Table of contents for Classic Preview in Bassmaster

The Ike Foundation is at it again. After awarding $62,500 in scholarships since its inception in 2017, Mike Iaconelli’s youth-focused fishing organization is renewing its efforts for 2022. Applications are open to high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or better and a proven contribution to outdoor conservation. Each winner receives a $2,500 Ike Foundation college scholarship. 2021 scholarship winners were Jacob Knutsen of Middle River, Minn.; Jackson Temme of Larkspur, Colo.; Nicholas Splain of Sellersville, Pa.; Carter Coza of Marietta, Ga.; and Alexis Grandstaff of Headland, Ala. Grandstaff is the recipient of the Brenda Butenewicz Purple Memorial Scholarship Award, an honor dedicated to the memory of Butenewicz, an original member of the Ike Foundation who passed away in 2020. Applications can be submitted online at TheIkeFoundation.org.…

B.A.S.S. fans react to Mike Iaconelli’s return to the Elite Series. Barry Schroeder I got faith in you Mike, I’ll be pulling for you in all the tournaments. Never give up, go get that blue trophy! Dawn Marshall Holcomb You are an amazing angler and definitely will carry a legacy for many years to come. Either circuit is lucky to have you. I know you will do great things with your future endeavors. We will be watching you come across the stage and will remember you for many years to come. If COVID has taught us anything, it has taught us the importance of family and relationships with all. Best of Luck to you in the upcoming seasons. Go get em!!! Sam Tracy Don’t stop! I have missed you in…

Does the elevation of my motor have any effect on the time it takes me to get on plane? @Outlaw_fishing, Instagram It sure does. The lower the engine is in relation to the transom, the faster the hull will plane off. However … “The lower engine height can create additional drag, which can rob you of top-end speed, so there is a fine line between low enough to get on plane quickly and high enough to get the speed you look to attain,” notes Rick Pierce of Bass Cat Boats. That’s where jackplates can make a difference. Consult a dealer familiar with the boat and motor to determine what’s best for you. How did mice get in the rod storage of my bass boat if I never leave the lids…

EVERY YEAR THE talent level at the Bassmaster Classic goes up a notch. Each angler vying to be the 2022 Bassmaster Classic champion has proved his ability. That is true whether they qualified for bass fishing’s premier event via the Elite Series, the Bassmaster Opens, the Bassmaster College Series or B.A.S.S. Nation. This reality makes picking the eventual winner more challenging than ever. Although Bassmaster Elite veterans have the inside track, you can’t count anyone out. We’ve asked three Elite Series pros and two Bassmaster insiders to stick their necks out and pick the anglers who are most likely to hoist the magnificent Bassmaster Classic trophy over their head while being showered with confetti. THE MOMENTUM SELECTION “SETH FEIDER has more momentum than anybody. Heck, he’s the Elite Series Angler…

IF, PERCHANCE, YOU happened to be around Alabama’s Lay Lake the first week of December in 2020, you probably remember seeing the final Bassmaster Eastern Open of the tournament season taking place, and you might have even noticed an aluminum fishing boat scattered among the dozens of sleek, colorful bass boats on the water. If you were truly observant, maybe even using binoculars, you may have recognized the angler in that boat as he struggled against the wind, and if you did, then you know what kind of lure he was using. That angler was Bassmaster Elite Series pro Patrick Walters, and yes, he was throwing a jerkbait. Walters did not win that event (he finished 17th), nor did he lap the field the way he had done just one…

WHO DOESN’T LOVE a little trivia? This guy. I have an uncanny ability to forget details that everyone else seems to remember. I should be able to name the Beatles, but I cannot. Who won the Heisman trophy in 2019? I’ll take the over and say it was an Alabama player, but I truly have no idea. There is one exception to my memory flaw, however. I find bass fishing trivia quite interesting. That likely has something to do with the research I often do to perform my job, but I also love the history of our sport. So, with the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk almost upon us, I thought I’d drag out one curious piece of trivia that affects a large portion of…

Scenic, bustling Greenville, S.C., serves as the host city for this year’s Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. This Palmetto State gem is a fixture for Bassmaster fans, having previously served as the host site for bass fishing’s grandest event in 2008, 2015 and 2018. From here, the waters of Lake Hartwell have provided some of bass fishing’s most iconic moments. This year, they could provide another if two-time defending champion Hank Cherry can pull off an unprecedented hat trick. From the Bassmaster Classic Expo to weigh-in, Greenville will once again be the epicenter of the bass fishing universe. But there’s more to this city than meets the eye. The region is bursting with recreation opportunities from waterfalls to breweries and Bassmaster Classic events. 420 Height in…

