Category: Bassmaster Classic
Oddball Classic Colors?
Waded through a bunch o’ pattern info from the Top 11 at the Classic (all now in BassGold.com, some deets coming on Bassmaster.com or maybe already there), and these two color-related items stuck out for me. Ott DeFoe said – I believe to Bassin’Fan – that a key of the custom-colored crank he fished with [...]
Hall of Fame: Another Great Night
I love the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Love what it is, the folks behind it, the folks in it, the folks destined to be in it and the folks who go to the inductions every year. Because I, like you, love bassin’. Went to this year’s induction at the Classic, and have a few [...]
New Classic vs. the Old Ones
Some background first: I’ve been lucky enough to been going to Classics since 1991, when I was a long-haired 20-something B.A.S.S. writer. Went to ‘em all except the 2008-2010 Classics because I had to sit out of fishin’ for a bit, but was there last year and this year. Was also there when Ray was [...]
New Stuff: 360 Sonar, Knotless Hook
The Classic Outdoor Expo (I think that’s its name) is THE place to be if you’re in the bassin’ biz, and there’s always a few new products to learn about there. Or here, since I am here. Question is whether said products will stand the test of time. One is Humminbird’s new 360 Imaging technology. [...]
Showmanship Tips for Classic Anglers
The Bassin’master Classic is the ultimate fishing show. The Greatest Free Show on Earth, I call it. And since it’s a show, it’s gotta have some showmanship, right? So here are a couple quick tips to help out the Classic anglers. 1. Classic, Terminator-like quote. Hit us with something like “I’ll be bahk.” Far as [...]
Current Red River Conditions?
Since I’m fishing the Classic this year (yeah right)…. Okay, since I’m replacing Tommy Sanders this year as co-host (yeah right)…. Seriously now – doin’ some bassin’ analysis for the Classic, looking for any sites or folks (guides, whoever) who are on or around the Red River enough to be current on the conditions down [...]
Easiest Contest Ever? Win a Boat, $5K Stuff
At next year’s (this Feb’s) Bassin’master Classic – which I think I’ll be attendin’ in the “Where’s Waldo” sense – the fine folks at Rebel Lures will giving away a fully equipped bassin’ boat. Plus, if you’re there in person to win it, you also get 5 grand in tackle. What do you have to [...]
Mystery Boat Answer
Welllllll, that’s your final clue there above, which pretty much gives it away. Since Rich Arnold correctly guessed the answer after clue #2 (Rich, you is the super sleuth!), I’ll quote him here:
Ever Do The Tacklebox Weigh-In?
Was surfing the new lurenet.com site (home for the Yum, Booyha, Bomber, Rebel, etc. brands) – you heard about it right? lol – and ran across this, from the one and only Bobby Murray: Competitors in the first Bassmaster Classic were limited to just 10 pounds of tackle. Nowadays a single Stowaway can weigh more [...]
Clunn Story: Anyone Know Denver Waltham?
Check out the below, an old Bagley’s ad (now laminated) given to me by a buddy some moons ago at a tackle show somewhere. I’ve always been a big Clunn fan, and loved this retro piece. Anyhow, on the ad it says: “Rick credits a bite size chunk of balsa wood, given to him by [...]
Sponsors Now Want Unique?
My how times they have a-changed. For about 30 years, you had to toe the line to get a bassin’ sponsorship. That’s three decades of being polite, nice, largely soft-spoken, no complaining and a good stick. Nothing real wrong with that. But in some ways, changed was overdue. And that change happened one fine day [...]
Should BASS Move the Classic Back?
This topic gets kicked around once in a while, but with new owners and likely a new format sometime in the future, moving the Classic back to summer actually could be on the table.
Ken Cook on Turning Pro, Classic Win
Most of his derby fish were caught on a… Ken Cook, 64 and now retired, was one of the three men inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame this year, and like all pro fishermen has a ton of great stories. Here are a few that were recently in The Oklahoman newspaper: Start I [...]
Cataouatch-Out for All the Potlickers!
When the biggest names in B.A.S.S., in the biggest tournament in bass fishing, milk a relatively small area like the west end of Lake Cataouatche for hundreds of pounds of pre-spawn largemouths, you know it’s just a matter of time before that spot turns into a fiberglass sidewalk. On the coast we call it potlicking. [...]
Lewisville Central Open: Check It!
Just a heads up to my fellow bass nerds. The day 1 weigh-in for the Bassmaster Central Open at Lake Lewisville is about to get under way. Click here to watch it live. I usually don’t pay much attention to the Open events, but with the Classic qualification structure B.A.S.S. has put in place this [...]
Was This Classic a Snoozer?
Or is it just me? Yawn. Snore. Drool. Zzzzzzzzzz. I lost interest the second Kevin VanDam plopped 22-plus pounds on the scales and surged into the lead on day 2. I knew at that exact moment that the 2011 Classic was over. KVD doesn’t lose leads on the final day of the Basmaster Classic. He [...]
Is There Too Much Location Info?
Spot Thoughts, Part 1 Got a call Saturday morning from a fishing industry bigwig who wondered whether up-to-the-second information on Classic anglers is harmful, both in the short term (during the derby) and long term. What prompted the issue, he said, was
Crochet: “Cataouatche Isn’t Enough”
It only takes about 5 seconds of listening to Cliff Crochet talk to realize he’s a bonafide Cajun. And while the Louisiana Delta isn’t his home water, there’s no doubt he knows this area just as well, and probably better than most. Bass Parade caught up with the Cajun Baby at the Yamaha booth today [...]
Skeet’s On Crack
Here’s a quick look at the new bait colors Skeet Reese unveiled in his booth here at the NOLA Classic. That’s blue crack [chartreuse belly /blue back] on the left, T rock [chartreuse belly/purple back in the middle and black crack [white belly/black back] on the right.
Classic Gossip: Info, Info, Info
So far the dominant topic around the Classic hasn’t been weather or baits or who’s on what. It’s who knows what and how they know it. No specifics, no details (well, a few), no accusations. But let’s face it: When you’re fishing the biggest tournament in fishing on a gazillion acres of confusing water with [...]
Changing Conditions Dominate Nawlins Chatter
A handful of anglers… a handful of questions. Read between the lines and see what you can figure out. Most of the pros were poor-mouthing it in terms of practice, but isn’t that always the case? Everyone wanted to talk about how good somebody else was catching them, but nobody wanted to admit they were [...]
