Bobby Lane Jr. is finding his return path to the Bassmaster Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic more daunting and stressful than he imagined.
“It’s definitely more of a challenge than I thought it would be,” the 49-year-old pro from Lakeland, Fla., said. “You put more pressure on yourself than you ever have in your life. That’s been the biggest challenge.”
Lane was a force in B.A.S.S. since his Elite Rookie of the Year campaign in 2008. He qualified for 12 consecutive Classics, nearly winning on Lake Hartwell in 2015. In 154 events, Lane has finished in the money 113 times, winning an Elite and an Open while earning $1.4 million.
Things came easy for “Big Bass” Bobby Lane, who felt he could simply show up, fish the conditions and fare well. It’s been a bit different in the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens this year.
Lane is among the 175 anglers hoping to finish in the top nine in the Elite Qualifier standings. Along with 67 others, Lane left the Elites in 2019 for MLF, where he continued his success by winning its championship event. He’s adamant to return to B.A.S.S.
“There’s a thing called history and dreams. My dream has always been to win the Bassmaster Classic,” said Lane, whose brother, Chris, won the championship in 2012. “I’m doing this for my family, my wife and kids. The Lane family wants to get back to the Bassmaster Classic. After winning the Redcrest and the championship, to have a Classic title would seal the deal on my entire career.
“I want to put myself in position to do that. I’m committed. So now I’m trying to get back.”
While Lane has enjoyed reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones, he has found some changes on the circuit.
“It’s nice to be back, see all the people I’ve associated with forever,” he said. “It’s a different ballgame. The money is different, the travel. It’s back to weigh-ins, back to fans, back to 200-plus boats, back to culling fish, back to co-anglers. I really miss camera time on the live show. I haven’t done any of that stuff in years.”
Lane said he also hasn’t stunk it up this badly in quite some time. He bluntly said he’s not pleased with his performances in the first six events, noting self-inflicted pressure to requalify has added weight on his shoulders.
“I’m not happy. I’ve looked at the year, and I’ve been kind of amazed. What did I get myself into?” he said. “I have really fished poorly this year, but believe or not, I still have a shot to get in.”
With three events left, Lane is 21st in the EQ standings with 913 points. JT Thompkins leads the race with 1,087 points. Elite pro Kenta Kimura is second, so his finish should move Lane’s target down to 10th, where Brett Cannon stands with 979 points. Lane said he’s in better shape than 120 others, but he still needs to make up about 70 points.
“So there’s a chance,” Lane said. “And there’s a good chance. I’m working hard at it, trying to stay in shape, mentally and physically. I’m fishing good at home. I’m spending as much time with the family as I can, then I’m ready to put my foot on the throttle. It’s coming down to the wire.
“I’ve never been in this position before. I never had to worry about making the Classic. I really just needed to show up at the last event and catch a bass. This year I’m trying to qualify for the Elites and the Classic, and I’m not safe on either one.”
The nine EQ tournaments are spread across the country, much like a typical Elite schedule. The Opens are divided in three divisions, and event winners must fish in all three to be Classic qualified. The three division fields range from 232 anglers to 244, shrinking fisheries and lowering odds.
“With a five-day practice and 200 boats, what you find the first day of practice you pretty much throw out the window because it’s gone by the tournament,” Lane said. “With so many competitors, there’s not a lot of different things to set yourself apart.
“It’s made it more difficult for a guy to find that secret cove and pick it apart and survive. You find a patch of grass. You catch one out of it, shake four off, you go there in the tournament and you don’t get a bite.”
Last year, Opens anglers who advanced to the Elites averaged about 45th place, and it’s on track to be in the 30s this year. Lane has averaged 49th, with a worst of 76th and a best of 17th.
“That’s horrible for me. I like to make Top 10s,” he said. “I like to give myself a shot at winning. I’ve made a lot of poor decisions. I’ve had great practices but let the pressure build on me and sucked daily.
“I’m hungry. I’m ready to make a Top 10 and try to get myself some cushion. I haven’t done myself any favors. I was hoping to have a little bit of a cushion. The pressure was on, now it’s on 10 times more.”
The first of the final three events blasts off this week at Watts Bar Reservoir out of Kingston, Tenn. The following week puts the field on the Lake of the Ozarks, and the season finale is on Florida’s Harris Chain, where Lane might feel a bit more comfortable.
Lane knows his surge needs to start this week. He’s only been on Watts Bar once, and it was a different time of year. He’s happy to hear vegetation has come back, where he’ll focus his efforts.
“My plan is not to utilize my electronics. I’m going to fish the grass,” he said. “That’s what I love to do. That’s what I grew up doing, and I hope it works.”
Admitting forward-facing sonar has affected the game by unlocking offshore fish, Lane said he’s trying to keep pace with the latest technology. It’s a work in progress.
“Young guys that are coming up through the ranks are really focused on those electronics, and I think that’s made a huge impact on guys like myself,” he said. “I like to stay with old school stuff.
“I’m learning it, trust me. I’m going to have to learn how to get better. I want to be very versatile. If I had been more open-minded this year, I would be in better shape than I am. I’ve spent more time fishing the way Bobby Lane wants to fish and not adapting to what’s going on.”
The biggest bugaboo for Lane, who says he can see fish on his graphs just like any other angler, has been adjusting from his shallow water strengths to the different techniques and baits that get deep bass to bite.
“I throw something out there and they don’t bite, I move on,” he said. “They put on 15 different baits till they get that fish to bite.”
Adding that to his repertoire will be critical, Lane said, but for now he’s sticking with what brought him to the dance. He hopes to get back in the Elite door on the first knock, but he knows it’s not a certainty, which leaves him with an even more bleak question.
“If you don’t perform, you find yourself out. You got to do it again,” he said. “Is your career coming to an end if you stay an Open angler?”
The pressure is real.
