GREENVILLE, S.C. — When Alton Jones motored to Lake Hartwell’s Portman Marina, he was pretty sure he didn’t have enough fish weight in his livewell Feb. 24 to win the Bassmasters Classic.
“I thought I had an outside chance,” Jones said. “I never dreamed that would be enough for a victory based on what had been caught the first two days.”
In the end, no one’s catches could keep up with Jones.
In his 11th Classic, the Waco, Texas, pro came back from 10th place on Day One to claim the $500,000 top prize in the biggest event in bass fishing.
As it turned out, Jones’ five bass, weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces, was the third biggest in the 25-angler field for Sunday’s final day and the best among the top-seven finishers. His three-day total was 49-7.
Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., who entered the day in third place, finished second with 44-5.
“I fished one of the cleanest tournaments of my life,” said Pace, who was competing in his second Classic. “But if I had to lose to anybody, it would be Alton, for a lot of reasons.”
Dave Wolak, a transplanted Pennsylvanian now living at Wake Forest, was the top Tar Heel angler, finishing 14th with 38-6. He won $14,000. Jeff Coble of Beaufort, a Snow Camp native, ended in 41st place with 17-10 and won $10,000.
Kevin VanDam entered the final day in fourth place, 3 pounds, 15 ounces behind Jones and moved up one spot to third, with 43-8. VanDam said he made a mistake by going back to the area near the dam where he’d caught a 20-3 bag on the first day of the tournament.
“I spent three hours where the fish were biting,” VanDam said. “The rest of the day I went where I couldn’t get a bite. But I felt like I needed to be where those big fish bit the first day. It was a really bad decision.”
Charlie Hartley, the skateboarding Cinderella of this Classic, led Day One and was 1-3 behind Jones going into the final day. But he caught two bass weighing 3-5 and dropped to 15th place.
Bobby Lane, fishing in his first Classic, held the lead until the last three anglers weighed-in officially. He finished with 42-7, good for fourth place.
Jones predicted Sunday morning at takeoff that execution would be critical.
“I hooked five fish and I landed five fish,” he said.
Jones said he kept repeating out loud three mantras to himself all day: 1) Catch the next bass; 2) Make every cast count; and 3) Back to the basics. When he didn’t get a bite in his first two areas, he tried to focus on catching one bass and not think about catching a limit.
Jones targeted bass on the inside edge of the standing timber submerged in Lake Hartwell. They were 25- to 35-feet deep.
“I wanted to fish deep, but as shallow as I could be, so I moved to the shallowest edge of the timber,” Jones said. “Out to 25 feet, it was a moonscape. Then it looked like a forest.”
Jones used three lures, a Booyah Pigskin jig and a Booyah AJ’s Go-To jig, both rigged with a Yum trailer, and a Cotton Cordell CC Spoon.
“I looked at those banners (of past Classic champions hanging in the Bi-Lo Center) and I am humbled,” Jones said. “Fishing is important to me.
“There are a lot of responsibilities that go with this title. I’m honored to be a spokesperson for the sport of bass fishing.”
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