The drought in California is getting worse and the situation in Florida hasn’t been much better, driving to Tulsa OK for the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing was in a since a Reverse Grapes of Wrath with Oklahoma having plenty of water while California still reels from years of dry weather. This Classic reminded me of my days when I lived in OK and had the chance to fish the lakes there, the fishing was great but it also created challenges. Most of my Bass fishing life was in Northern California, later I retired to Florida which gave me another chance to adapt and blend my style of fishing. My thought was how the West side anglers would attack the Sooner State and the current conditions…..
This was my theme I was keying on during the Classic, the West Coast Anglers had dominated the Elite series last year with 5 of the top 10 AOY coming from or having roots from the west side. I interviewed Aaron Martens, Justin Lucas, Dean Rojas, Chris Zaldin and Brent Ehrler in an effort to come up with an answer to why they did so well.
The overwhelming response was “we fish so many different types of fisheries in California which help us adjust on the fly”. Presented with the current conditions of cold /muddy water most said any advantage they had was out the window and that most likely the locals would hold an edge. Little did they know how right they would be!
Having covered the Classic and the Elite Series for several years, the Bassmaster’s treats its media folks very well and provides us with all we need to do our job!! Media Day allowed the press access to all the anglers and put on a good spread for us. Sitting down and having lunch with the top 50 Bass Fishermen in the world was an awesome experience plus there where a select few fishing reps there as well with info and SWAG which is always a cool thing.
If you’ve never been to a Classic put it on your bucket list, In Conjunction with the Classic you have the Outdoor Expo which is a massive show with tons of products, Pro’s, an all around fisherman’s paradise. It’s wall to wall mayhem with folks walking the floor, meeting the pros and of course buying fishing items. It also gave me a chance to catch up with a bunch of Facebook friends, meet new ones plus touch base with my sponsors. I also caught up with Paul Elias and we talked about his new fishing line sponsor White Peacock of Balsax ….some of the features he talked about was the line diameter being considerably smaller with great abrasion resistance….. I’m in the process of talking with the Owner of Paul Renaldo Enterprise on doing a full product review …… The folks at Livingston Lures showcased a bunch of new baits, as did Realis …..New comer Fitzgerald Rods was there as well…. Stay tuned!
It didn’t take long for the OK boys to show why The Grand Lake of the Cherokees set up right into their wheel house starting with Jason Christie who establishing how to fish the lake and conditions. Going into the final day he held a commanding lead of around 6 lb’s which looked insurmountable. Then in what can only be described as an Epic final day push by Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla. to win The Bassmaster’s Classic by weighing a mind bending 29 pounds, 3 ounces of bass to storm away with the Crown Jewel of Bass fishing “The Bassmaster’s Classic Title” ….. So my theory on the West Coast guys holding an advantage in most cases bit the “DUST Bowl” and sent me packing back to Fl lol CHomp On Edwin and all the Classic fishermen they’re all winners and deserved to be there CHEERS !
By Danny Barker
Trophy Bass Hunter
Writer/Blogger/Field Editor
E-Mail dbbasser@earthlink.net
Cell # 352-282-2773
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Sponsors:
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Gillz Breathe Like A Fish…. http://breathelikeafish.com/
Miller Punchin Weights…. http://www.millerpunchinweight.com/
The Red One….. http://www.millerbuiltproducts.com/home.html
Glacier Gloves…. http://glacierglove.com/
Dobyns Rod…. http://www.dobynsrods.com/
CaliforniaReservoirLures…. http://www.californiareservoirlures.com/
Snag Proof…. http://goo.gl/KEEHba
Peppers Eyeware… http://peppersusa.shptron.com/
Death Shimmmer…. http://deathshimmer.com/
White Peacock Fluro Fishing Line….http://www.renaldoenterprises.com/