Classic

[Senko lover]

What a freaking amazing classic. I believe he's the youngest ever. Nine years older than I am and won a bassmaster classic. Unbelievable comeback. 

[CTBassin860]

Awesome finish to that tournament! 27# 4oz bag to win it!! Did you see the bag when he pulled it out if the live well?? Oh man.Good for him.Career is about to take off.I was trying to look it up but I believe its either 300 or 500k for that win.

[A-Jay]

8 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

Awesome finish to that tournament! 27# 4oz bag to win it!! Did you see the bag when he pulled it out if the live well?? Oh man.Good for him.Career is about to take off.I was trying to look it up but I believe its either 300 or 500k for that win.

 

It's $300 K

 

A-Jay

[nhpleasantlakebass]

$300k and the biggest lifestyle change you could ever imagine. Congrats to Jordan lee... what a bag and comeback

[IntroC]

Wow! Wasn't expecting that.

[BassThumb]

Congrats to Jordan Lee! That was an amazing comeback, and he seems like a class act.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Senko lover said:

What a freaking amazing classic. I believe he's the youngest ever. Nine years older than I am and won a bassmaster classic. Unbelievable comeback. 

 

Stanley Mitchell was 21 when he won in 1981

 

Bryan Kerchal was 23 & the only amateur to win

 

Great finish none the less!

[RichF]

First off, very cool to see Jordan win, especially after such a dominant season last year.  I like seeing fresh faces holding that trophy.

 

Secondly, after reading a few comments on the Bassmaster article regarding the classic results, it was pointed out that B.A.S.S pretty much failed to cover the runner-up Steve Kennedy.  That would've been something if he had won the derby, right?  The guy that wins the most overly hyped tournament ever has no footage of him on the water actually winning it.  The person that made the comment sited the fact that Kennedy has almost no sponsorship as the main reason, which obviously is just speculation, but makes a lot of sense.  Not cool, if that was indeed the case.    

 

Overall, it was a good tournament.  It was cool to see fish caught so many different ways.  In the end though, it was just another Classic.  I'm still wondering why Jerry Mckinnis wrote that article telling everyone they needed to be at the Classic because "it might be the second most important happening ever in the bass fishing world."  Did I miss something?  I watched most of the live footage and aside from the excessive advertisements and the Zona/Sanders/Hite booth-commentary, it just seemed like another Elite event.  Was it that the weigh-in was held at Minute Maid park?  What did I miss Jerry!!!??

 

[Senko lover]

10 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Stanley Mitchell was 21 when he won in 1981

 

Bryan Kerchal was 23 & the only amateur to win

 

Great finish none the less!

 

You are correct as always, my bad

 

 

I also noticed that they really didn't let Ehrler have a lot of say. As far as the Classic is concerned, in the end, second place is nothing. But at the same time, these guys have sponsors that keep food on the table and they all deserve a chance to have some time up there on the final day. I'm not even sure if Ehrler even said a word. They pretty much swept Kennedy under the mat too.

[12poundbass]

14 minutes ago, RichF said:

First off, very cool to see Jordan win, especially after such a dominant season last year.  I like seeing fresh faces holding that trophy.

 

Secondly, after reading a few comments on the Bassmaster article regarding the classic results, it was pointed out that B.A.S.S pretty much failed to cover the runner-up Steve Kennedy.  That would've been something if he had won the derby, right?  The guy that wins the most overly hyped tournament ever has no footage of him on the water actually winning it.  The person that made the comment sited the fact that Kennedy has almost no sponsorship as the main reason, which obviously is just speculation, but makes a lot of sense.  Not cool, if that was indeed the case.    

 

Overall, it was a good tournament.  It was cool to see fish caught so many different ways.  In the end though, it was just another Classic.  I'm still wondering why Jerry Mckinnis wrote that article telling everyone they needed to be at the Classic because "it might be the second most important happening ever in the bass fishing world."  Did I miss something?  I watched most of the live footage and aside from the excessive advertisements and the Zona/Sanders/Hite booth-commentary, it just seemed like another Elite event.  Was it that the weigh-in was held at Minute Maid park?  What did I miss Jerry!!!??

