7 replies to this topic

[blazt*]

Who's going to take it? Can KVD steal Clunn's record? Will he be too weak on the Red to contend? Once upon a time, he didn't do so well there. But you can bet he has been quietly doing his homework.

[blazt*]

Here's the field:









2012 Bassmaster Classic Qualifiers



Defending Champion

Name

State

Kevin VanDam MI

Bassmaster Elite Series Winners

Name

State

Shaw Grigsby FL Edwin Evers OK Davy Hite SC Dean Rojas AZ Steve Kennedy AL Casey Ashley SC Denny Brauer MO David Walker TN

2011 AOY Standings

Name

State

Ott DeFoe TN Terry Scroggins FL Alton Jones TX Keith Poche AL Greg Vinson AL Chris Lane AL Randy Howell AL Keith Combs TX Aaron Martens AL Michael Iaconelli NJ Dustin Wilks NC Ish Monroe CA Todd Faircloth TX Jared Lintner CA Bobby Lane FL Jeff Kriet OK Greg Hackney LA Kevin Wirth KY Fred Roumbanis OK Timmy Horton AL John Crews VA Stephen Browning AR Takahiro Omori TX Matt Reed TX Bill Lowen IN Marty Robinson SC Brent Chapman KS Brandon Palaniuk ID

Southern Open Winners

Name

State

Gerald Swindle AL Fletcher Shryock OH (vacant)

Central Open Winners

Name

State

Mark Tucker MO (vacant) (vacant)

Northern Open Winners

Name

State

Kelly Pratt VA (vacant) (vacant)

Federation Nation

Name

State

John Diaco NH Jamie Horton AL Tom Jessop TX Matt McCoy IN Josh Polfer ID Chris Price MD

Weekend Series

Name

State

Allan Glasgow AL

2011 Mercury College B.A.S.S Champion

Name

State

Andrew Upshaw TX

[Lure--Prof]

Jeff Kriet is overdue for a big win, and he knows the Red. Maybe this is the year that VanDam chases him!

Dean

[blazt*]

I can't wait to see how it unfolds. You never know how Southern weather will turn, but if it turns out to be a flippin' bite, I'm going to be watching Brauer Sr.

[blazt*]

Skeet Reese, winner of the 2009 Classic on the Red, failed to qualify this year!
Has anybody fished this river? I've been studying the Red on google maps the past few days. Looks like most of the good backwater is 25-60 miles or so south of Shreveport. Most of the oxbows are silted off, or the channels leading to them are too skinny for a bass boat. At least that's the way it looks on the sat photos. I'm going to play a little poker with myself and see if I can figure out where it will be won. I want to see if I can find some realtime water temp data, and locate the deep pools.
If the water is cold in late Feb the bass may be migrating up the channel, unless there is good deep water in the backwaters (or maybe a marina), which don't appear to be stable.
The closer you zoom in on the sat photos, the more stained the water gets - so you can't see much structure / cover. It's probably flooded a little in the google shots unless those are cypress trees. But the trunks are underwater. The water is muddy. Zoom out and the water gets clear, you can see deeper.
Has anybody taken a look? Exciting to know so many topflite anglers are going to be taking it apart piece by piece in just a few weeks!

Edited by blazt*, 08 December 2011 - 05:04 PM.

[gordon]

I think KVD will probably do it, he has just got better and better over the last couple of years. Doubtless he will be doing his homework, with a new Strike King bait of choice (think Red Eye shad, then KVD 1.5/2.5), that will completely sell out in the shops. The man is a marketing machine for the tackle world.

I also really like Edwin Evers, he is such a versatile angler.

It is a shame for Skeet Reese, it seems like it all got too hot in the kitchen for him since he lost the classic on the Alabama river. Seems he has burned out, which is a shame, I hope he can come back when the regular season starts.

Edited by gordon, 22 December 2011 - 07:46 PM.

[jaythefisherman]

in my opinion kvd will win, but it will be wire to wire with crazy ike,,,,,,,,,,,,,,3rd edwin evers, 4th aaron martens

Edited by jaythefisherman, 25 December 2011 - 02:35 PM.

[blazt*]

gordon, on 22 December 2011 - 07:44 PM, said:

I think KVD will probably do it, he has just got better and better over the last couple of years. Doubtless he will be doing his homework, with a new Strike King bait of choice (think Red Eye shad, then KVD 1.5/2.5), that will completely sell out in the shops. The man is a marketing machine for the tackle world.

I also really like Edwin Evers, he is such a versatile angler.

It is a shame for Skeet Reese, it seems like it all got too hot in the kitchen for him since he lost the classic on the Alabama river. Seems he has burned out, which is a shame, I hope he can come back when the regular season starts.

I think he's too good to burn out - probably just a slump.