Matty Wong is king of the B.A.S.S. Nation after taking home the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy in November. Wong’s 15 bass over three days totaled 35 pounds, 9 ounces to win the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on the Ouachita River. The win came with a $20,000 check and a slot in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk. At 33, Wong is the first Hawaiian-born angler to ever fish the Bassmaster Classic. “The whole thing is a dream,” Wong told Bassmaster.com’s Andrew Canulette after the win. “I’m absolutely speechless.” Wong used balsa wood, squarebill crankbaits to target laydowns and riverbank bends to boat his best bass and bring the title home to his base in Ventura, Calif. In March, Wong will once again make…

The images below were submitted by Bassmaster readers, and our antique tackle expert, Karl White, appraises the value of each unique find. To submit yours, email editorial@bassmaster.com. Barracuda Lure Joe Manley Sr., email $10 Dalton Barracuda is a common lure from Florida. The first ones were made of wood, then they went to plastic. Yours appears to be well-fished and well-loved. In mint condition, $20. In this condition, $10. Indiana-style Reel James Keck, email $200 This Henry Kiest Merknox reel is an Indiana-style reel, also known as a “knuckle buster.” Made in the 1920s. Instead of gearing, they raised the line to give it the same effect. Also known as a Hoosier reel, it is very simple. I value this reel at $200 to $250. Mouse Lure Mark, email $30…

THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC always presents unique challenges, but the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk likely will demand more versatility and flexibility in angler tactics. That’s how you have to fish Lake Hartwell, according to the local experts, and it’s especially true during the first week of March. Like all Classics that have been held during the early part of the year, weather will play a huge role. At the time of this writing, the region had experienced an unseasonably warmer winter, but Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Williamson says that could change. “If it gets cold and we wind up with a normal winter — I’ve seen snow in early March — it will be a deep tournament,” he says. “But if it’s warmer than…

Water type: Prespawn staging on a Southern grass lake Water temp: Mid- to upper 50s Clarity: 1 to 2 feet Depth: 2 to 10 feet Structure: Points, channel swings, isolated rock Cover: Healthy new grass, laydowns, docks Forage: Shad, bluegill, crawfish Weather: Warm, stable conditions Wind/current: Calm morning, becoming breezy by midday 1 GRASS CLASS Gary Clouse Winchester, Tenn. First move: The fourth-year Elite angler’s first preference is new-growth grass in the backs of creeks known for prominent spawning flats. “All of these creeks have shallow points and humps with grass, so I like to find a little place with deep water close.” Baits/tackle to use: For covering water to find active areas, Clouse uses a 1/2-ounce white or black and blue ChatterBait JackHammer with a Yamamoto Zako trailer. For…

Taku Ito Chiba, Japan You are in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic. It’s your second appearance. How does it feel to be out there? I love Hartwell because it has clear water. It is deep. And it has spotted bass. Spotted bass are very good for me because they are like smallmouth. The fish are always watching the bait. Sometimes they eat. Sometimes they don’t eat, but I think the spotted bass are very, very good for the Japanese technique. Hopefully, Hartwell is very good for me. Will your family be there to support you this year? Maybe. Maybe not. It is easy to get into the U.S. from Japan. That is no problem. When they go back, they will have to quarantine for two weeks, so that is tough. How…

B.A.S.S. Nation anglers Ruben Burgos and Luis Jimenez will represent Spain as boater and nonboater in the 2022 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship after taking home first place at the Spain B.A.S.S. Nation championship in November. The event was held on Lake Caspe, a reservoir on the Ebro River about 60 miles west of Barcelona. Burgos and Jimenez broke the regional weight record with a five-fish limit of 24-8 on Day 1 by targeting rocky points and riprap with crankbaits and vibrating jigs. Their two-day total of 43-9 earned them a berth in the U.S.-based Nation Championship. That opportunity gives Burgos a chance to qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster Classic, an invitation to the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series and paid St. Croix Bassmaster Opens entry fees for all divisions. As…

Tim Gilbreath Walker County, Ga. Colton Grant Rancho Murieta, Calif. Tripp Glover Greenville, Ga. Rush McGee Pine Mountain, Ga. Big Bite From A Little Pond This is Jet. He’s 4 years old. We tried a pond next to the house, and it wasn’t long before this beautiful, 5-pound, 6-ounce momma came busting out of the moss. With a little help holding his rod tip up, he managed to drag her to the bank. After a couple of quick photos, we released her to tend to her business. Jeremy Whitaker Mead, Okla. Editor’s note: If you have a favorite bass fishing photo, story or a reaction to something in our magazine, share it with us! The best responses will be printed in upcoming issues of Bassmaster Magazine. Simply email your submission…

THE VERY FIRST event I covered as an employee of B.A.S.S. was the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on Lake Hartwell in 2015. When I showed up for takeoff well before daylight on Day 1, I wondered for a moment why guys who fished for a living were having such a hard time just launching their boats at the ramp. Then Jim Sexton, our vice president of digital communications at B.A.S.S., told me the reason for it: the boats were actually frozen to the trailers. The forecast said it would be 10 degrees when we arrived at the ramp that morning. They were close; it was 9. The Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing had officially turned into the Ice Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing. I’m…