Table of contents for Classic Preview 2020 in Bassmaster

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.…

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.…

THE 2020 BASSMASTER Classic field includes a handful of Bassmaster Elite Series veterans, a host of upstart Elites and rookies, and amateurs who have qualified for the Classic via the B.A.S.S. Nation and the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. The smart money is on the veterans and the young Elites who have shown their mettle over the 2019 season. But don’t count out the dark horses. Every angler who qualified for the Classic did so by catching bass under pressure. This is an enormously capable field of top-notch fishermen. We’ve asked five knowledgeable insiders to choose the most likely anglers to be hoisting the Bassmaster Classic trophy, the de facto world championship, when the smoke clears after bass fishing’s premier event. THE G-VILLE HAMMERS: The five guys who always do well…

THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC is a dream maker. This event launches careers, solidifies others, spotlights young talent and often reminds us that an old dog can still hunt. That kind of drama is intoxicating, and those who come to watch the greatest show in fishing never hold back on the enthusiasm. Whether their favorite angler’s leading or lagging, B.A.S.S. fans heap generous portions of support and encouragement. Every year brings a bounty of memorable moments, but we’ve curated a sampling of the incredible fan interactions Classic anglers have experienced. FANS ON THE FRONT END Brandon Lester passes the same gas station every time he leaves town for a tournament trip, but on his way to the 2016 Classic on Grand Lake, he encountered an unexpected surprise that required an impromptu pit stop.…

Date: March 12, 2019 Venue: Lake G, a small flatland reservoir Water: 52 degrees, stained Weather: Party cloudy, high of 60 degrees Pro: Chris Groh, 41, Spring Grove, Ill. A veteran tournament angler, Groh is fishing his second season (2019) on the Bassmaster Elite Series circuit after qualifying through the Bassmaster Northern Opens Boat: Phoenix 20 PHX with a 250-horsepower Mercury outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and twin Power-Pole shallow-water anchors WITH HIS LONG hair, clipped Yankee accent and brusque manner, Chris Groh isn’t your typical “bubba” bass pro. “I’m the quintessential blue-collar Chain Rat,” he explains, referring to his membership in the fraternity of hardcore homeboys who fish the Fox Chain of Lakes on the Illinois/Wisconsin border. “That’s where I grew up and learned to fish. Pike,…

For fans attending the Birmingham Classic, the launch in Guntersville, as well as the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo and weigh-in in the Magic City, will be standard fare. However, there’s a lot more to do in Birmimgham, if you can pull yourself away from the red-hot fishing action. B.A.S.S. has created a Classic Brewery Crawl for those who enjoy craft beer. The local breweries, including Birmingham District Brewing, Cahaba Brewery, Trim Tab Brewery, Avondale Brewery and Ghost Train Brewery will be creating special suds for the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing. Fans who make the Crawl will also be able to get special pint glasses designed for each brewery and the 50th Classic as a keepsake. Visit the B.A.S.S. booth at the Expo to get a map of the Classic…

Lake Guntersville gets a tremendous amount of fishing pressure during the early spring. Can you offer advice to a vacationing angler on how to fish a heavily pressured lake that time of year? Leo Sanchez, Huntsville, Ala. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Keith Combs On a lake as good as Guntersville, I would approach it the same way I would any other lake that time of year. During the spring, fish will be making their biggest movement of year, and they are aggressive. I wouldn’t go there thinking you have to fish finesse tactics because of the pressure; fish the same lures and techniques you’d normally use. That may not be the case on tougher lakes, but Guntersville is full of big fish and is a special place. If it’s early…

Can’t Have Too Much Sufix Advance 100% Fluorocarbon $24.99-$199.99 | rapala.com Features: Its higher density index takes a presentation to the strike zone four times faster than traditional nylon The line’s inherent qualities and exclusive G2 Precision Winding make it virtually memory free and nearly invisible beneath the surface Created from the company’s proprietary Gel Phase Technology process, this line produces excellent handling, performance and clarity It’s available in 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, 17-, 20-, 25- and 30-pound-test and in multiple spool sizes St. Croix Legend Xtreme Rods $630-$650 | stcroixrods.com Features: Launching at the 2020 Classic, the company’s third-generation Legend Xtreme lineup features high-end and extremely sensitive rod blanks In collaboration with Daiwa, St. Croix has the exclusive rights to Daiwa’s AGS carbon fiber guides (light, durable)…

CANNES, COACHELLA, COMIC Con — if you’re into cinematic debuts, boho-chic music festivals and the celebration of all things cosplay, you know your mecca. For bass heads, the Bassmaster Classic exerts an equally irresistible attraction that promises nothing short of all-in angling adrenaline. For fans casual or committed, the sport’s premier event is the place to revel in the drama of top-tier competition and soak up copious details of how life-changing victory was won. Multiply this impact through the vast spectrum of international media coverage and the Bassmaster Classic provides an unparalleled opportunity to introduce new products and light a fire under existing items. This unwavering truth cemented in half a century of tradition is not lost on tackle manufacturers. In fact, the Bassmaster Classic factors heavily into marketing plans…

