Top Classic moments - Bassmaster

Clifford Pirch is fishing his third Bassmaster Classic and he thinks back of some of his fonder memories of Classics past. âIn the 2015 Classic at Lake Hartwell I didnât figure them out great until Day 3. In the last hour or so it finally clicked and I caught a five-and-a-half pounder and I ended up weighing a great bag and finishing in 13th place.â

Pirch continued, âTakahiro Omoriâs Classic victory on Lake Wylie in 2004, Mike Iaconelliâs win in 2003 on the Louisiana Delta and Jay Yelasâ Classic title in 2002 on Lay Lake were back-to-back-to-back awesome Classics. There were last-second heroics with Omori and Iaconelli, and Yelas just dominated the field in 2002.â

âLooking in the crowd and seeing my family holding my big cutout head in the crowd. It was a very neat feeling to pick them out of the crowd. I hope they get to hop in the boat and take a victory lap this year,â Pirch said.

Marty Robinson is fishing his third Bassmaster Classic, two of which being at Grand Lake. âMy first Classic appearance at the Red River has to be number one in my book because I had fished as a pro for five years, but you arenât sure if you can compete after all those years with no Classics. Qualifying took those thoughts out of my head and I was able to enjoy the adrenaline rush that the event gives you. I can equate it to bungee jumping.â

“When I went to High Rock Lake as a 20-something year old and I watched Mark Davis win in 1995.”

âIn 1973 the Classic was on Clarks Hill and although I was just born that year I really remember that event,â Robinson continued. âRayo Breckenridge won and I believe Bill Dance finished second. It was one of my events that I learned about growing up because Clarks Hill is one of the lakes that I spend a lot of time on now and it means a lot to me.â

Chris Zaldain is fishing his second Classic in the last three years to start his young career. âLake Guntersville Classic in 2014 was my first one and it will always be one of my favorites. When you stand on stage and you have all the lights and sounds around you itâs pretty surreal and you feel like a rockstar.â

“It was such a genuine moment when Takahiro won at Lake Wylie in 2004,” Zaldain said. “He made a decision to fish how he did and he stuck to it. Then to catch the fish so dramatically at the end was amazing.”

âKevin VanDamâs 2011 Classic victory was impressive. As fishermen, we pride ourselves on being versatile and watching VanDam basically predict the future know the big fish were coming to him was cool. He knew what to do at every moment of the event it seemed,â Zaldain said.

Chad Morgenthaler has fished in six Bassmaster Classics including this year at Grand. He was used to being under pressure coming from the fire department, but…”In my first Bassmaster Classic in 2003, I underestimated the rush you get. People say this all the time, but I genuinely didnât sleep a second the night before the tournament. I was so excited and nervous that I fished Day 1 of the Classic and was awake for almost 48 hours.”

“As I headed to my area on Day 1 of my first Classic, I ran through so many canals with tiny houses that lined the canals,” Morgenthaler remembered. “They were only accessible by boat and knowing people lived there blew my mind. Coming from Illinois we donât see that, so my 127-mile drive to Venice was eventful.”

Morgenthaler continued, “In 2014 at the Guntersville Classic I was 7th place heading into the final day and it was crazy knowing that I was in striking range at that when I returned to the ramp later that day I could possibly have won. Handling a whole floatilla of spectator boats was something new to me and I didnât manage that correctly at all and I had such a tough day, but I certainly learned from it and know now what to do.”

Dean Rojas has fished in 14 Classics and has some fond memories from his time in the Elites. “I was leading Day 2 of the Classic in 2004 on a frog, which was pretty neat. That was back when ESPN owned Bassmaster and the attention that I got from that was pretty crazy.”

“Kevin VanDamâs 1st Classic victory at the Louisiana Delta in 2001 was a milestone for him,” Rojas said. “The excitement in bass fishing that ensued from that was incredible; it was just like when Dale Earnhardt won at Daytona.”

“Lake Hartwell last year was a roller coaster event as I started with a 25-minute penalty on Day 1 and had to watch everyone leave the takeoff while I waited. Then I went to my first spot and caught all those fish and ended up leading the event after Day 2, which was pretty crazy. I knew the penalty was my fault and I figured what happened would happen,” Rojas said.

Skeet Reese owns a Classic title, but his first Classic was certainly a highlight of his career. “In 1998 I was fishing my first Classic and it will always be one of the highlights of my career. Denny won that event at High Rock and I ended up finishing 15th.”

“My Red River Classic win in 2009 will always be special to me,” Reese said. “Late in the final day I flipped a jig at a stump and caught a bass over four pounds and I thought I had a shot to win. Then when the cameramen starting pulling up and getting on my boat I started thinking I may have this in the bag.”

