GEICO Bassmaster Classic week is finally here! Everything that we all worked so hard for last year all comes down to this week on bass fishing’s biggest stage.
I’ve dreamed of competing in the Classic since I was a kid, and it’s certainly something that I don’t take lightly. This will be my second Classic in a row and I can only hope that there are many more to come in my career, but I will never take one for granted.
Grand Lake will serve as our playing field this week as we compete for the $300,000 grand prize. As is the norm when a big tournament comes to town, Grand is throwing us a curveball this week. The lake that is normally a fairly clear water fishery is about 2/3 mud this year. None of us are afraid of muddy water by any means, but the water temperature is only around 47 to 48 degrees. Cold and muddy makes for some tough fishing. With that being said Grand Lake is full of fish and some big ones as well so I have no doubt that by the time Day 1 rolls around we will find a way to catch them.
This one is definitely going to be about adapting on the fly and embracing the changing conditions. It’s going to be all about using those conditions to help you understand what the fish are doing. It’s been a long winter and these fish are ready for spring, just like we are.
As I’m writing this we have already finished up the three “unofficial” practice days so we still have one “official” practice day left before game day. My plan for that day is to check some areas that I have my eye on and see if they have either cleared up enough or warmed up enough for the fish in the area to start biting better.
As far as the way I plan to fish this tournament it’s pretty simple and very similar to the way I fished last year at Lake Hartwell. I plan to spend the vast majority of my time with a crankbait and a jig in my hand. I’ll target channel swing banks with the crankbaits and I’ll throw several different models depending on the depth I am trying to target. I will also fish some shallow pockets with a square bill crankbait to try and catch those fish that are moving in.
When I come across a good piece of cover or if it seems like the fish are not reacting to the crankbait, I will pick up my jig and slow down a little bit. Docks will also be another place I will target with a jig. I don’t want to get real specific on the exact baits I plan to throw until after the tournament, but I will gladly do so afterwards.
My rod setup for crankbaits will be a MHX CB-845. It is a 7-foot crankbait blank with a moderate action. It has a good parabolic bend that loads well for casting and also keeps fish buttoned up well. For jigs I will be using a MHX FS-904. This blank is 7-foot 6-inch in length and is the perfect rod for pitching jigs. It has just a little tip for making precise pitches but it has all that backbone you need to get the job done. I use this rod for most all of my lighter-weight flipping and pitching needs.
I’m boat #29, and Friday just can’t get here soon enough!