 

I agree. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance with the classic and it did feel like another Elite event. It was an absolutely great event with it going right down to the wire and with Jordan coming out of nowhere, you couldn't script it any better! I like that the classic was moved to later in the "spring" (I use that term loosely for you southern boys). Imagine if the classic would've been the first event like it has been for so many years? We would all be saying the Classic was a nail biter, this is going to be a great season! It still can be and maybe a great season but it just felt like another Elite event. 

As far as Kennedy and Ehrler getting pushed off the stage that's a bad deal and a bad look. That's happened so many times to other great anglers. I could understand if they were under time constraints with tv but they werent, let the guys talk! That brings me to something else. Why not air the weigh-ins on live tv? Or at least the final 2 days? They might be concerned with viewers not watching when it comes on in a month or so but I for one would watch both. 

It was a great classic which I'm sure left several anglers playing "what if" in their minds. These anglers are the best in the world at what they do and always put on a good show. I just hope BASS can keep up, listen to the anglers and their fans and make some changes to make it even better!

[J Francho]

43 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Why not air the weigh-ins on live tv?

 

Because they are edited WAYYYYY down.  Too boring for the average viewer.

[Bass Turd]

Did y'all read more backstory of Jordan's win? Boat broken down and couldn't run to different spots. Had this spot picked out from practice and fished it all three days. He didn't get quality fish until Sunday. When he finished fishing it on Sunday he had to get a ride from a friend as they towed his boat away! Already an amazing story but wow... why didn't they mention that while they interviewed him on stage between each competitor he survived. 

[12poundbass]

8 minutes ago, J Francho said:

 

Because they are edited WAYYYYY down.  Too boring for the average viewer.

I understand they are edited way down and I do agree it could be boring during a regular event. But for the classic even if they did the final weigh-ins that's only 25 guys and they could do recaps or highlights like they do on live. It would be worth a shot just to see what the response would be.

[Ersteman]

I enjoy watching the Classic live.  I think they need to add camera men so the guy(s) that make a surge on the last day get air time.  For the Winner(Jordan Lee) and 2nd Place(Steve Kennedy) not to be on Live is very unfortunate.  I would have loved to see the how Kennedy consistently put quality fish in the boat and to have seen the awesome comeback of Jordan Lee. Plus, additional camera men would let us see more fish being caught. 

[Logan S]

The previous day's leader is the last to weigh, unfortunately if they do not take over the lead they get sort of swept away since it becomes the winner's celebration time.  If you watched the previous 2 elite events, Wiggins at Cherokee and Horton at Okeechobee, they both left their fish in their boat since they weren't sure they'd take the lead so that they could come up and speak for a minute...Then returned to get their fish.  Since it was the classic they may have told Ehrler not to do that or maybe he just didn't think to.  I watched the weigh in and don't think Kennedy got swept away, but that's just my perspective.  

 

Regarding live cameras....Jordan was in 15th place on the final day, even if they had more live cameras he probably still wouldn't have had one.  Same with Kennedy, don't remember exactly where he was but it was pretty far down.  BASS does a pretty good job of improvising IMO, they took their spare live cam out to Evers' boat on day 2 when he was having a good day and they done the same thing a few other times at elite events.  The did not have a live camera with Ike on the final day, but they ran out and got the footage of that big one so everyone could see.

 

You can't really predict a guy jumping from 15th to 1st.  If it was a regular event he wouldn't even be out there on the final day since the normal final cut is top 12 .  

[J Francho]

Some of the issue stems from the rule that they not know their standings.  A cameraman jumps on your boat in the last two hours, and I think you have a pretty good clue you're in contention, and it may change your strategy.

[jtharris3]

I watched the weigh in all three days and quite a bit of the live stuff. Pretty exciting Classic! I have to admit that I was really pulling for Steve Kennedy on the final day. I've always liked that guy. With that being said, Jordan Lee did one hell of a job on day 3 to win it! Pretty incredible bag of fish, especially when you consider the issues with his boat. For him to stay composed and keep catching fish was pretty impressive. 

