Over the past several years the B.A.S.S. staff has participated in Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing by creating a private group where staff members can compete against each other.
In 2020, the group saw seven individual tournament winners and crowned CEO Bruce Akin as the overall champion for the year. Before the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series season gets started, we wanted to pick the brains of the 2020 champions to figure out what strategies they rely on. We asked a couple of simple questions to find out more.
Here is what they had to say:
To play Fantasy Fishing in 2021 click here.
Emily Hand; Social Media Editor
– Winner of 2020 St. Johns River event.
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
The location of the tournaments, water conditions, fishing patterns, what techniques might work best for that lake and anglers that have those strengths and beards. Mostly beards.
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Didn’t really pick one angler consistently. Always picked one that was from the state the event was in. Picked at least one Canadian and the rest just depended on who was left in the buckets.
Mandy Pascal; Associate Editor of Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times
– Winner of Bassmaster Classic and Lake Guntersville Elite Series event.
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
It sounds weird, but I never pick the local favorites or the anglers with the greatest odds of winning. I research each angler’s history on the lake and make my selection based on that. I also always include an “underdog” on my team, and it seemed to work pretty well for me last year!
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Seth Feider is always the first angler selected on my team, no matter what bucket he is in. I didn’t select him for one tournament last year and it was my worst finish all season.
Laurie Tisdale; Director of Go Outside
– Winner of St. Lawrence River event.
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
I look back at past winners then local anglers and go with my gut feeling.
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Chris Johnston.
Natalie Landers; Editorial Assistant
– Winner of Lake Champlain and Santee Cooper events
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
I focus on the fishery! I try to look at who fished well there during the last tournament and who seems to fish well there consistently.
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Cory Johnston. I put him on my team at the start of our Northern Swing and then kept him there for most of the season.
Bruce Akin; CEO of B.A.S.S.
– Winner of St. Clair event and overall champion. Impressive given that 2020 was his first year of playing.
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
Gut feel (and I have a big one). Just try to think about the local advantage (or disadvantage) of the anglers as well as their style of fishing – deep, shallow, largemouth, smallmouth, etc. – with the body of water. Second half of the season I tried to go with who had momentum which usually included AOY leader in Group A.
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Clark Wendlandt.
James Hall; Editor-in-Chief, Bassmaster Magazine
– Winner of Lake Chickamauga event
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
My strategy may not be defined as strategic by most. I primarily go with anglers who have momentum, regardless of their past successes on any given fishery. If there’s not an angler that has obvious momentum in any particular bucket, I go with the flow (whoever has the most impressive hair).
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
Seth Feider … impossible to best his flow, and he has been rock solid the past two years.
Russell Williams; On the water camera operator
– Winner of Lake Fork event.
What is your main strategy when choosing your Bassmaster Fantasy team?
First look to see who has done well there before. Secondly look to see who lives around the area. Try not to pick the anglers with the highest percentage.
Which angler did you find yourself choosing most often?
BP is my boy. (Brandon Palaniuk) Might pick him every event this season.
The first Bassmaster Elite Series event of 2021 begins Feb. 11 on the St. Johns River. Click here to register your Fantasy Fishing team. Your roster must be locked by 6 a.m. ET on Feb. 11!
