First things first, attending the 2016 Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Okla., and watching it all unfold from the Classic Expo was an experience. I can’t imagine what it will be like when I qualify for a Classic, and hopefully this time next year I can stand there and put it into words.
What Edwin Evers did on the final day on Grand Lake is by far, the most dominating win I’ve seen in my lifetime. He went out on the final morning with nothing to lose because he was trailing by 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
Once he got the ball rolling with a couple good fish, all those distractions probably disappeared. Catching 29 pounds on the final day of the Bassmaster Classic, shoot there’s nothing finer in the sport of bass fishing than that!
Meanwhile, back in Tulsa, I got to experience the Expo, connect faces with names of industry leaders and talk to a tremendous amount of people. When you take a step back and witness the amount of fans that attend and partake in the festivities, it really demonstrates how big this sport is.
As a spectator, Bassmaster LIVE is probably the coolest thing that I have ever seen. It brings a perspective never-before seen, and I think it’s setting the new standard in how fans watch their favorite sport. Watching the production of LIVE and how Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona put on a show is something else, as well.
The Classic was and will always be great, but man I can’t wait to get the season started. Fortunately, by the time you’ve read this, the first event of the year will have already begun on the St. Johns River. I’ve only been to that system once before. I fished around Lake George a few years ago, but I knew things were going to dramatically change, so I reserved my practice time to the three days before the tournament started.
Sight fishing should dominate this event, but with the stable weather that Florida has experienced lately, the fish you find might not be there the next day, which could create a problem for some guys. With that being said, it will be important for me to cover water this week, and fish the moment.
If I’m looking for bedded fish, I’ll need to throw a wacky rigged Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket in the little crevices and hiding places while I’m probing the bank looking for bedding bass. Every cast needs to have a purpose so that I can better utilize my time because before you know it the tournament that just started will be is over, and I can’t look in the rearview mirror thinking about what could’ve been.