What a tasty sandwich Jesse Wiggins made himself in the 2017 Bassmaster season. He opened and closed his year with victories, and in between fished well enough to triple qualify for the Classic.
“I can’t complain at all – bookends with both wins,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”
Well he could have, and almost got it. In his first Elite event, the Cullman, Ala., pro led after Days 2 and 3 on Cherokee Lake before finishing third, less than a pound from winning a blue trophy.
“I almost had one of them,” he said. “I tried my dangest – 13 ounces. It was real close. It’s been an awesome year for sure.”
Wiggins won the 2017 season-opening Bass Pro Shops Southern Open on the Harris Chain. It made him the first qualifier for the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
And in doing so, Wiggins earned a second Classic berth before fishing in his first. In 2016, he won the Southern Open on Smith Lake to get into the Lake Conroe Classic, where he finished a disappointing 33rd.
In the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, he finished 2017 in 37th place to earn a second Classic qualification. Then on Sept. 30 he capped his year with a win on Smith Lake in the third Southern Open.
“I thought about it after I double qualified,” he said. “I knew that if I won that Open, I would triple qualify. I thought that was pretty neat.”
Wiggins said he feels it’s a special feat since only two others have triple qualified for a Classic – Chris Lane and Brent Chapman.
“That’s good company,” he said. “It’s pretty neat, I will say.”
In his 21 B.A.S.S. events, Wiggins has some other nifty stats. He’s won three events, has cashed checks in 16 and qualified to the Classic four times.
Fishing four Opens on Smith Like, his home lake, has benefitted Wiggins. His first ever B.A.S.S. event was there in a 2012 Open, in which he finished 56th. He was sixth on Smith in the 2014 Open before winning there the past two years.
“We just need the Bassmasters to keep coming to Smith Lake, that’s my main thing,” joked Wiggins, who added it’s a thing among his friends, including Classic champ Jordan Lee. “We were talking about sponsors, and I told him next year I’m going to put a picture of Smith Lake on my boat, because it’s should be my main sponsor.”
Wiggins isn’t taking his wins lightly, though. While he knows Smith Lake well, winning against that caliber and quantity of competitors never comes easy. He knows to relish any B.A.S.S. victory.
“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “Just looking at some of the guys who have only won one, or haven’t even won any, and they’re some really, really good anglers. I’m thankful for every one that I’m able to win.
“I don’t take any of them for granted. I know how tough it is. Even on your home lake, you have to get fortunate, get some key bites. Then you’ve got to get them in the boat when you do get those key bites. I’ve been fortunate and realize that. I’m thankful for every win.”
With his season over, Wiggins plans to guide some on Smith and keep his hand working as a respiratory therapist in the region, which he does a handful of times each month. He’s of the thought now that some upgrades in sponsorship will come in the offseason.
“That’s what I’m hoping, that the resume speaks for itself,” he said. “You’d think winning two of the three Opens in a series would get somebody’s attention.”
Yeah, you’d think.
JVD blew gender reveal of baby
Jonathon VanDam literally blew the gender reveal of his and wife, Arika’s baby.
“I guess the reveal has gotten kind of popular in the last couple of years,” said JVD, who with family gathered around set off a blue explosion to signify their baby due on Feb. 17 is a boy.
“I figured it was kind of fitting because I like to hunt,” he said. “It was a Tannerite target. It’s like a chemical you mix with a powder then with the impact of a bullet it explodes.”
JVD, and everyone else, was genuinely surprised when his rifle shot sent blue powder up. Only one person in the crowd knew. The big blue boom drew applause from the family, and JVD put his arms up in the air like he had won the Classic, and he strutted around.
“Naturally, I was hoping for a boy,” he said. “My wife was really kind of hoping for a girl, but really we didn’t care either way as long as everyone’s healthy.”
VanDam had purchased both blue and pink powder online (he had no idea what anyone uses them for), then had a friend grab the doctor’s sealed envelope with the baby’s sex from a recent ultrasound visit. The friend was commissioned with secretly putting the correct color with the Tannerite, which only explodes when shot.
“Nobody looked. I just had Arika decorate a box. I had it downstairs and all he had to do is open the envelope, grab the right color and take it out to be shot,” he said.
Kevin VanDam, JVD’s uncle, was in attendance and was among those who videoed the show. (Check out his Facebook.)
JVD said he and Arika haven’t picked out a name yet, but he’s sweating the due date as the season-opening Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin is Feb. 8-11.
“We have one tournament where I’m going to be on high alert, where I might have to come home early,” JVD said. “If I have to, I will.”
Feider ties another kind of knot
Seth Feider, who’s provided some interesting times on the Elite Series the past two seasons, has tied the knot, another type different from his line of work. Feider and Dayton Reinke married in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday.
Friend Josh Douglas summed things up with his post sending The Feiders huge congratulations and saying, “By far the best catch of his entire life!”
