Bassmaster Classic 2018

[daviswill]

So the location of the 2018 Bassmaster classic was revealed today. It's going to com back to Lake Hartwell for the second time in 4 years. Personally, I am excited because hartwell is my home water. But what are everyone else's thoughts on this? I personally believe that they are coming back because of how hard fishing on hartwell can be to people who aren't local. Thoughts?

[Brayberry]

I wish it'd come back to the Chesapeake Bay/James River.  There's so many options and places to go from there, and we haven't had a Classic here in 25+ years

[blckshirt98]

With all the rain NorCal got this year I'm hoping the Elites will come back out west soon.

[samwise2u]

My brother fishes lake Hartwell. Sometimes does good, sometimes not so good. I will ask and let yall know.

[daviswill]

51 minutes ago, samwise2u said:

My brother fishes lake Hartwell. Sometimes does good, sometimes not so good. I will ask and let yall know.

Hartwell is my home water and it can be a very hard fishery because of our blueback herring and lack of any true structure. Only structure we have is docks and brush piles. But you still see tournament bags that exceed 20 pounds

[nascar2428]

Last time it was a home cooking lake, so does Casey Ashley win it again if he qualifies?

[CaptMikeStarrett]

At my full time job in DC we bid on the Classic several times to be considered for selection, but the DC Dept of Tourism would not sign in on the deal. Still we tried for a few years and no thought of holding it in DC was considered.

 

I think with the date of the Classic it would be tough weather.

 

Capt Mike

 

 

[Cgolf]

I personally wish they would do what they originally did and allow them something like one 3700 bag of tackle, 5 sticks and fly them into a lake they don't know about to fish. Never happen, due to limited fans showing up, but would really test those guys.

 

As long as they catch lots of fish I am happy. When you see a lot of guys struggle that isn't fun to watch. Didn't catch the date, but if it stays later, a Lake Michigan out of Green Bay smallmouth classic would be cool. 

 

Nevermind, it wasn't as late as I thought, so WI is out lol. For some reason I thought it was much later, weird that it is the third tourney of the year. 

[WRB]

1 hour ago, blckshirt98 said:

With all the rain NorCal got this year I'm hoping the Elites will come back out west soon.

Never going to happen because western bass anglers do not support B.A.S.S. There is more to major tournament fishing then catching bass, they need the community to show up at the events.

Tom

 

[lo n slo]

an early spring could make fishing a little better this time around. 

[Senko lover]

Not thrilled with the return to hartwell - the Classic is a spectator tournament more than any others and I think everyone loves to see some huge bags for the Classic. I did see on FB that Casey was pretty happy with this lmao 

[RichF]

Kinda lame.  I'd rather see it somewhere else.  B.A.S.S needs a little more variety.  Nobody wants to watch a Classic get won with an underspin again.  Maybe they'll spice things ups and mix in the Damiki Rig this time:)

[blckshirt98]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

Never going to happen because western bass anglers do not support B.A.S.S. There is more to major tournament fishing then catching bass, they need the community to show up at the events.

Tom

 

I hear you, the Sacramento crowd a couple of years back at the Delta didn't seem too big compared to the midwest/east coast crowds.  The Bassmaster Live broadcast was also a dud because there was so much dead time when nobody was catching anything and you can really tell Zona and Sanders were struggling to fill in airtime.

[daviswill]

11 hours ago, RichF said:

Nobody wants to watch a Classic get won with an underspin again.

Hate to say it... but that's probably how it will go down unless they're on beds. Crazy warm weather has pre spawn right around the corner for us... in February!

[Gotfishyfingers?]

It's all about the $$$....

[buzzed bait]

same place twice in 3 years is pretty lame.....  twice in 5 years still kinda lame, twice in 10 years would be fine.  i just think there's plenty of fine places in this USofA to fish aside from that one lake!

[12poundbass]

I'm not a fan of it going back to Hartwell so soon. I do like that this years is later in the winter but don't like that there's 2 events prior to the classic. It makes it seem like it's just another tournament with just a bigger paycheck.

[jhoffman]

Why dont the have it on the mega bag fisheries. Its supposed to be the biggest baddest event all year. Have it on somewhere world class where you need to catch 25lbs a day to win.

[OCdockskipper]

2 hours ago, jhoffman said:

Why dont the have it on the mega bag fisheries...where you need to catch 25lbs a day to win.

 

On the plane flying to Lake Mead for the initial Classic, Ray Scott told the anglers "You wouldn't expect the World Series to be played on a Little league field.  Neither would you expect the World Championship of Bass Fishing to be held in a fish hatchery...It will be the toughest challenge of your angling careers but it will be worth it".

 

I get that.  In golf, if the course is set up for low scores, it becomes a putting contest.  If catching a 20lb bag is done by everyone each day, then luck plays into it as to who finds the one big fish.  Now I don't think it should be like that Classic in Pittsburgh where it was totally a dink fest, although if you look at the top 10 for that event, it definitely separated the great from the good (KVD, AMart, Swindle, Cochran, Ike, Evers, Hite, Reese, Rook & Horton).

 

A good, medium tough lake that takes skill to catch a big bag consistently doesn't embarrass the best anglers in the world, it identifies them.

 

For nostalgia's sake, it would be neat if the 50th Classic went back to Lake Mead.  The weights wouldn't be the greatest, but that city does know how to market & hold an event.  You have a built-in crowd of tourists who are always looking for something free to do and many fishing folks would make the trip because there would be more to do than just go to the weigh-in.  Hey Zona, I know you are on this site, pass the Lake Mead suggestion on to your bosses...  

[grizzly1654]

Yea I'm ready for a new classic location. I guess there aren't many locations with arena's close by that can handle the crowd that the classic brings in?

 

 

[BrianinMD]

I would like to see some new places, make them work out tough conditions.

 

As for tidal Potomac or Chesapeake, that will not happen with the anti-tourney rules coming up.

[Glenn]

This will be the 11th Classic I've been to, and I've only been to 6 destinations (Birmingham, Shreveport, New Orleans, Tulsa, Houston, and Hartwell).

 

Ya, they do need to mix it up some more. They keep visiting the same places.  Although I'm good with New Orleans. They can go there as many times as they want.

[Columbia Craw]

I lost interest in the Classic years ago.

[Bluebasser86]

The Classic at Hartwell was the most boring Classic I've watched in my lifetime. They tried to add drama with it being so cold, I fish in the cold, it's not that exciting. Just doesn't seem like there's many techniques that were options for that body of water at that time of year. Hopefully it will be different next year.