Every Classic is amazing. The competition is amazing, the pros, the fans, the biz folks are amazing (for the most part, lol just kiddin'). So great being there. Before getting into this'n, please PRAY FOR AARON MARTENS and his wife Lesley. Thanks so much!
Will have a bunch more Classic stuff, hopefully KVD's winning info and a more-normal Blaster for you on Thursdee.
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How one of the best fishermen of all time won this Classic.
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Yep I understand that's a huge statement but it's 100% true: 2 Classic wins is a real rare achievement let alone 2 in a row. Plus they were different times of the year and way different lakes. So:
1. Hank is now one of the best bassers of all time. Only 3 other dudes have won the Classic back to back and they are: Rick Clunn (1976-77), Kevin VanDam (2010-11) and Jordan Lee (2017-18). First 2 need no discussion. Does that mean J Lee is one of the best of all time too? You bet...just don't tell him yet cuz he's still kinda young. 🤫 (Matt, knock him down a few pegs willya? #bigbro)
2. Hank is the best jerkbait fisherman of all time...partly because he's now won 2 Classics in 2 vastly different lakes and conditions with a jerkbait (not only)...which also makes him crazy but don't tell him I said that. 😁
3. He's one of the best bait-designers of all time – because he (co)designed the bait (actually 2 of the baits) that helped win him this Classic. Has that happened before? Yes but not often.
What he caught his weighed fish on:
- Day 1: 1 on the jerkbait, 1 on a bladed jig, 2 on the jig
- Day 2: 3 on the jerkbait, 2 on the jig
- Day 3: 1 on the jerkbait, 2 on a bladed jig, 2 flipping various plastics including a Berkley Pit Boss
> Jerkbait: New/not out yet Berkley Stunna (stealth shad), "straight out of the pack, you don't need to change the hooks. I was limited on the colors I had [because the bait's not out yet] but since I've had 'em I've just had a lot of success with that color...always a good one to throw around shad spawns.
> "...Ray Roberts Dam...keep the boat in 8-12' of water [pointing] towards the rocks and [make parallel casts] down it. I'd search the water column, just trying to catch roamers.
> "I could see them on my [Garmin Live] Panoptics, but by the time you'd throw at them they were gone. They were moving, chasing the shad balls. The shad spawn would happen on the dam, and as the day carried on the shad would pull off the bank and hold off the bank.
> "My intentions were to catch some big ones [there]. I caught some in pracitce but only got one of those bites in the tournament and it broke me off in a brushpile.
> "I'd take that bait and make the longest cast I could..just the standard 1-2-stop, 1-2-stop [cadence]. I was just looking for bites. I knew I was going to catch a small spot, a drum or had a chance at a big largemouth...only bites I had in practice were big bites, and that's what triggered me to stay out there.
> "The coolest thing was, the 1st day I was like, Lord I just need 1 more [keeper, he only had 4]. 50 yards in front of me, here comes one sharking shad. I made a cast out in front of him and he went the other direction. I reeled back in, put it right in front of him and he ate it...a 2.75. I'm like, Thank you Jesus, I'm out of there.
> "The 2nd day I catch one [there], he jumps straight at us, tail-walking, then starts digging down. [He thought it was a little one but] I get it to the boat, swing him in and it's a 3.5-lber.
> "The key fish the last day out there was a 16" spot. It hit and missed the bait...I kept jerking it, without reeling, and he slashed at it again. It had 1 hook in the side. I pushed the button and let him go, brought him back [and kept on doing that]. I wasn't going to chance him pulling sideways and coming off...ended up having to get the pliers to get him off."
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> Jig: 1/2-oz Picasso Hank Cherry Straight Shooter Jig (gp magic?) with various trailers including the new/not yet out Berkley MaxScent Chigger Craw (pumpkin green flake). "I literally would put different trailers on it to make me think I was throwing a different bait."
Trailers were gp/blue, pumpkin/green, sometimes he added a little chartreuse on the tips – to imitate bluegills:
> "I think they were tired of seeing crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, all that stuff. I've done it before at home when the shad are spawning heavy [and] everyone's trying to catch 'em on a white jig. I switch to a bluegill color...I even caught white bass on it [in the Classic].
> "I don't think the trailer was as important as getting as close as possible to the tree. If you hit the tree even better. ...bite would happen as it was falling."
> "...around willow trees on that point. They were in 2.5' of water. The point had current, had shad...the shad were going away....
Shout-outs
> "I'd like to give big thanks to the fans and people in that region, for the support they gave me all week following me, especially that last day. I was struggling with the heat...few [spectator] guys could tell I was hurting and they didn't let me slow down. If I got a little lackadaisical, they'd jump my b*tt, like 'Come on! Let's go! Keep going!' The support was absolutely phenomenal.
