Meet the Team fish-off competitors

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LEESBURG, La. — The field of 284 anglers (142 teams) that began the Bassmaster Team Championship on the Harris Chain of Lakes Wednesday has been whittled to a group of six as the Classic Fish-Off kicks off Friday in central Florida. <p> Both anglers from the Top 3 teams in the team portion of this event had their weights zeroed after Thursday’s weigh-in, and they’re now fishing individually for two days. The man with the highest two-day weight will claim the last spot in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk when it’s held March 19-21 on Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas. <p> It’s the chance of a lifetime, for sure. Let’s get to know each of the competitors chasing a dream in the Classic Fish-Off. <p> <em>Captions: Andrew Canulette</em>
LEESBURG, La. — The field of 284 anglers (142 teams) that began the Bassmaster Team Championship on the Harris Chain of Lakes Wednesday has been whittled to a group of six as the Classic Fish-Off kicks off Friday in central Florida.

Both anglers from the Top 3 teams in the team portion of this event had their weights zeroed after Thursday’s weigh-in, and they’re now fishing individually for two days. The man with the highest two-day weight will claim the last spot in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk when it’s held March 19-21 on Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas.

It’s the chance of a lifetime, for sure. Let’s get to know each of the competitors chasing a dream in the Classic Fish-Off.

Captions: Andrew Canulette

<p><strong>ANDY WALLS</strong></p><p>Age: 33</p><p>Hometown: Grand Rapids, Minn.</p><p>Occupation: Manages a sporting goods store, specializing in fishing gear.</p><p>Team Trail: Minnesota B.A.S.S. Nation</p><p>Home water: Gull Lake (Minn.)</p><p>Favorite fishing style: Flipping.</p><p>Favorite lure: Any creature bait.</p><p>Biggest bass ever caught? 8 pounds.</p><p>What one word best describes you? “Honest.”</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Different.”</p><p>Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “I’ll never forget when Mike Iaconelli won in New Orleans (in 2003). I watched on TV that day and from then on, I knew I wanted to be a professional angler.”</p><p>What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “I can’t say it would mean everything, because I’d still want to win that sucker. But getting my foot in the door, getting that first opportunity, the taste of it – it would be life-changing. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”</p>
ANDY WALLSAge: 33Hometown: Grand Rapids, Minn.Occupation: Manages a sporting goods store, specializing in fishing gear.Team Trail: Minnesota B.A.S.S. NationHome water: Gull Lake (Minn.)Favorite fishing style: Flipping.Favorite lure: Any creature bait.Biggest bass ever caught? 8 pounds.What one word best describes you? “Honest.”What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Different.”Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “I’ll never forget when Mike Iaconelli won in New Orleans (in 2003). I watched on TV that day and from then on, I knew I wanted to be a professional angler.”What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “I can’t say it would mean everything, because I’d still want to win that sucker. But getting my foot in the door, getting that first opportunity, the taste of it – it would be life-changing. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
<p><strong>DARYL ADAMS</strong></p><p>Age: 49</p><p>Hometown: Senoia, Ga.</p><p>Occupation: Process manager for a manufacturing plant.</p><p>Team Trail: Alabama Bass Trail</p><p>Home water: West Point Lake</p><p>Favorite fishing style: Throwing a Senko worm shallow.</p><p>Favorite lure: Senko worm.</p><p>Biggest bass: 9-6</p><p>What one word best describes you? “Country.”</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Awesome.”</p><p>Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “All of them have been good.”</p><p>What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?:  “It would be very hard to talk with me if I did get in. I won $35,000 with a guy once, and I could hardly talk. I’m sure this would be worse.”</p>
DARYL ADAMSAge: 49Hometown: Senoia, Ga.Occupation: Process manager for a manufacturing plant.Team Trail: Alabama Bass TrailHome water: West Point LakeFavorite fishing style: Throwing a Senko worm shallow.Favorite lure: Senko worm.Biggest bass: 9-6What one word best describes you? “Country.”What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Awesome.”Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “All of them have been good.”What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?:  “It would be very hard to talk with me if I did get in. I won $35,000 with a guy once, and I could hardly talk. I’m sure this would be worse.”
<p><strong>JORDAN WIGGINS</strong></p><p>Age: 29</p><p>Hometown: Cullman, Ala.</p><p>Occupation: Runs an HVAC business.</p><p>Team Trail: Alabama Bass Trail</p><p>Home water: Smith Lake (Ala.)</p><p>Favorite fishing style: Top-water.</p><p>Favorite lure: ChatterBaits.  </p><p>Biggest bass ever caught?: 9 pounds          </p><p>What one word best describes you? “Laid-back”.</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Love it. That’s two words. But I do love it.”</p><p>Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “My brother (Jesse) almost wining it two years ago (during the 2019 Classic on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn.) That was awesome.”</p><p>What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “It would be unreal. It would mean the world to me. As long as it’s one of us, either me or (Sams).”</p>
