The 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota has begun. That’s a mouthful, but the title of this 53rd edition of the biggest bass tournament on earth could span a few paragraphs and still not do justice to the impact of this event. A win here, or even just a good showing, can do more for an angler’s career than any other.
The weather in Tennesse is as pretty as a fisherman could ask for to start the Classic. Air temps are in the mid 60s already, with a predicted high in the upper 70s. This is a far cry from the sub-freezing temps that we could have easily seen this time of year. Rain came down heavy during practice at times, and more precipitaiton is predicted for Day 2.
A front will move through the area with 80% chance of rain, a high of 75 degrees and temps dropping a bit into the upper 40s tomorrow night. The highs will bounce back on Championship Sunday though, predicted to reach the mid-70s. These are great conditions for March.
Nearing an hour since the first boats took off, most anglers should have made it to their starting spots by now. Though some could still be running to remote locations in Tellico. We’ve seen a few fish catches trickle into BassTrakk already, with Drew Benton sitting in first with two fish for 4- pounds, 2- ounces. Three pounders are solid gold on this fishery. Look for 15- pounds to be a strong bag and an angler to really show out with 18- pounds.
