Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind. –Bruce Lee
There’s one day left in the 2024 Bassmaster Classic and the weather gods are going to make it a fun one. We won’t quite experience Auntie Em’s twisters, but owners of small dogs are advised to tether their pets lest they fly away.
Changing conditions are a fact of life in bass fishing, and anglers who know how to win prepare for them. Texas pro Lee Livesay is in seventh place right now, 9-5 behind leader Justin Hamner. He had a sixth sense that it would blow this week, and he’s welcoming tomorrow’s weather.
“Being this far behind, I need a big change,” he said, and he’ll get what he wants. Whether it pays off for him remains to be seen. He expects that the gales will force competitors to move less and choose their fishing grounds wisely. “It pretty much puts you in one or two areas, that’s all. That stretch around Shangri-La gets huge. What took guys 10 minutes to run today will take an hour tomorrow.”
Several of the other anglers who need to make massive moves likewise welcomed the change. Even if it doesn’t stir up the ecosystem and trigger the bite, they don’t think it will hurt their chances. Kyle Patrick (11th) said he’s “running the back of every pocket” and expects his key zones to be protected. Still, he figures that for the leaderboard to shake up, it’ll require that the bass experience a bit of shock.
“I want it to be as thrown off for everyone, including myself,” he said. “I want everyone to have to figure it out.”
Hank Cherry (5th) is likewise fishing protected water, but he too expects and hopes for an equal playing field in this test of the best.
“As a competitor, I don’t want anything to adversely affect the other competitors,” he said. “I want it to be one on one, the best you’ve got, may the best angler win.”
If Justin Hamner’s demeanor is any indication, expect him to blow it away. When asked by Bassmaster’s Bryan Brasher about his plan for tomorrow, he was succinct and confident, but not boastful: “Win the Bassmaster Classic.”
Of course, there’s more to it than that. The fourth year Elite veteran planned for the wind, too. Today he fished all of his key areas that he knew would be trashed tomorrow, and therefore saved the protected zones for tomorrow. If it all turns out as planned, you won’t need a weatherman to know which way the trophy goes.
Here’s what I thought, saw and heard on a Day Two that resolved some things, but certainly not everything in this third Grand Lake Classic:
Foreshadowing – Heading into the final day of the 2016 Classic, eventual winner Edwin Evers was in 3rd place, 6-5 out of the lead. He took advantage of windy conditions on Day 3 to more than fill that gap, producing the biggest bag caught so far in eight days of Classic competition on Grand.
Wish Not Granted – “I don’t like wind,” said first time Classic qualifier Tyler Williams. “It hurts me. I get wet. If I could have it, it would be 80 and flat seas every day.”
Dropping Twenties – With today’s 20 pound bag, Hamner became the second angler to weigh in two 20-plus bags in a single Grand Lake Classic. Cliff Pace had 21-8 and 21-12 to start the 2013 Classic before clinching the deal with 11-8 on Day 3.
First Time’s the Charm – First-time Classic qualifiers made up a sizeable percentage of the field, but as a group they fared poorly. Only Adam Rasmussen, Kyle Patrick, Kyoya Fujita, Easton Fothergill and Bryant Smith remain.
Boomer Sooner – Both Oklahomans in the field made the cut, with Jason Christie in 12th and Luke Palmer in 17th.
International Division – There were four Canadian anglers in this week’s Classic field: Cooper Gallant is in 6th, Cory Johnston is in 20th, Chris Johnston is in 22nd and defending champ Gussy ended up in 31st. Of the three Japanese qualifiers, Taku Ito is in 9th, Kyoya Fujita is in 16th and Kenta Kimura ended up in 40th. The lone Australian angler, Carl Jocumsen, finished 45th in his second Classic.
Past Classic Champs – Of the three past Classic champs in the field, Hank Cherry is in 5th, Jason Christie is in 12th and Jeff Gustafson closed out his Classic in 31st.
Past AOYs – Of the four past Bassmaster AOYs in the field, Brandon Palaniuk and Kyle Welcher made the cut in 13th and 18th, respectively. Clark Wendlandt and Greg Hackney missed it in 28th and 49th, respectively.
Cut Weight Math – Twenty-fifth place after Day One was 14-5, and the two-day cut weight turned out to be 29-3 – that’s twice the Day 1 weight plus 9 ounces.
Sliding and Gliding – So far most of the damage in this event has been done with a jig, a vibrating jig, a jerkbait and a crankbait. Hamner’s large lead means that there will be some risk-taking tomorrow. Livesay, who has plenty of big bait experience in Texas, reported a number of followers on big glide baits during practice. He won’t get stuck on it, but fully intends to sling it in likely places looking for a game-changing bite.
Talking the Talk – Rookie Kyle Patrick is all-in on the Classic experience. “Big bass, big stage, big dreams, baby,” he said. “This is awesome.” He backed it up with a 6-7 largemouth that pulled him into the cut to Day Three.
Nebraskans Who’ve Invaded Oklahoma – Tom Osborne, Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Ndamukong Suh, and now Ben Milliken. “We’ve got a Nebraska flag right up here in the front,” said Mr. 402 today. He finished 50th with 22-13.
The Other Side of the Fence – “I’d rather see ya’ll from the stage than from inside the Expo,” said reigning AOY Kyle Welcher. He fished his wish and sits in 18th place heading into Day Three.
Random Tulsa Area Notables Not Present at the Weigh-In – J. Paul Getty, Roy Clark, Wayman Tisdale.