JORDAN WIGGINSAge: 29Hometown: Cullman, Ala.Occupation: Runs an HVAC business.Team Trail: Alabama Bass TrailHome water: Smith Lake (Ala.)Favorite fishing style: Top-water.Favorite lure: ChatterBaits.  Biggest bass ever caught?: 9 pounds          What one word best describes you? “Laid-back”.What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Love it. That’s two words. But I do love it.”Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “My brother (Jesse) almost wining it two years ago (during the 2019 Classic on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn.) That was awesome.”What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “It would be unreal. It would mean the world to me. As long as it’s one of us, either me or (Sams).”
<p><strong>KEITH MAYFIELD</strong></p><p>Age: 43</p><p>Hometown: Senoia, Ga.</p><p>Occupation: Director of an excavation operation.</p><p>Team Trail: Alabama Bass Trail</p><p>Home water: West Point Lake</p><p>Favorite fishing style: Shallow junk fishing.</p><p>Favorite lure:  Any worm.</p><p>What one word best describes you? “Funny”.</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “One word doesn’t cut it. At any time you can work on them here.”</p><p>Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “When KVD tied Rick Clunn for most wins.”</p><p>What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?:  â€œIt would mean the world. It would be a really humbling experience.”</p>
KEITH MAYFIELDAge: 43Hometown: Senoia, Ga.Occupation: Director of an excavation operation.Team Trail: Alabama Bass TrailHome water: West Point LakeFavorite fishing style: Shallow junk fishing.Favorite lure:  Any worm.What one word best describes you? “Funny”.What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “One word doesn’t cut it. At any time you can work on them here.”Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “When KVD tied Rick Clunn for most wins.”What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?:  â€œIt would mean the world. It would be a really humbling experience.”
<p><strong>KEITH TUMA</strong></p><p>Age: 47</p><p>Hometown: Brainerd, Minn.</p><p>Occupation: Owns small sales and manufacturing company.</p><p>Team Trail: Minnesota B.A.S.S. Trail</p><p>Home water: Gull Lake (Minn.)</p><p>Favorite fishing style: “I love throwing a frog.”</p><p>Favorite lure: “Definitely the frog.”           </p><p>Biggest bass: 9-6</p><p>What one word best describes you? “Ambitious.”</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Amazing.”</p><p>Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “There’s so many different memories stuck in my head. I loved watching KVD hold that trophy while that (fireworks) display goes on. Seeing that, watching people I know, like Seth Feider, compete in the biggest bass tournament in the world.”</p><p>What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “You have the opportunity to see it on TV, and you think you can do that. In reality, I know it’s so much more than that. Ninety percent of it is mental. So just to be in a class with those guys, you know, they’re pros and I’m just a guy. It’s an opportunity to fish on a level I’ve never seen before.”</p>
KEITH TUMAAge: 47Hometown: Brainerd, Minn.Occupation: Owns small sales and manufacturing company.Team Trail: Minnesota B.A.S.S. TrailHome water: Gull Lake (Minn.)Favorite fishing style: “I love throwing a frog.”Favorite lure: “Definitely the frog.”           Biggest bass: 9-6What one word best describes you? “Ambitious.”What one word best describes the Harris Chain?: “Amazing.”Best memory of any Bassmaster Classic: “There’s so many different memories stuck in my head. I loved watching KVD hold that trophy while that (fireworks) display goes on. Seeing that, watching people I know, like Seth Feider, compete in the biggest bass tournament in the world.”What happens when you win the fish-off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “You have the opportunity to see it on TV, and you think you can do that. In reality, I know it’s so much more than that. Ninety percent of it is mental. So just to be in a class with those guys, you know, they’re pros and I’m just a guy. It’s an opportunity to fish on a level I’ve never seen before.”
<p><strong>WESLEY SAMS</strong></p><p>Age: 38</p><p>Hometown: Cullman, Ala.</p><p>Occupation: Works in the auxiliary department at a local community college.</p><p>Team Trail: Alabama Bass Trail.</p><p>Home water: Smith Lake (Ala.)</p><p>Favorite fishing style: “Smith Lake is a deep and clear-water reservoir. I like it there.”</p><p>Favorite lure: “Either a shaky-head or a football jig.”          </p><p>Biggest bass ever caught?: 10-2</p><p>What one word best describes you? “Family.”</p><p>What one word best describes the Harris Chain? “Good.”</p><p>Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “When I was 12 or 13, a guy who is a good friend of ours qualified for the Classic at High Rock (Lake in North Carolina in 1995). I can remember getting on the little computer we had and trying to find Craig Daniel’s name on it. He was a hometown hero for fishing in the Classic. We all dreamed of doing that one day too.”</p><p>What happens when you win the Classic Fish-Off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “That would be the most awesome thing.”</p>
WESLEY SAMSAge: 38Hometown: Cullman, Ala.Occupation: Works in the auxiliary department at a local community college.Team Trail: Alabama Bass Trail.Home water: Smith Lake (Ala.)Favorite fishing style: “Smith Lake is a deep and clear-water reservoir. I like it there.”Favorite lure: “Either a shaky-head or a football jig.”          Biggest bass ever caught?: 10-2What one word best describes you? “Family.”What one word best describes the Harris Chain? “Good.”Best memory of the Bassmaster Classic: “When I was 12 or 13, a guy who is a good friend of ours qualified for the Classic at High Rock (Lake in North Carolina in 1995). I can remember getting on the little computer we had and trying to find Craig Daniel’s name on it. He was a hometown hero for fishing in the Classic. We all dreamed of doing that one day too.”What happens when you win the Classic Fish-Off and secure the last spot in the Classic?: “That would be the most awesome thing.”