“I’m not having sleepless nights where I sit up and think about it.”
Story
by Matt Pangrac
Posted
- February 5th, 5:27am CST
Olney, TX – Bryan Schmidt can count himself among a select few Federation Nation anglers who know what the bright lights of the Bassmaster Classic stage feel like. There are even fewer Federation Nation anglers who know the feeling of weighing in a 20+ pound limit in Classic competition, and even fewer yet who can say that they’ll get a shot to do it twice in a lifetime.
Flash back to the 2009 Classic, and just minutes before Skeet Reese and Mike Iaconelli battled it out for the Classic title in front of a packed arena on the final day, Schmidt energized the crowd with a 22 pound limit of Red River bass which vaulted him from 18th to 6th place in the overall
standings.
Photos
by Mark Jeffreys & Matt Pangrac
When the 2010 Classic kicks off on Lay Lake in Mid February, Schmidt will again be among the competitors vying for the title as the Central Division representative of the Federation Nation.
Getting Back to the Classic
As the reigning 2008 Federation Nation Champion, Schmidt automatically qualified to fish the 2009 Federation Nation Championship and got a shot at qualifying for back-to-back Bassmaster Classics as the Central Division representative. It was an opportunity that he didn’t take for granted.
After fishing the 2009 Classic, two Central Opens, and several team and individual trails in Texas last year, Schmidt said that his attention turned toward the 2009 Federation Nation Championship in November on the Harris Chain Of Lakes in Florida, as he began to realize the realistic chance he had of making it back to the Bassmaster Classic.
“Leading up to the Federation Championship, I spent almost two solid weeks in Florida in July preparing myself for that national championship,” he said. “From July on, I really had it in the back of my mind. I knew that I had to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Schmidt finished the tournament in 12th place, but as the highest qualifier from the Central division, he still punched his ticket to the 2010 Classic.
Learning From the Red River Classic
With a year to reflect on his 2009 run at the Red River, Schmidt said that he realizes he made some mistakes during the second day of competition that took him out of the running for the title.
“I put myself in position to make it to the third and final day at the Classic but I never put myself in position to win,” he said. “I fished very conservatively on the second day. Each afternoon it seemed like I had a big bite, and I didn’t go back to that area on the second afternoon for some reason.”
It’s a lesson that Schmidt will take with him to Lay Lake. “If I can find an area each day where I feel like I can put myself in position to win, I’m going to continue to fish those areas and not worry about saving fish or holding back for the final day. I’ll worry about day three when it comes around,” he says.
While Schmidt hopes to improve his on the water decision making from the Red River to Lay Lake, the Texas angler still has the same goal for the 2010 Classic as he did in 2009. He wants to make the cut to the third and final day of Classic competition.
The ability to reach the final day and record a Top 10 performance isn’t something that Schmidt is taking for granted. He realizes that in order to compete with the biggest names in the sport, things have to go his way. “Last year it was a blessing that I was able to catch a few bass as early as I did on the first day because it set the tone for the rest of my tournament and allowed me to settle down,” he explained.
So, with a Classic appearance under his belt, will the Texas angler be able to better manage his nerves on Lay Lake? Well, yes and no. On the plus side, he’s able to make it through a full night’s sleep leading up to his second Classic.
“I think that I’m pretty relaxed this year because I’m not having sleepless nights where I sit up and think about it. I started that last year about a week after I qualified. This year, I can tell that the Classic is getting closer, but it hasn’t affected me like it did last year,” he explained. “The good thing is that I’ve been through it before and I know what to expect. That being said, I think that when I get there, I’ll have the exact same nerves and butterflies that I had during my first trip to the Classic.”
Practice Pays Off
In a Classic field rich with Alabama anglers, Schmidt brings little previous knowledge of Lay Lake or any lakes in Alabama for that matter. Prior to an eight day scouting trip to Lay over the Thanksgiving holiday, Schmidt had never fished in Alabama before.
For Schmidt, spending over a week learning Lay Lake was an important factor in increasing the chances for success come Classic time. “I’ve dissected some areas of the lake into three different areas and I’m going to focus each day of my official practice on an area and see where it goes from there,” he said.
“With the water temperatures so low right now, there’s probably not going to be too much power fishing but if the water temperature warms, I think that there is some power fishing that can be done. I would really like to see that so I could count on a flipping bite.
I think you’ll have to spend some time catching a limit of fish before you can really go for the big bites. I think that swinging for the fence would be a mistake.”
Regardless of his performance in the 2010 Classic, Schmidt is planning on fishing the Central Opens. He feels like the schedule suits him much better than it did in 2009. “I am familiar with Amistad, then we have the Red River, and we finish up on Texoma which is right in my back yard, so I’m really looking forward to fishing the Opens,” he explained.
“For me, if I can just qualify through the Opens to get back to the Opens next year I would be tickled to death and take that as a stepping stone. As far as making it to the Elite Series, right now, until I get to where I can be competitive in the Opens, I’m not even looking in that direction.”
During the 2010 Central Opens and at the Classic, Schmidt’s boat will feature a Texas Sidewinder Rods wrap. He is also sponsored by The Texas Fishing Forum, Blue Sky Graphics, and Critter Outfitters.