“Last year at Lake Hartwell, I truly thought I was going to win that event after Day 1. I was going to crush them or they were going to crush me. I was one of the first guys to have Bassmaster Live on my boat and I was so nervous and quiet because I didnât want to mess up or say something wrong. I eventually got comfortable with it and hope to have them on me sometime this week,” Reese said.

Brandon Lester fished his first Classic last year after qualifying during his rookie year. Now he is back for number two. “When I caught my first fish in the Bassmaster Classic last year that was pretty awesome. It didnât come until later in the morning, like 10 a.m., but it was a three-pounder. I was trying to figure out how my fish were moving because of the influx of current my area had and after that fish I started to figure it out.”

“Seeing that curtain open and all of the fans and lights in the stadium was amazing. Iâm a quiet guy and so I thought I would get nervous, but it happens so fast that I had no time to be nervous because next thing I knew I was talking about my day and seeing my family support me in the crowd,” Lester said.

Trevor Lo is fishing his first Bassmaster Classic and is one of the youngest, if not the youngest angler to compete in the Super Bowl of bass fishing. “Takahiroâs ‘I knew it’ is definitely at the top. It was nuts how everything came together in a matter of moments on that final day.”

“Mike Iaconelliâs Classic victory really inspired me to learn more about fishing and the spot,” Lo said.

“Randy Howellâs victory in 2014 at Guntersville was a day straight from God,” Lo said. “When itâs your day, itâs your day. It was a magical day.”

Dave Precht is the Editor-in-Chief of Bassmaster Magazine and has been attending Classics since the late 1970âs.
“My first Classic was in 1978 and it was on Ross Barnett. Ray Scott had stands brought in for the fans to sit and watch the weigh-in. After all the enthusiasm that resulted, Scott thought of having an indoor weigh-in like we have today. Only a few years after that Ross Barnett event we had our first arena weigh-in.”

“Bassmaster Classic Media Day is a popular event at the Classic now, and it all stemmed from the 1991 Classic when Ken Cook won. Hurricane Bob was creeping along the coast and hit the Chesapeake Bay where the event was being held. Instead of sending them on the water in the dangerous conditions we brought everyone together with the media so that we all had something to do and that became the first-ever Classic Media Day,” Precht said.

Precht has another favorite: “In 1984 when Rick Clunn lapped the field on the Arkansas River, winning by 25 pounds, he gave his memorable âlittle green fish” speech, where he talked about how great it is to live in a country where he could chase little green fish around the country and make a living. When he won Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ray Scott were all on stage to congratulate him.”

Justin Lucas is in his second Classic, with last year being his first.
“When my mom took me to my first Classic in 2005 and Kevin VanDam won on Three Rivers in Pittsburgh it was one of the coolest experiences Iâve had. I had to make it and be a part of the Classic some day.”

“When Iaconelli won, I was in my teens and really started to consider bass fishing as a realistic career opportunities.”

“Having my family watch me fish on the dock last year at Hartwell was pretty cool,” Lucas said. “I had caught fish there all week and before the final day I told my family I would be there. They came and watched me catch them pretty good and it was a Classic moment.”

Pete Robbins is a freelance writer for Bassmaster during the Classic, as well as a columnist throughout the year. “In 1990 the Classic was in Richmond, Va. and I came home from college and didnât know a thing about bass fishing, but I attended the weigh-in. Rick Clunn caught a big limit and won the event and it really opened my eyes to the sport.”

“The Lake Wylie Classic in 2004 was my first Classic as a member of the media. Day 1 I rode along with Aaron Martens and he burned less than a ounce of gas it seemed, and used some pretty unfamiliar baits to me at the time. It was pretty mind blowing back then,” Robbins said.

“Lay Lake in 2010 and I got to ride around with Bassmaster photographer James Overstreet. We were in Beeswax creek following Kevin VanDam and that event KVD taught me you didnât need to go far to catch fish and not to mention the advances in blogging and media coverage since then is amazing,” Robbins said.

Kevin VanDam has been there and done that when it comes to Classics and is sure to have some awesome memories throughout his career. “When I won the Classic in Pittsburgh, the look on my kidsâ faces was priceless. A photographer captured the moment and I have it in my house to this day.”

“In 1991, I was fishing my first Classic. Up to that point I was a fan and then I was fishing in the Classic and Ken Cook won that event.”

“To have such a great morning in the 2001 Classic at the Louisiana Delta was special,” VanDam said. “Basically knowing that I won early that morning was an unreal feeling.”