PSA: If you know anyone who is not absolutely in love with the sport of bass fishing, you now have the tools necessary to convert them to lifelong fandom by showing them the weigh-in from two weeks ago. The 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on Hartwell will go down as one of the most exciting, if not the most exciting, Classic in history.
We had three different daily leaders in the form of Bryan New, Jason Christie and Kyle Welcher, with a two-way tie between Christie and Welcher going into Day 3. The weights were insanely tight — so tight that you never knew how it was going to shake out. While everyone who earned entry into the Classic deserved to win to some degree, the angler who arguably deserved it the most — given how close he had come to the title in past Classics — finally took it home in dramatic fashion with an unprecedented 5-ounce victory over second place.
I have been a superfan of the sport for a long time, and I have never personally had an emotional response like the one I did when Christie heard he finally won the big one. I didn’t bawl like I was watching The Lion King or anything, but I was dang close to it — goosebumps and all.
Our next event in the form of the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes may not have quite the hype, but it is guaranteed to be just as dramatic. Sprawling over 170,000 acres, Lake Moultrie and Marion form the big fish factory that has shown out in record shattering ways during past B.A.S.S. competition.
I chatted with the late, great Aaron Martens at a tackle show once, and when I asked what his most memorable tournament of all time was, without missing a beat, he said Santee Cooper in 2006. The way he put it, every fish in the lake over 7-pounds pulled up to spawn at the same time. It was a perfect storm that took nearly 116 pounds to win over four days. While that was likely a very special event, you never know if the stars might align perfectly and records may fall once more.
The event on the Harris Chain was supposed to be won shallow, but it was won offshore. There is an overwhelming likelihood that this one will be won with spawning bass, and you can bet a few fish over 10-pounds will make their way to the stage. Expect sight fisherman, shallow water power fisherman and flippers to make up the bulk of the Top 10.
You may notice a trend with my picks in that I’m not really going for gusto. Rather, I’m aiming to pick anglers who should score solid points. Ownership percentage is secondary until I jump into the top 1%.
Let’s jump into some picks.
BUCKET A: COX
John Cox will almost certainly be the highest owned angler in the Bucket by the time the event starts and for good reason. He reminded us how much he enjoys sight fishing in the first two Elite Series events of 2022, bringing both massive bags and massive bass to the scales, all pretty much caught off the bed. I expect him to get into some little backwater and go to work here too. He has one recorded professional finish on the fishery and that was a 22nd in 2020.
Don’t forget about: Scott Canterbury
Another salty angler who tends to excel this time of year is Scott Canterbury. He’ll be looking at them as well if he can, but he is perfectly comfortable catching them in places that he can’t see them. He didn’t do great here in 2020, but that was in the fall. Expect better results this time around.
BUCKET B: WALTERS
Next up is the not-so-stealthy pick – Patrick Walters. He is as local as it comes, and while he may not be able to use forward facing sonar to catch his bags, we will likely find him ripping big bass from the backwaters. The main difference, he will likely not be sight fishing and will opt to work as much bank as possible. The local edge will help him, but this one simply suits his style all the way. He finished 11th here in a 2020 fall event. His 12th-place finish at the Classic this month should also give him some momentum as well.
Don’t forget about: Matt Arey or Greg Hackney
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the winner come from Bucket B this time. It is so full of shallow water power fisherman that it’s hard to choose just five or six, much less one. I’ll narrow it down to two.
Matt Arey caught giant bass at both the St. Johns River and the Harris Chain throughout practice and the events sight fishing. But he lost some of them at the boat. If he can keep them pegged, the field better watch out.
Greg Hackney’s expectation was to have a much better start to the season than he has had. However, this event not only lines up for him to fish his strengths, but he has also excelled here in the past, finishing 11th in 2006 with more than 90-pounds. Not to mention, he is just plain mad at them. Don’t be surprised to see him hunt down the biggest bass in the lake.
BUCKET C: SWINDLE
To see Gerald Swindle all jacked up and excited at the Classic was incredible. This is his third season back with the Elites, and he is finding his stride. This event may very well be won running and gunning, hitting as many high percentage spots as possible, and G-Man could be just the guy to do it. He struggled here in 2020, but he was 28th in 2006. In total, he has fished six events here with Bassmaster and knows this system of lakes well. He’ll use that to his advantage.
Don’t forget about: Jason Christie
Jason Christie will have only a few nights to sleep with the Classic trophy on the pillow next to him before this event starts. And while there is something to be said about momentum, the welcome distraction of winning the biggest tournament in bass fishing will likely cause him to not fish as hard as he normally would. In any other circumstances, he would be a fantastic pick, and still might be. On this flip side of the coin, if there is an angler who can turn off the distractions to focus on catching a bass, it’s him. He proved that in glorious fashion on Lake Hartwell.
BUCKET D: WENDLANDT
A surprising resident of Bucket D, Clark Wendlandt may just be the most sure-fire pick of them all. He has the eyes of someone half his age and the fishing wisdom of someone twice his age. Loads of bass have been tricked off their beds by him over the years. He’s been here a few times in the past, but his history doesn’t factor into my reasoning. The former Bassmaster Angler of the Year is not comfortable in Bucket D, and this will be a great chance for him to make a move.
Don’t forget about: Brock Mosley
Brock Mosley has a knack for sneaking up out of nowhere. After several years of following his career, it’s hard to peg him for being great at one specific thing. It seems like his talent is spread all over. At the Classic, he started off strong on Day 1, finding it hard to duplicate over the next two days. It goes to show that one great day can catapult an angler up the leaderboard. In terms of Fantasy Fishing, all five of your picks can’t win, but they all need to score well. That’s what I expect him to do this time.
BUCKET E: JOCUMSEN
Yes, Carl Jocumsen finished in second in 2020, anchored by a 25-pound bag on Day 1, but he deserves to be picked for more than that. While everyone else will probably crank their trolling motors to 10 and cruise the banks looking for giant bedding bass, he will almost certainly try to find some place where the fish are stopping on their way to and from their spawning grounds. It is always scary to pick him for the same reasons it’s tough to pick Stephen Kennedy. He’ll either be in the bottom 10 or the Top 10. I’m banking on the latter.
Don’t forget about: Todd Auten
If it’s cloudy or windy, look to Todd Auten, and his myriad of bladed baits will account for the bulk of his weight. He’s a native South Carolinian and is only about two hours from Santee Cooper, so he likely has some sneaky knowledge to employ. He has fished eight events here with B.A.S.S. with his best finish being eighth place in a 2008 Bassmaster Open.
Drain the Lake
Mercury Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge has been good to me so far. I’ve managed to pick the winner twice, which not only has me in great position in the overall standings, but more importantly, I’m crushing my fellow pundits. That said, it won’t take much to see me slip down the ranks if I’m not careful. So again, I’m sticking to some of the more obvious picks for this event. I’m currently inside the top 1% and am looking to improve with these picks.
• Todd Auten
• Brandon Cobb
• Carl Jocumsen
• Shane LeHew
• Brock Mosley
• Luke Palmer
• Clifford Pirch
• Gerald Swindle