THE PAST 50 years of bass boat innovations have been like going from the invention of the wheel to rocket ships. Before Ray Scott founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) in 1967, the typical “bass boat” was an aluminum flat-bottom boat powered by a small tiller outboard. A hand-controlled electric maneuvering motor was fixed to the transom. Soon after the founding of B.A.S.S., MotorGuide’s newfangled bow-mounted, foot-controlled electric motor became one of the earliest and most essential bass-boat innovations. In 1969, Forrest Wood’s first six Ranger bass boats had bow space to support an electric motor. Ranger, Skeeter and a few other companies were making flat-bottomed, blunt-nosed fiberglass boats specifically for bass fishing at this time. These boats had no livewells. A 6-gallon tank on the floor near the…

A lifelong Alabamian shares a Guntersville pattern that can pay dividends around the nation Bill Weidler has called the state of Alabama home for about five decades now. In that time, he’s spent innumerable days battling bass at the home of this year’s Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, Lake Guntersville. There is perhaps no lake steeped in as much bass fishing history as Guntersville, and it’s to that waterway we look for this special Pattern of the Month. The pattern is one that will likely see heavy use at this year’s Classic, where anglers will need to coerce lazy late-winter bass into action, but it’s also one that is adaptable to many reservoirs around the country. To get started, you’ll need to pilfer your tacklebox for…

BIG BASS. BIG STAGE. BIG DREAMS. That slogan is quite fitting for the 50th Bassmaster Classic that unfurls on Lake Guntersville on March 6-8. No other Classic in recent years has promised such an eye-popping weigh-in that could surely produce lots of big bass. And, quite possibly, a new Classic weight record or two. “It certainly has the potential to be a record-setting Classic,” says fishing guide and Bassmaster Opens angler Jimmy Mason. In fact, many prognosticators say the only thing that could prevent a Classic record is torrential rainfall prior to the event. “Worst-case scenario is we have a flood like we did last year when the water was up in the parking lot,” warns Mason, who spends about 50 days a year on Guntersville. “But otherwise, those guys…

TO RECOUNT OR reflect — what’s the difference? Depth. Depth of meaning, emotion — those etched-in-time moments that you see as clearly as the day they occurred, even if that day was decades past. Anyone can look up stats and discuss a Bassmaster Classic’s numerical outcome, but true reflection digs deeper. It certainly accounts for daily limits and final weights, but it must also evoke those thrilling recollections of reaching victory’s mountaintop, along with the stark, cold silence of defeat’s emotional wasteland. You have to live it to tell it, and three of the sport’s biggest names opened up their Bassmaster Classic memory vaults to reflect on the kind of moments that change lives, change hearts and flip mental switches. A SYSTEMATIC STRATEGY Jack Lambert, Michael Jordan, the late Dale…

THE GREATEST SHOW in sportfishing holds special meaning to those who fish it and those who watch it. From that first Bassmaster Classic on Lake Mead in 1971 to this year’s 50th installment on Lake Guntersville, the pinnacle of bass fishing has made careers, broken hearts, instilled lessons and lit fires. A week of storytelling would barely scratch the surface, but when we asked several current Elite Series competitors about their favorite Bassmaster Classic, the diverse responses demonstrated this tournament’s multifaceted impact. Told from the perspectives of fans and competitors, their accounts will no doubt foster indelible memories among all who love and respect this momentous event for what it is. EDUCATION Lessons hard learned leave the deepest impressions — just ask Bernie Schultz, the Elite Series veteran from Gainesville,…

1 Dirty Water Change-Ups You’ve been eagerly awaiting your bass club’s first tournament of the year this coming weekend, but an early-spring storm dumps 3 inches of icy rain into the lake the day before, turning the water the color of a chocolate shake! Don’t despair — Elite Series pros have solid strategies for dealing with this nightmare scenario. The Cold Facts Like most predators, bass are primarily sight feeders. But when heavy-spring rains send sediment-laden runoff into the lake, their field of vision becomes greatly reduced. Now, instead of roaming wide areas in search of prey, bass typically hold close to submerged objects (logs, rocks, etc.) until the water clarity improves. These low-visibility conditions, combined with frigid water temperatures, will have a major impact on your lure selection and presentations.…

Congratulations to the newest members of the Bassmaster Lunker Club™. Membership in the club is free and open to any B.A.S.S. member who catches a largemouth bass weighing 10 pounds or more, a spotted bass weighing 5 pounds or more, or a smallmouth bass weighing 6 pounds or more, from Jan. 1, 2019, to the present. New Lunker Club members will receive an official certificate with holder and a gift pack. [Trophy Trends] To request an application, write to editorial@bassmaster.com or B.A.S.S., The Lunker Club, 3500 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 330, Birmingham, AL 35243. A photo documenting the catch must be provided, along with the length and girth of the bass. Only suitable photos will be published in Bassmaster Magazine. We will only accept entries for bass that are released…