When the Bassmaster Classic was rescheduled from March to June last year, it put me in a bind – I was already scheduled to host a group at Lake El Salto that week. Even if the two events hadn’t overlapped I still wouldn’t have been able to go without losing my day job, which is what pays the bills, so I still would have had to watch intermittently and remotely. That means it was the first time I hadn’t had boots on the ground (on the boat deck?) at a Classic venue since 2007, and only the second time since 2003. That makes 16 weeks of vacation from work that I’ve spent over the years to have a front-row seat to the sport’s biggest event. I value my vacation time more than just about anything tangible, which in turn means that going to the Classic is really, really important to me.

I don’t quite know why. I’m no longer a fawning fan, and while they call it the “ultimate tournament” it’s not like there won’t be another one next year. I suppose it’s a mix of FOMO and a need to be there for history to happen. Increasingly I’m realizing that fans of this sport are fortunate – you may never have seen Babe Ruth or Jim Brown or Wilt Chamberlain play their crafts, but you can see their angling counterparts – Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam – getting the job done. If and when they write the history, those of us watching it now will have seen many formative moments. That makes me happy.

Shared History

Before I get to my thoughts on the Classic, I want to write a bit about something that made me happy this week – the opportunity to tell Lonnie Stanley’s family that he’s been inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Now, of course I was disappointed that he wasn’t voted in during his lifetime. That clearly would have made it better. With that established, though, I felt like for the first time I wasn’t living a version of imposter syndrome. I’ve been on the Board of the Hall for a few years now, but in many instances I’ve deferred to the older or more longstanding members on such matters. In this case, though, I stuck my neck out a little. Lonnie was a friend, someone who went out of his way to call me up, take me fishing, and make baits for me – as well as being a major figure in the sport. My friend Clifford Wiedman gathered not only Lonnie’s family, but also influential figures like Tommy Martin, Randy Dearman and John Hale. It was cool after a tough year to bring them all a little bit of joy. I look forward to celebrating with them in Springfield in October.

Big Bank Hank

Does it feel like Hank Cherry got a little bit ripped off? Of course, it’s hard to say that about someone who’s won our biggest event, not once but twice – and twice in a row. At the same time, the world shut down right after his first win, which cut the victory lap a little short. Then the second one happened and no one turned the volume up anywhere near 11. Maybe that’s just my sentiment because I wasn’t there, or because Hank’s a pretty modest guy himself, but the whole thing was rather subdued. That could change if he wins again, making him the first angler to threepeat. That’s easier said than done, but so is winning the first one, and he seems to have nipped that problem in the bud. Hartwell’s got plenty of bridges, it’s still potentially jerkbait season, and the water’s clear enough for that technique, so no one should rule him out. If he wins it, though, I really hope it’s on an altogether different pattern.

SK’s Year?

Last year I had very mixed feelings when Steve Kennedy had a great first day of Classic competition. I’m confident that he’d be one of my favorite pros on tour even if I didn’t know him and like him personally, due to his no BS attitude and unique take on the sport, so I’d love to see him get the big trophy. On the other hand, if and when it happens I want to be there. He’s come close a few times, including a runner-up finish at Conroe in 2017, but he also has seven bottom half finishes in 10 Classic appearances. That’s probably the right way to win one, so I’ll be no less surprised if he finishes 40^th than if he wins. I just kinda hope that if it’s the latter he does it on one of the mega glide baits that consume a lot of his focus. It’ll be fun to see him try to hide those from the Live crew, and then semi-surreal to see how his life changes – if at all – as a result of the victory.

Palmetto State Competitors

Both Patrick Walters and Brandon Cobb are going to get a lot of attention this week, and deservedly so. They’re both proven their mettle at Hartwell as well as just about anywhere the tours go. Unlike Cherry and Kennedy, whose lives probably won’t change all that much as the result of a win (Hank because he’s already won twice and SK because….well, because he’s SK), those two young guns are ready, willing and able to go through the Classic champ car wash and make the most of it. Is the fishing industry ready to do the same?

Ice Cold

Finally, I have mixed feelings about Hartwell. Things I like about it: (1) it’s a big lake where you can run a pattern; (2) it’s the closest location of any Classic venue to my house, making travel easier; and (3) the launch site is not ridiculously far from the Expo and Arena. On the flip side, some of the coldest days I’ve ever spent in a bass boat occurred there. On Day One of the 2008 Classic I rode with Kelly Jordon on a day that topped out in the mid-to-upper 30s with driving rain. Snow would have been more comfortable. I lost feeling in my feet at about 9am and my purpose shortly thereafter. When we returned in 2015 (two years after teen temps at Oklahoma’s Grand Lake) we started off in the single digits. Actually, the start was late because several boats froze to the trailers, but for those of us waiting outside for blastoff there was no place to hide. I hope we never go through that again, but in a weird way that made it more memorable. Historical, even, and I can say I was there.