I'm an Ike fan but, I have to say, he definitely had some cringe worthy moments in this tourney. Hopefully he takes a look at that or someone on his team points it out and he addresses it! 

Back to Steve Kennedy, I also noticed how BASS kind of swept him away after his weigh in. That was not cool! 

I thought the weigh in being at the ball park was a cool thing. The crowds looked to be quite large and there definitely was an excitement in the air. I've never been to any of the tournaments but, now I'm going to go out and attend the St. Claire tourney and am scheduling some vacation time to go to next years Classic.

 

Re: camera men not being with Kennedy or Lee, that question came up on Twitter I believe, and BASS responded saying that they only had 6 cameramen so they couldn't cover those two.

That's what I read.

[12poundbass]

27 minutes ago, jtharris3 said:

I watched the weigh in all three days and quite a bit of the live stuff. Pretty exciting Classic! I have to admit that I was really pulling for Steve Kennedy on the final day. I've always liked that guy. With that being said, Jordan Lee did one hell of a job on day 3 to win it! Pretty incredible bag of fish, especially when you consider the issues with his boat. For him to stay composed and keep catching fish was pretty impressive. 

I'm an Ike fan but, I have to say, he definitely had some cringe worthy moments in this tourney. Hopefully he takes a look at that or someone on his team points it out and he addresses it! 

Back to Steve Kennedy, I also noticed how BASS kind of swept him away after his weigh in. That was not cool! 

I thought the weigh in being at the ball park was a cool thing. The crowds looked to be quite large and there definitely was an excitement in the air. I've never been to any of the tournaments but, now I'm going to go out and attend the St. Claire tourney and am scheduling some vacation time to go to next years Classic.

 

Re: camera men not being with Kennedy or Lee, that question came up on Twitter I believe, and BASS responded saying that they only had 6 cameramen so they couldn't cover those two.

That's what I read.

6 cameramen for the final day of the classic?! Give me a camera and I'd do it for free! The picture would probably be as jumpy as the Blair Witch Project was but at least things might not have been missed. 

[Choporoz]

On 3/25/2017 at 2:43 PM, scaleface said:

What is the mind-set of people who follow the pros around?  I would never do that .   

IDK....what is the mind-set of people who watch the live stream?   I was pretty sure that I'd never do THAT....but it is just what I did on Friday....these guys are the best in the world at what they do.....'amateurs' and fans are bound to want to watch....and in this day and age, some are going to push boundaries....

[OCdockskipper]

I don't think the problem would be with the number of cameramen, but rather the number of cameras available.  Since these are portable and send images back to the studio, I believe they are quite expensive (5 figures plus).

 

I am guessing there will be more footage available from the various Go-Pro, smart phones and other cameras used by marshals and spectators when they have the ESPN show.  They can edit those shots in to whatever footage they shot (possibly from other days) to create some drama.  I think that was done for Randy Howell in the 2014 Classic and for Jason Christie when he won his first Elite event (coming back from 11th or so).  

[A-Jay]

23 hours ago, jtharris3 said:

I watched the weigh in all three days and quite a bit of the live stuff. Pretty exciting Classic! I have to admit that I was really pulling for Steve Kennedy on the final day. I've always liked that guy. With that being said, Jordan Lee did one hell of a job on day 3 to win it! Pretty incredible bag of fish, especially when you consider the issues with his boat. For him to stay composed and keep catching fish was pretty impressive. 

I'm an Ike fan but, I have to say, he definitely had some cringe worthy moments in this tourney. Hopefully he takes a look at that or someone on his team points it out and he addresses it! 

Back to Steve Kennedy, I also noticed how BASS kind of swept him away after his weigh in. That was not cool! 

I thought the weigh in being at the ball park was a cool thing. The crowds looked to be quite large and there definitely was an excitement in the air. I've never been to any of the tournaments but, now I'm going to go out and attend the St. Claire tourney and am scheduling some vacation time to go to next years Classic.

 

Re: camera men not being with Kennedy or Lee, that question came up on Twitter I believe, and BASS responded saying that they only had 6 cameramen so they couldn't cover those two.

