

John Garrett has made Bethel University proud, all the way up to the president. The school was the first to offer scholarships for bass fishing, and it couldn’t be more pleased that it’s paid off big time

“John was a local kid we kind of had our eye on,” Coach Garry Mason said. “We actually met him for the first time in person at the Classic in Birmingham.”

He was offered a scholarship, visited the next week and committed to become a Bethel Wildcat. The school is a Christian institute of higher education in northeast Tennessee close to Kentucky Lake.

“We’re proud of John and honored to have him here representing Bethel University in the Bassmaster Classic,” said Mason, who began the program in 2009 and was first to offer college scholarship for bass fishing. “We wanted to give these young people an opportunity to go to school, get a good education and do what they love to do, which is fish.”

Bethel has 30 members on its team, 14 on the varsity and 16 junior varsity.

CLASSIC BY THE NUMBERS

52 Total competitors in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

41 Competitors from the Bassmaster Elite Series, the world’s premier bass fishing league.

18 Hours of coverage on Bassmaster LIVE, which hits the air from 7-10 a.m. CT each day then 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

9 Alabama anglers competing, the most from one state: Boyd Duckett, Matt Herren, Randy Howell, Steve Kennedy, Jordan Lee, Gerald Swindle, Justin Lucas, Aaron Martens and Jesse Wiggins.

9 Former Classic champions competing: Casey Ashley, Boyd Duckett, Edwin Evers, Randy Howell, Michael Iaconelli, Alton Jones, Takahiro Omori, Skeet Reese and Kevin VanDam.

7 Ways to get into Classic: Win previous year’s Classic; win AOY; win one of 9 Opens; AOY points; Top 3 in B.A.S.S. Nation; College champion; and Team champion.

6 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year winners in the field: Kevin VanDam, Aaron Martens, Greg Hackney, Gerald Swindle, Mike Iaconelli and Skeet Reese.

5 Qualifiers from Texas: Keith Combs, Todd Faircloth, Alton Jones, Alton Jones Jr. and Takahiro Omori.

2 This will be the second time the Classic has been held in Texas. The first was 1979, when Hank Parker won on Lake Texoma out of Pottsboro.