The first three days of practice for this week’s Bassmaster Classic were brutal, with water temperatures that fell below the 40-degree mark. But there’s one preparation day remaining before Friday’s start of the Super Bowl of fishing.
Six veteran competitors outline their final strategies in the search for the Classic victory.
Kevin VanDam, 20th Classic appearance
“I’m treating it as a totally independent practice day, and will be looking to expand my areas. Because I am having to slow down so much I haven’t been able to get to all the areas I’ve wanted to look at, so there’s still a lot for me to explor, lots of places I haven’t been.
Jeff Kriet, 6th Classic appearance
“I’ll look at totally different areas. I’ve been all the way north and all the way south. Tomorrow I’ll spend in the mid section. I’ll also fish differently. I’m thinking I’ll throw a Flatt Shad for a big part of the day, knowing a lipless, vibrating bait can be really effective this time of year.”
Todd Faircloth, 8th Classic appearance
“I’ll fish something totally different than I have previously. I have some areas I feel decent about so now I want to keep looking for something better. I’ll also be trying to make my decision as to where I want to start the tournament.”
Kevin Short, 2nd Classic appearance
“I do have one area that I want to return to and explore some more. I saw some things I liked the look of in it and need to do some more research. I also intend to check out some brand-new areas.”
Tommy Biffle, 16th Classic appearance
“I’ll do something totally different from what I’ve already practiced. I’ve already looked at what I know I’m going to do, so tomorrow I’ll try to come up with more options. With the bites as few and far between as they are, the last thing I want to do is go back into my areas that I know I’ll be fishing in and waste a bite in practice.”
Mike McClelland, 7th Classic appearnance
“I have some areas to be able to run a pattern now, so tomorrow I’ll be using my time to look to see if I’ve overlooked a spot or two that might pay off. My approach has always been to pick a section of a lake and learn it as well as I can for my tournament days. That’s the case here. I’ve eliminated half of the lake as far as anything I’ll be fishing, so I’ll be looking to expand my knowledge in the other half on Wednesday. Some of what I’ll be doing is trying to target largemouths to give me more weight than just having to rely on spotted bass.”
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