When the likes of Edwin Evers, Kevin VanDam, Gerald Swindle, Mike Iaconelli and Keith Combs are featured LIVE for 6 hours of action on Lake Conroe, a wise man would tune in and soak up the knowledge that is at their fingertips.
Bassmaster LIVE has provided an outlet for so much learning from anglers learning how to fish to those wanting to take their game to the next level. It seems if you are an Elite Series angler that misses any cut, you better be glued to any screen you can just so you can learn what went wrong in your own game.
Lake Conroe should provide a tremendous platform for the best in the world to do battle for fishing’s ultimate prize, but any moment you get to watch pros make split-second decisions is a moment well spent.
Here are some Bassmaster LIVE thoughts from the anglers that will be fishing for your viewing pleasure on Day 1 of the Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Gerald Swindle: “Lake Conroe has the most visible targets that viewers will probably get to see, but the fish are living in a very small percentage of the lake it seems.”
“For me, people would think I’d start this tournament fishing shallow docks, but I won’t be. I’ll start my Classic fishing deep.”
“This field is super competitive so you can’t count anything out. It may be raining and blowing 25 miles per hour, but these guys will still find a way to catch fish off beds, so you can’t let up at all.”
“Bassmaster LIVE has brought validity to the statement that bass fishermen are true athletes. Mentally anglers make decisions that are comparable to the ones Peyton Manning used to make while dropping back in the pocket to throw the ball.”
Kevin VanDam: “If you are out on the water and are roughly 40 yards from a pro, you still won’t be able to see the intricacies to an anglers’ day like you can watching LIVE. I was there on Day 1 at Lake Hartwell when Bassmaster LIVE launched for the first time. I was blown away, I knew it would change the sport and how fans viewed.”
“It’s an all-access pass inside of my boat during gameday. I’m really excited to be one of the anglers on LIVE because it gives me a great opportunity to showcase who I am for my friends, family and fans in the biggest event that bass fishing has.”
“For me, Bassmaster LIVE is different. I often forget that we are LIVE, so I may say a bad word or get flustered, but that is the pure emotion that this sport has lacked. Fans can see the highs and lows and actually be a part of it.”
Keith Combs: “Conroe is going to be frustrating this week because you will watch the best anglers in the world get tested to their limits. You will probably see and hear me talking to myself because I’ve been doing that all week. I’ve been trying to figure out what stage these fish are actually in because prespawn, spawn and postspawn will all play a factor this week.”
“I’m so glad I’m fishing this event, but if I wasn’t I’d be glued to LIVE watching. The most interesting thing this week will be how dynamic this Classic is. There will be guys catching fish on topwater, deep cranking and sight fishing; along with everything in between.”
“Nobody is on the winning bite right now so you’ll get to see the decision making and the adjustments that will lead to the next bite. I can’t remember the last time someone led a Classic for multiple days. It’ll be hard to do that this week and we will see the leaderboard fluctuate a lot this week.”
Mike Iaconelli: “Bassmaster LIVE has been the biggest thing for this sport since I’ve been around. This is my 20th season and it’s the single biggest thing to happen. The hardest thing about growing our sport is that our playing field isn’t as contained as other sports so it can be hard to follow and pick up every important detail, but LIVE bridges that gap.”
“These anglers are fishing fans at heart and we are tuned in when we struggle. I didn’t do well at Okeechobee and I was watching just to see what I missed and where it all went wrong. I was curious about that and once you watch it, you can’t put it down. It’s a fantastic learning tool.”
“It helps debunk some of the stereotypes that come with fishing. Intense fishing fans know the preparation it takes, but others think most of it is luck. Bassmaster LIVE dispels a lot of those questions of luck on the water.”
Edwin Evers: “You can learn about the sport of bass fishing so fast by watching Bassmaster LIVE. It’s amazing what is available to watch and pick apart, you get to see the intricacies to exactly how an angler is fishing a lure and what he is doing with his rod and reel.”
“Viewers can watch the raw emotion of a dramatic fish catch or loss, if the weather is getting ugly or even if there is a confrontation on the water. It’s all there and it shows folks who think we are fishing on the weeks under a shade tree with a beverage in our hand that it’s totally different than that.”
“Local anglers that are tuned in will find out about techniques that they never considered on their home fisheries and it’s because we have anglers from California to Alabama to New York and Florida that bring numerous perspectives to a fishery.”