> "My family is the best...people praying all over the place for me. It really still hasn't sunk in...when I get home and put the trophies side by side, that's when I'll probably break down. You can't even dream this up."
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5 Qs with the 2-time back-2-back Classic champ.
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1. Did you ever think about winning this one going into it?
> "Yeah I think about winning every one I go into. Is that realistic? No. But this one I thought I had a real chance."
2. Was the night before day 3 different this time? (Last year on the evening of day 2 Hank looked like he was almost in shock, way stressed out. This time he looked at peace.)
> "I don't know that it was different. The only thing I knew different this year was I had already won 1, and I knew to win 2 was super special...since I'd already won 1, I knew it was okay if it didn't work out that way...."
3. How did this year and this win grow your faith in God?
> "Man it truly showed me that if you just listen to that little voice it will put you where you need to go. It will put you at peace, it will give you strength. Sometimes you just gotta listen.
> "And to be able to have that moment I had on stage, especially when I talked about Aaron and me having no idea he had been rushed to the hospital that day. That just showed me right there that He puts you at the right place at the right time, especially when He needs you."
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4. Are jerkbaits year-round baits now, and for everyone or just you?
> "I definitely think they are year-round baits, and it can be for everyone it just has to be the right situation. Anytime they're on shad...you have the opportunity to catch them – docks, rocks, timber, trees, even shallow ledges.
> "We have better tech now. We can throw them further and get them deeper than ever before. It's an option put in your arsenal to add extra fish."
5. Is that because of Live sonar?
> "I think Live sonar has changed the way we fish every bait option.... I really believe that. You've got guys catching them now swimming a wacky worm in 10-12' of water in front of the boat...never done that before."
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Guess the new Berkley Stunna jerkbait is the real deal??
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Cool quick YT vid ^. Word is the Stunna will be buyable sometime next month. Couple things:
1. Please remind yo' bad self of this: Hank has fished all kinds of jerkbaits his whole life. He's gotten his faves and his confidence over that time. But in this tournament – a Bassmaster Classic! – he chucked all those baits to the bottom of the bait box and instead fished this BRAND NEW BAIT! Thank about that...
...okay yep he designed it, but it still says a ton about how much the best jerkbait fisherman of all time has confidence in that bait...which you might expect him to but remember he hasn't had that bait for even a year yet.
Gotta add: Last year I was wonderin' if Berkley would ever come out with a jerkbait to capitalize on Hank's Classic win last year. Looks like they timed it perfect lol good job folks!
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Just about everyone flipped bushes in 1-4'. Some hit other wood too, many said the bushes had to be low and green, some said bushes with grass or on points/bumps were better. Bottom line was almost everyone fished the EXACT SAME WAY, all day long. One of the most insane things I've ever seen in a tournament. Anyhow, here's 2nd-5th – bait rundown for the full field is here.
2nd: Matt Arey
Heck of a tourney and heck of a final day:
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3rd: Chris Jones
Amazing showing by an AR river rat, congrats to him:
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4th: Justin Kerr
Can Left Coasters fish? Justin proved they can (😆 just messin' western hammers!):
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Yes he really fished that rat...heard from one of his buds it's his pet rat? 😂
5th: Brock Mosley
Has 5 top 10s this year including two 2nds in a row – his time is coming:
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F1s are Floridas already crossed with northern-strains.
Gotta catch all 4 species (any size) within the calendar year: large, small, spotted, redeye. Get a certificate, stickers, a patch and a personal message from Davy Hite.
Okay not the Davy part.
Meaning they want it removed. Question: If a few/some peeps want it gone and they keep calling it "controversial," is it?
Creator of the staple Clouser Minnow streamer for fly-feeshn:
> "Chartreuse and yellow mix with gold flash will work 99% of the time... Chartreuse and white works just as good or plain olive over white, and many guides tell me the gray over white is the best, but I disagree. I like the chartreuse and yellow."
That's because Bob hasn't tried MaxScent yet...🤣
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On BassBlaster.rocks right now...
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Couple my faves from Classic competitors:
"You can't even make a wrong decision if you're not getting bites. It was that bad."
- Drew Benton
"When I get home, I'm gonna cut all the bushes out of my yard I'm so sick of looking at 'em."
- Bill Lowen
🤣
About Bill's quote: Picture a 30,000-acre lake and the ONLY structure/cover is brush (basically). Could get a little monotonous!
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Gotta give this to the one 'n only James Overstreet – sick shot from the morning of day 2 B.A.S.S. shooter Shane Durrance had a great one too, hoping to get ahold of it:
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Jay Kumar's BassBlaster is a daily-ish roundup of the best and funniest (sometimes worst) stuff in bassin', picked by me – Jay Kumar. I started BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a bunch more in bassin'. The Blaster is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o' bass so thanks for readin'!
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