Bassmaster Classic Preview 2020

Oh, So Close When we decided to have a cover photo contest for this issue of Bassmaster to celebrate our readers and all the fans of B.A.S.S., we didn’t really know what to expect. Sure, there were plenty of grainy images that wouldn’t make the grade, but there were also a lot of excellent options for us to choose from. The images on this page were our finalists, and any of them would have been spectacular cover models. Kudos and congratulations to these Bassmaster fans for awesome catches and even better photos.…

Meet Matt Clouse “ARE YOU FREAKIN’ serious?” was Matt Clouse’s response when he was informed that his photo had been selected to grace the cover of this issue of Bassmaster Magazine. “Man, I’m in shock. I almost didn’t go fishing the day that photo was taken!” The cover contest was concocted to celebrate bass-fishing fans who came out in droves to support the Bassmaster Elite Series, as well as the record-breaking attendance of the Bassmaster Classic held last year in Knoxville, Tenn. B.A.S.S. dubbed 2019 the “Year Of The Fan,” and the organization and Elite Series pros have tried to thank this rabid group as often as possible. We want anglers who consume our content and attend our events to know that they are not only appreciated, but embody the…

Scott Canterbury Hometown: Odenville, Ala. You’re the reigning Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year. Did you ever dare dream it? You know, as anglers we all dream of that for sure. I interviewed three or four times for a sponsorship with Quaker State, and the one thing I told them when I was starting my career with them was that a win is important, but the one thing I strive for more than anything is to win AOY. Being the points champion, whether that’s in the Elite Series or the Opens or the grass-roots leagues, is always the ultimate goal. It doesn’t matter if you’re fishing Thursday night fruit jars on your home lake or the Elite Series, you still want to be the points champion. But, to do…

DREW BENTON Drew Benton sat bobbing in the waters of Lake Guntersville during practice for last year’s Bassmaster Elite Series event. It was midsummer, and Benton found himself stranded thanks to a dead cranking battery. Scrambling to get home, he MacGyvered a solution by disconnecting his trolling motor batteries from their terminals and using them to jump his cranking battery. In foul weather, the situation could have gone from embarrassing to dangerous. So Benton looked to one of his sponsors for a solution. Enter Power-Pole. Blue-Collar Breakdown Anglers have known about the Power-Pole Charge for several years. In fact, I saw prototype models on several Bassmaster Classic boats in Knoxville last year. However, it’s taken a while to get to market because Power-Pole is meticulous about refining its products.…

Nation members should keep their eyes glued to the Bassmaster Classic stage this month for fellow up-and-comers Cody Hollen, of Beaverton, Ore., Taylor Smith of Spokane Valley, Wash., and Cam Sterritt of Newfields, N.H., who all climbed the ranks of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation to qualify for the biggest tournament in fishing. The three anglers notched podium finishes at the 2019 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Lake Hartwell to punch their tickets to Birmingham.…

This month, the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk returns to Birmingham for the 13th time since the event began in 1971. Meanwhile, Lake Guntersville, a little more than an hour away, is playing host to the competition for just the third time — once in 1976 and again in 2014. The city is a fitting location for the 50th occurrence of such a historic event. Birmingham is, after all, the home of B.A.S.S. headquarters and one of the world’s true strongholds of professional bass fishing. Let’s take a look at some of the stats behind the Magic City. 17,654 Seats in Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex 14.5 Lake-record largemouth bass at Guntersville 1,100,000 Population of the Birmingham metropolitan area 67-8 Winning weight of…