Bassmaster Classic Preview 2018

The sports world is familiar with the concept of a championship ring. Football, baseball and basketball teams have celebrated national titles with impressive finger jewelry since 1922, when the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. Many Bassmaster fans may not realize that the Classic champion also receives a ring along with the world championship trophy. Ray Scott started the tradition around 1974 because he couldn’t afford to buy the rings for the first few championships. He retrofitted the early Classic champs with rings, though, so all 47 champions, from Bobby Murray to Jordan Lee, have one. Although the ring has evolved throughout the years, the current version features a black onyx face with the B.A.S.S. leaping lunker inset in gold. Sixteen diamonds surround the…

CALEB SUMRALL WAS ONE FISH AWAY from a dream. Scratch that. It is more accurate to say that one fish separated the 30-year-old Louisiana oil field worker’s dream of a Classic berth and a spot in the Elite Series, from selling his boat to help pay bills and finding a new job in the oil patch. One fish. Stakes couldn’t have been higher for him on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship being held on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell last October. “I was in ninth place after Day 1 and shot up to second place after catching a big limit on Day 2,” Sumrall says. “I was still a couple pounds out of the lead, but realized I had a real shot at winning.” Anything other than a…

By The Numbers 2015-2017 on the Elite Series Age: 33 9 Top 10 finishes $108,000 2017 tournament earnings 17 Top 20 finishes 59-47-14 AOY finishes $249,190 Career earnings 60 percent finishing in the money 1,476 pounds, 12 ounces Total weight caught It’s taken you three years on the Elite Series and a few hard times to get to the Classic, so now that you’ve made it, what do you think about fishing your first Classic? I think about it every day. I think it’s going to be a fun tournament. There’s no pressure. There’s no points. Everybody gets paid. You go out there and pretty much swing. You struggled for most of your first two Elite seasons but broke out with strong finishes and a win in the Toyota Bassmaster…

LAKE HARTWELL NUMBERS 2 pounds, 9 ounces Average size of bass at the 2008 Classic on Hartwell, fifth best in Classic history 9 Number of three-day limits above 40 pounds at the 2015 Classic on Hartwell 45 Length in miles of Hartwell’s Seneca River arm 49 Length in miles of Hartwell’s Tugaloo River arm 50 pounds, 1 ounce Casey Ashley’s winning weight at the 2015 Classic on Hartwell 962 Miles of shoreline 55,900 Surface acres WINNING WEIGHTS B.A.S.S. has held five previous events on Lake Hartwell. Here’s what it took to win those derbies. 36-12 2017 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship (Oct. 19-21) 42-13 1998 Georgia Eastern Invitational (May 14-16) 49-7 2008 Bassmaster Classic (Feb. 22-24) 50-1 2015 Bassmaster Classic (Feb. 20-22) 50-6 1996 Georgia Eastern Invitational (Nov. 21-23) BASS CITY, USA…

This month’s questions were answered by the reigning Classic champ, Jordan Lee. When you are punching a mat or punching pads, will a 1-ounce lead sinker make it through as well as a 1-ounce tungsten sinker, or is it harder to get lead sinkers through?@Dustin_Weinberg, Instagram “I think it’s harder to get lead through. Tungsten is definitely smaller, so it fits in tight places and gives your pegged soft plastic a more streamlined appearance. Another factor is that tungsten is denser, so you have a better feel when it hits objects or a hard bottom. I can’t imagine going back to lead for my flipping or Texas-rig tactics.” How many days out of the year does a Bassmaster Classic pro stay on the water?@Jamiebostick4, Instagram “I normally spend half the…

I’m shopping for a new trolling motor and batteries. Do I use 27- or 31-group batteries, and what is the difference between the groups?Wilbur Sanchez Spokane, Wash. Essentially, the heavier the boat, the stronger the deep-cycle batteries you’ll need to sustain electric motor power. So, don’t scrimp. “I recommend two 27-group batteries [for a 24-volt trolling motor] for the average weekend angler using an 18-foot boat,” says John Foust, service manager at Lake Drive Marine in Coldwater, Mich. “The 31 series will provide more hours on the water.” I’m new to fishing electronics. I have an older Humminbird Fishing Buddy 120 mounted on the back of my boat near my trolling motor. When a fish pops up on the screen, how do I determine where it is?@Mike_bbb, Instagram First, understand…