That's what I read.

 

I was able to catch the vast majority of the live broadcast as well, and here's my take: 

First, I want to say that I am a fan of the whole deal including all the anglers, nothing but respect for their ability & sportsmanship.  That said, when the race gets tight and when one considers the $$ that's on the line, it's easy to understand how emotions can run high.  So I can see giving a pass here & there but there are limits to it and I’ll end right there on that one. 

 Going into the final day Ehrler & Evers were the two guys I thought had the best chance to win, however both seemed to sort of spin out.  Edwin sitting on that bed fish for two hours was IMO a Colossal bad call.  Mr Kennedy’s story is a little hard for me to understand.  There’s a lot to it and it goes back a ways; well before this derby.  His lack of sponsorship is a multifaceted tale that may have contributed to the somewhat strange way that night unfolded for him.   Elam could have had a different day had he landed that first one that jumped off early.  Lefebre & Pirch both fell off a cliff.  Bradley Roy did well and seems to have a bright future ahead of him.  KVD’s commitment on the final day to snapping the jerkbait all over the lake for 8 straight hours, although impressive (#cyborg), didn’t come through for him.  I think Ott Defoe is a super Class act and although he came up short in this one, I always enjoy watching him. 

As for the on Air Personalities, the Sanders, Zona, Hite trio kept me entertained & Mike Suuuuch filled in with some decent info on occasion as well.  The MC, D Mercer seemed to lose his voice early during the final weigh in – Which is really bad actually.  Dave’s voice is his lively hood and is a major part of the show.   He needs to take care of it and not strain it in advance of The Biggest Night in Bass Fishing.  He knows better and if he doesn’t he should.  It’s not the first time it’s happened & it could cost him his job.

 Btw ~ I thought that was you Jim ~ 

A-Jay

[Tim Kelly]

Well said A-Jay. 

 

I thought the coverage was great. Sanders Hite and Zona did a fantastic job keeping the commentary entertaining throughout the marathon, quite an achievement. I couldn't stay awake to watch the final weigh in (6 hour time difference) so I don't know how that went, but previous Sunday weigh ins have given very little coverage to the guy who came second, as once he's been weighed and lost it's all about the guy who won. Understandable, but seems harsh when the guy who comes 12th can often spend more time promoting his sponsors!

[BassThumb]

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

 

Because they are edited WAYYYYY down.  Too boring for the average viewer.

 

And they pretty much all sound the same.

 

"I'd like to thank my sponsors ____, ____, and ____"

2 hours ago, Ersteman said:

I enjoy watching the Classic live.  I think they need to add camera men so the guy(s) that make a surge on the last day get air time.

 

That would work great, but BASS would have to deliver the camera or cameraman to the angler's boat. A surging competitor shouldn't have to go back to the landing to pick someone up.

[scaleface]

2 hours ago, Choporoz said:

IDK....what is the mind-set of people who watch the live stream?   I was pretty sure that I'd never do THAT....but it is just what I did on Friday....these guys are the best in the world at what they do.....'amateurs' and fans are bound to want to watch....and in this day and age, some are going to push boundaries....

 

When an angler  ask  spectators  to move out of the way because he wants to fish that direction then they are interfering .  That happened live . 

[OCdockskipper]

55 minutes ago, BassThumb said:

And they pretty much all sound the same.

 

"I'd like to thank my sponsors ____, ____, and ____"

 

Along those lines, I think Mercer asked Ike about 3 times about Ike's opinion of a 25 year old winning the Classic and what insights Ike had in how it would change Jordan's life.  Each time Ike responded "Jordan is a great young angler, but we will be having a new podcast on my website" or something along those lines.  Don't know if it was professional jealousy or if Ike just had some talking points that he had to get to.

 

It is hard to tell sometimes how each angler feels about the others.  I know there have been dust-ups between anglers in the past and there are some cliques among the guys (not always based on having the same sponsors).  From an outsider viewpoint and my very limited interaction with some pro's, I get the feeling that the Ike/Ish/Crews group doesn't always fit in with the southerners (or that they even care to try).