Birmingham, Ala.
- It’s time for the Bassmaster Classic, and this year’s Classic on Alabama’s Lay Lake has all the earmarks of a nail biter. Historic venue? Check. Multiple contenders? Check. Changing Conditions? Check. Volatile weather? Check. Possibility of a pre-spawn giant? Check.
Nine of the anglers who finished in the Top 10 in the 2007 Classic on Lay Lake are back in 2010 including Boyd
Duckett, who returns in search of his second Classic title on Lay.
Of the 37 Elite Series Qualifiers for the 2010 Classic, only two will be tasting Classic competition for the first time - 2009 Rookie Of the Year, Billy McCaghren and Oklahoma’s Terry Butcher. The Federation Nation qualifiers also bring ample experience to the table as three of the six qualifiers, Bryan Schmidt, Brent Long, and Jeff Freeman, have all previously competed in a Bassmaster Classic representing the Federation.
Photos
by Mark Jeffreys & Matt Pangrac
Since Boyd Duckett’s rise from Bassmaster Open anonymity to a household name, he has added a Bassmaster Major trophy to his mantle. After a runner-up finish in the 2007 Lay Lake Classic, Skeet Reese responded by inking both an AOY and Classic title on his résumé. And then there’s Kevin VanDam, who finished third in 2007. After back-to-back Toyota Trucks Angler Of the Year titles in 2008 and 2009, he enters the 2010 Classic with five AOY titles to his name, two more than the paltry three that he boasted in 2007.
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While the résumé’s of the top Classic finishers from 2007 have improved over the past three years, it appears as though Mother Nature hasn’t been able to keep pace. Brutal cold fronts have slammed Alabama, leaving Classic contenders reaching for the ice scraper instead of the flippin’ stick. Anglers looking to do a little tackle prep on Tuesday morning first had to brush away a fresh blanket of snow coating their boat covers.
The 2010 Classic Field is nothing short of intriguing, as a mix of cold water experts, spotted bass aficionados, grass fishing gurus, river rats, past Classic champs, and local contenders with an intimate knowledge of Lay Lake can all claim the role of “odds on favorite.” However, with water temperatures in the mid forties, an unprecedented low for the area, the unique conditions could play right into the hands an angler flying under the radar.
While Wednesday’s official practice day gave little reprieve to the early morning cold weather, temperatures did near the 50 degree mark by mid afternoon. As for the three days of Classic competition, temperatures are expected to reach 60 degrees by Sunday, a far cry from the 37 degree high which met many of the contenders when they began to roll into town last Friday.
It’s a warming trend that some anglers believe could lead to a welcome surprise come Classic blast off. “For the most part, it’s going to be tough but with the sun and the warmer conditions expected for Friday, we could see a really quick turnaround,” explained Aaron Martens. “I think a lot of guys could be surprised at how well they will catch them.”
As far as the fishing conditions, there are three resounding themes: current, water clarity, and water temperature. As Kevin Wirth pointed out, “In 2007, the water temperatures were eight or nine degrees warmer, the conditions were stable, and the water clarity was three foot on the main lake. Now, it’s about six inches.”
As a result, many competitors said that that the local advantage is out the window. “The weather has neutralized the home field advantage,” said Alabama pro, Matt Herren. “I actually think the advantage goes to the guys who have never seen the lake because they’ll be more open minded and be able to adjust to the conditions.”
Here’s what some of the contenders in the 2010 Bassmaster Classic told The BASS ZONE on Thursday’s Media Day:
Kevin VanDam
“It’s going to be a lot different, mainly because the water is dirtier and colder than in 2007. There isn’t as much grass as there was in 2007 and I think that will be a benefit because the fish will be concentrated in the areas where there is still some good grass.
“There are going to be multiple patterns working and most of the guys will be able to fish their strengths. Everyone has something that fits their style on this lake but it’s just one of those deals where this tournament will be a grind.
“It will be critical to get off to a good start on the first day. I’m not targeting a specific species because this lake sets up for catching both spotted bass and largemouth. Trying to target just one of those would probably be a mistake.
“I think that it’s going to change every day. May times, the fish don’t move as fast as we do when conditions change but there will be some guys that figure it out. The hard thing here is to do it three days in a row. There are lots of fish in this lake but it’s hard to catch those bigger fish for three days in a row.”
Skeet Reese
“I eliminated the river where I caught them last time. I was hoping that it would come into play but from what I’ve seen so far, it’s not going to play because there’s just too much current and the water is still too cold.
“I know how I’m going to fish but I really don’t know exactly where I’m going to fish. My goal is to catch five. I have no preconceived notions so I may end up pre-fishing during the tournament and going to parts of the lake I’ve never been before.
“It’s a completely new lake from 2007 because of the water temperature and the flow. There’s still a lot of bass on the main channel but they’re just not active at all. A lot of these fish have been pushed back into the tributaries because they’ve had a month straight of just super cold flow.”
Boyd Duckett
“The water is colder than I’ve ever seen it. The coldest that I’ve ever fished this river is 48 degrees. During practice this year, the temperature has been 43 to 44 degrees all day long.
