HOUSTON, Texas — It should come as no surprise that Jordan Lee of Grant, Ala., was the top Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing selection for the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods on Lake Conroe, March 24-26.
Lee produced a three-day total weight of 56 pounds, 10 ounces that topped the 52-angler field and awarded his supporters 300 points for winning, 40 points for weighing the heaviest bag of the tournament (27-4) and five bonus points for leading the final day of the event for a total of 345 points.
This year’s Classic offered new challenges for Fantasy Fishing players, as the Classic was the season’s third event. Typically the Classic kicks off the season, but there was a momentum factor to be considered this time around. It’s hard to say if any impact was had based on momentum coming out of Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake and then from Florida’s famed Lake Okeechobee.
One thing is for sure, it was one of the most exciting Classic finishes in existence. Jordan Lee’s come from behind victory is the kind of Bassmaster Classic stories that dreams are made of.
“bblaze” was the Fantasy Fishing Classic champion having placed four of his five picks inside the Top 10.
“bblaze’s” selections:
Bucket A: Kevin VanDam, 260 points
B: Michael Iaconelli, 276
C: Jordan Lee, 345
D: Brent Ehrler, 340
E: Wesley Strader, 219
Total: 1,440
“MikeK950” is currently leading the 2017 Fantasy Fishing season with a total of 3,901 points after an excellent showing at the Conroe Classic
“MikeK950’s” team:
Bucket A: Greg Hackney, 215 points
B: Michael Iaconelli, 276
C: Ott DeFoe, 280
D: Brent Ehrler, 340
E: Alton Jones Jr., 197
Total: 1,308
Classic’s perfect team:
Bucket A: Kevin VanDam, 260 points
B: James Elam, 285
C: Jordan Lee, 345
D: Brent Ehrler, 340
E: Timothy Klinger, 245
Total: 1,475
BUCKET A: K. VANDAM
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., is always a popular choice when looking at postspawn conditions, which is exactly what most of the Classic field was faced with. Once again, he was a solid choice at the Conroe Classic earning his 10.2-percent ownership 260 points after a 10th-place finish.
The second best selection in Bucket A was Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., who finished 11th earning his 3.7-percent ownership 257 points.
The worst pick in this bucket was a very surprising Gerald Swindle who earned his 3.7-percent ownership 172 points.
BUCKET B: ELAM
Oklahoma native James Elam was the highest scoring anglers in Bucket B following a solid fourth-place finish. The young angler earned his 7.5-percent ownership 285 points.
The second best selection was New Jersey’s Mike Iaconelli, who dominated the bucket with 27.6-percent ownership. Iaconelli produced 276 points after a sixth-place finish.
The worst selection in Bucket B was Shaw Grigsby earning his 1.6-percent ownership only 179 points after a tough tournament and finishing in 48th place.
BUCKET C: J. LEE
Bucket C was the strongest group of anglers at the Classic this year, which included Ott DeFoe (fifth), Bradley Roy (seventh), Bobby lane (eighth), Brett Hite (13th) and Dave Lefebre (14th). But it was Jordan Lee who not only won the world title, but also earned his 9.7-percent ownership 345 points.
The second best selection in Bucket C was DeFoe who dominated this group with 44.3-percent ownership. He earned his supporters 280 points following a fifth-place finish.
The worst selection in Bucket C was a very surprising Brandon Palaniuk who earned his 5.9-percent ownership 177 points following a 49th-place finish.
BUCKET D: EHRLER
Stephen Kennedy finished second just ahead of Brent Ehrler who finished in third. Because Ehrler led the first two days of the Bassmaster Classic, he earned 10 bonus points — five per day — and 40 points for weighing the event’s heaviest bass, a giant 9-12. The California native dominated bucket ownership with 32.6-percent and produced 340 points for his Fantasy supporters.
The second best selection was Alabama’s Stephen Kennedy who earned his 7.4-percent ownership 295 points.
The worst pick in Bucket D was Hank Cherry who garnered 189 points for his 11-percent ownership after finishing in 43rd place.
BUCKET E: KLINGER
First-time Classic qualifier Timothy Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., earned his 0.7-percent ownership 245 points following a 15th-place finish.
The second best selection was Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., earned his 11.5-percent ownership 219 points after finishing in 28th place.
The worst selection in the final bucket was Wil Hardy who earned his 0.5-percent ownership 172 points.