I left 85-degree shorts and flip flops weather on a family vacation in Mexico and flew straight to Tulsa for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
I froze my butt off getting myself ready for the event. It wasn’t like I could spend an hour and get it done either, I had to wash the General Tire / TroKar Big Rig and spool all of my new rods and reels to be ready to go.
The main reason I had to do it all in one day was because I had some sponsor work to do for Dick’s, and I had a commercial shoot for General Tire. Then I got some training on the new Lowrance 3D Features and a special Insight Genesis map of Grand Lake that will be made available after the Classic.
I did the commercial and training on Lake Hudson, and it gave me the opportunity to make my first casts with the new gear. That was good because I was able to dial in my reels and get my first backlashes on them before it came time for practice on Grand Lake. I also managed to catch a 4-pounder on Hudson, and all of that helped me have a clearer picture of what the conditions on Grand might be for the event.
This is going to be my 16th Bassmaster Classic, and because of that I’m able to not get overanxious about the tournament. But to say that I don’t get worked up and spend a lot of time thinking about the different things that may play into the event would be a lie.
I don’t get nearly as worked up as I did in my younger years, but it still gets to me.
This is the biggest tournament of the year, and because it is not one that you have to think about points or Angler of the Year standings it makes you think of every last detail. This isn’t a tournament that second place matters in, and I know, I’ve been there to Boyd Duckett in 2007 – it was not a great feeling.
Because of that, and because I just want to win so badly, I spend a lot of time trying to develop a pattern that revolves around winning. I’ve won other events when I worked my strategy and have won events that the plan unfolded in front of me, and I was able to progress with it as the event wore on. That is a lot tougher here at the Classic. Because of all of the events surrounding it, the time of the year and because of the fact that it’s a three-day event as opposed to four, you really have start well and finish strong.
With all of the weather the area has received, I anticipated a flippin’ bite with water into the bushes, but now that I’ve settled into my lodgings here around the lake, I can see that is not going to be the case. The water is a little low, so the GRDA has obviously managed the flow and the water clarity looks like there should be a lot of different patterns that could work.
It should be a good tournament, and if I can make the right plans and execute well, it could be a great tournament. I’ll check in after.
What have you caught lately?
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