“The biggest change is the fact that the spotted bass aren’t biting and I can’t figure out why because they are a cold water fish and they should be biting. That is what’s going to mess up everyone’s plan.
“In 2007, I could catch five spotted bass and then have the luxury of fishing for big bites the rest of the day. Well, I can’t do that this year. I’m going to have to work hard to catch them so I have to make a decision between burning time fishing for a limit or trying only to catch big fish.”
Aaron Martens
“I think that the water clarity and the cold are secondary to the shad kill. This weather has injured and killed a ton of shad and the bass have been gorging on the injured baitfish. Because of that, they’re not very active because the food is way too easy to catch.
“After they feed, the bass will just sit on the bottom and become inactive. You can drag everything in the tackle box by them and they become impossible to catch. In a school of 100 bass, you might find five that will strike.
“You just have to get lucky and find an active school that is still in feeding mode. Those schools are out there and that’s one of the ways that you can do really well here and come in with a 20 pound bag.
“If it was cloudy tomorrow, it would be really tough but I think there will be a huge change tomorrow.”
Matt Herren
“The things that I really like to do and what I’m really strong at here, the weather has taken it away. I think the bite will get better every day. Whether this warming trend is soon enough to really impact the bite, I really don’t think that it is.
“What’s going to end up happening, is a few big females will start sneaking up shallow and the guy that is lucky enough to catch two or three of them will end up winning the Classic. It’s that simple. It’s like a Russian roulette scenario. You’re going to have to be really consistent and catch 10 to 12 pounds and then hope that you catch a big one.
“I just want to be in the game on Sunday because if that warming trend does trigger the largemouth, a guy could be sitting 10 pounds back and come from nowhere to win the Classic if those big females move up.”
Randy Howell
“I think the weather took away the entire home field advantage for all the Alabama guys. I’m not as much of a local as some of the other competitors, but I think that the only way the local advantage will help is if the water warms up more and the fish move to certain areas.
“The bank grass bite has totally been off and I don’t know if it’s going to turn on in time to make an impact in the tournament. Yesterday, I tried to fish the lake like it was somewhere I had never been. I found some pretty looking stuff and still couldn’t get a bite so it will be interesting.
“I caught one big bass yesterday so that’s the only hope that I have. I can say that I’ve had a bad practice but I could still go out and catch 20 pounds tomorrow and not be totally shocked.”
Dean Rojas
“The big bite will be crucial. As much complaining and these guys are doing, they’re going to still catch them. I’m sure we will see a number of 15 to 18 pound bags weighed in.
“I think it will be a mixed bag of largemouth and spotted bass but you’ll need that big largemouth bite. I absolutely think the bite will get better as the tournament progresses. If the conditions were still really cold, I would say that the home field advantage was gone. But now? I definitely think there’s an advantage for the local anglers. They know what stretches and areas to hit, especially with this warming trend.”
Mike McClelland
“This definitely plays into my hands with the way that I like to fish. The one thing that has really hurt all week long is the water color. I keep hoping that there are some areas that are starting to clear up a little, and I’ve seen a glimmer of hope.
“There were some signs of encouragement yesterday that the bass were getting to where I wanted them to be. I feel like if I can pick and choose the right water color, things could work in my advantage.
“I do think the bite could get better every day. When you put this many good anglers on the water, it’s setting up for a few guys to catch some really good bags. There is some current on the lake but I’m just not sure what it’s going to take for some of these areas to begin to clear up. Hopefully, some of the clearer water will be pulled out of the backs of the pockets and creeks.”
Kevin Short
“From a fishing perspective, it’s not going to be nearly as good as it was in 2007. There are going to be some guys who will catch them reasonably well but the conditions are not going to showcase Lay Lake like it would normally fish towards the end of February.
“I would expect the weights to be significantly lower from the top to the bottom than they were in 2007. With that being said, it’s still going to be a great event. I’m sure we will have huge flotillas on the water.”
Kevin Wirth
“There’s a good possibility that the tournament could be won in the river even though there are some guys saying that they’re not getting bites in the river. The current could be a really big player. I would think that the sun shining could dictate the success in the river and we haven’t really fished in the sunny conditions yet.”
Jami Fralick
“The fish here just haven’t seen 44 degree water in their lifetimes. If we can get the water temperatures to warm up throughout the day, the fishing will be good. The spotted bass don’t seem to want to feed because of all the dying shad in the lake. They don’t have to chase anything and they can just wait for a dying shad to fall right in font of them.”
Terry Scroggins
“This year, we’ve had several weeks of cold weather and rain and so what we’re dealing with is cold and muddy water. There are a lot of shad dying off so there are thousands and thousands of shad. When it gets cold, the bass don’t have to feed as much and right now they don’t have to go very far to get a meal.
“We’re seeing a little warming trend, so that should trigger the fish. A lot of guys will be pleasantly surprised. Overall, it’s still going to be a tough event.”
Terry Butcher
“My first three days of practice went OK but it wasn’t good by any means. I did have some quality bites but I just haven’t had a lot of them. I’ve caught both quality spotted bass and largemouth. My game plan going into this thing is thing is to try and catch some spotted bass early and then look for some largemouth later on. I think that with the sun out, it will help the largemouth bite even more.”
