Bassmaster fans can attend a weigh-in at any level of B.A.S.S. and hear stories about “the one that got away.” Some of the stories may be true, and others may be false. For Jason Christie though, the one that got away couldn’t be any more true.
On Championship Sunday of the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake, at 12:30 p.m., Jason Christie finally got the bite that he had been looking for all day – the bass that would have sealed the deal for his sixth Elite Series win.
After Christie weighed in the biggest bag of the tournament (23-0) and the biggest bass of the year (9-4) on Day 3, it appeared that the “most feared name in professional bass fishing” was onto something that the rest of the field had yet to figure out. This was bad news for the rest of the Top 10 heading into Championship Sunday.
The Dry Creek, Okla. angler began Championship Sunday off slowly, catching just two keepers by 10 a.m. For some anglers, this would have put the nail in the coffin for the day as the morning bite was crucial each morning of the event, but for Christie, there was no panic.
Based on the times of Christie’s Day 3 catches, it appeared that the hotter it got, and the higher the sun got up, the better. One would assume that the bass would use the shade of the lily pads as protection, as well as a place to ambush baitfish.
As the afternoon progressed, Christie bounced around from one spot to the other with little to no luck. He even sarcastically suggested I might be bad luck as his two slowest days came when I was shooting on-the-water photos of him.
At around noon, he decided to make the move back to the honey hole that produced the 9-4 on Day 3 and his first two keepers of the morning. This decision proved to be the right one as he boated a solid keeper quickly with a spinning rod. Just a few moments later, an estimated 5-pounder slurps his frog and the fight of a lifetime began. Putting his signature series Falcon Cara casting rod to the test, Christie wrestled the game changer through a pad field, grunting and exerting all of his strength in order to land the fish.
As the bass got to the boat, the frog came flying out of its mouth. Christie jumped to the gunnel of the boat in hopes of grabbing the fish with his bare hands. In a failed attempt, he slapped the water with conviction in a mass of frustration.
Anyone that has followed the sport knows that Jason Christie is a fierce competitor. It shows in his everyday demeanor and throughout any given tournament day. When he lost this fish, it was no different than if he would have missed the game-winning shot as the clock hit zero in his basketball playing days. The uncontrollable emotions took over.
As any Elite Series pro would tell you, this kind of thing just happens when you’re fighting a big one through heavy cover. When you hook up with a big one in a field of lily pads, it becomes a war. And sometimes, you simply lose the war.
What separates Christie from an everyday angler is the way he gave a quick “dang it,” gathered himself and got right back to fishing.
When I was assigned this piece, a sick feeling re-entered my stomach having to relive this moment again in my head. As a photographer, and B.A.S.S. employee, I try to be as unbiased as possible when it comes to who wins each event. However, as any photographer or videographer would tell you, it’s easy to become emotionally invested in how the angler you’re covering is doing, especially when it’s an angler you idolized as a young angler.
One thing that I can suggest with full confidence is this won’t be the last time Christie has a chance to boat the winning bass. It might not even be the last time this season. The veteran angler knows as well as any angler to ever play this game that to be successful, you have to have a short memory.
Don’t be surprised if this loss fuels the fire that much more for Jason Christie.
