First a Super Bowl, Now a Classic
Category: article
Feb 11th, 2011 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Feb 11th, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Let’s just tell the truth. After the Bears lost to the Packers, I didn’t have a dog in the fight. But when Kevin VanDam invites you to go to the Super Bowl with he and his wife – Bears, or no Bears — you don’t turn that down.
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Kevin is one of my best friends, but in reality, once the Bassmaster Elite Series season kicks-off, he and I spend very little time together. We might exchange a high-five at a weigh-in, but truly, we spend very little time together throughout most of the year.
So really, I kind of looked at this trip to Dallas as that one last fun trip during summer vacation before we both go back to school next week — if you know what I mean. After hectic winter travel, once we finally got to DFW, we had a blast, meeting guys on my fantasy football team like Chad Ochocinco and Matt Forte was way cool.
But now it’s time for bass fishing’s Super Bowl. The Bassmaster Classic takes place in New Orleans, February 18 – 20th, and I expect this derby will be like no other Classic in recent history, including those held in New Orleans in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Nope, not even close to being the same this year. Those past Classics were held in the summer; this one takes place in winter. While weather changes force anglers to adjust everywhere we go, weather changes in the New Orleans Delta affect so, so many things, including water levels, fog, decisions on where to fish, and even whether or not you can physically travel by bass boat to where you really want to fish.
Short of smallmouth get-away trips in the north, there’s probably no body of water I’ve made more trips to than the New Orleans Delta, and as much as we rely on GPS, sonar, and high-tech outboard engines – I’m telling you — the New Orleans Delta is a place where anything can happen.
The guy that wins this Bassmaster Classic will have to earn it with preparedness and precision decision-making. One wrong turn in The Delta could kinda ruin a dude’s career. One wrong turn at home, and it could ruin your weekend – which is a good reason why I bought a BoatUS Angler membership. If you fish local tournaments, and powerheads and wheel bearings are not your friends, you should buy an affordable BoatUS Angler membership like I did.
Once you’ve got your membership number, make sure you get signed-up for their brand new “Weigh-to-Win” cash bonus program. In fact, if you’re headed down to the Classic, find the BoatUS Angler booth at the outdoor show, sign-up for a membership, and get registered for “Weigh-to-Win” while you’re in The Big Easy. Because if you’re like “The Z Train” you don’t like having your weekend ruined, but you really dig getting paid extra cash when you catch ’em in the derby. Travel safe. See you in The Delta.