Now that we’ve put another GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods behind us, it’s time to reflect on what a great Classic it was.
Of course, it was an unusual one at that, with a lot of interesting twists and turns.
For me, it seemed strange in a number of ways. First, we started the regular season early and had two tournaments under our belts, so the Classic kind of sneaked up us. Secondly, it’s the first time in a long time that we got to fish a Classic event in short pants!
We didn’t have to worry about bad weather on the water or at the weigh-in. Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros and its retractable roof, was an awesome place to have the weigh-in. I’m a big baseball fan and played the game in school, so that made it even special for me.
The city of Houston and Lake Conroe did a fabulous job of managing the event. Traffic was an issue, but it actually went a little more smoothly than I expected.
The Outdoor Expo also went well and the entire city proved to be a very cool venue for a Bassmaster Classic.
From a fishing standpoint, I knew Lake Conroe would be a challenge and I predicted it would be tougher than most people realized. I’ve fished three Toyota tournaments there and I know how hard it is to fish well consistently for three days.
I had a few patterns that were working in practice but wound up going in a different direction. Every bass I weighed in was caught on a jerkbait, either my standard Strike King KVD Jerkbait or the deep model. I threw a lot of other lures in between, fished for spawners and even worked spinnerbaits on the shad spawn pattern but could only catch the good fish on the jerkbait.
I had a decent Classic but I have to give credit to Jordan Lee for what he did. The man didn’t even have a limit either of the first two days and was still able to put together a magical Championship Sunday. It was the biggest comeback in Classic history.
When I got to the ramp at the end of Sunday’s fishing and heard Jordan’s name come up it really surprised me. I figured one of the guys in the top five had to be the winner.
But like I said, it was a strange tournament. Some anglers who caught good limits the first day zeroed the second day. That’s what can happen on Conroe and it made a thrilling finish for the fans.
I’ve said this before and will say it time and again – if I’m not the winner, there is nothing more thrilling than standing on the sidelines and watching the event unfold.
Regardless of whom wins, it’s always exciting but there isn’t a much better story than seeing the Lee family celebrate the win.
I’ve watched both Jordan and brother Matt come up through the college ranks and join the Elite circuit and have admired how well they’ve handled this. We share some of the same sponsors, so I’ve attended media events with them and enjoyed watching them blossom and mature.
It’s really cool to see someone who you know is so passionate and works hard fulfill his dream like that. It’s a Cinderella story, and something that every high school and college angler can look at and realize that, “wow, that could be me!”
Equally important is the fact that the world got a good look at Jordan Lee and no doubt liked what it saw. It will be good for his career and he will be good for the sport of bass fishing.
That’s what winning the Bassmaster Classic can do for you.
There just isn’t anything like it!
Remember, it’s all about the attitude!
Kevin VanDam’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.