I’m two weeks out from fishing Grand Lake in Oklahoma, competing in my first Bassmaster Classic! It’s safe to say I’m extremely excited. It’s honestly been hard to sleep at night because I am so excited. This has been a lifelong dream of mine and it’s surreal knowing it is about to happen. I’m not nervous at all, but I’m ready to take on the moment.
My prediction for this year’s Classic is that it is going to hit at the perfect time to see some big bass, and overall giant limits of bass weighed in. I believe a lot of big females will be moving up shallow and staging to spawn. If the weather stays warm, we may even see some fish caught off of beds. I think the winner will have to be very adaptable. Things change very quickly this time of year and to win this event I believe the angler will have to change with the conditions. I expect it to easily take over 20 pounds a day to pull off the victory.
To prepare for the Super Bowl of bass fishing I have been trying to spend as much time on the water as possible. Thankfully, I have the first two Elite Series events of the 2024 season under my belt and I feel like I was able to knock a lot of the rust off. Execution and good decision-making were lacking in my first two events and I feel like I am back in the zone and ready to do big things. I will keep a very open mind in this event and let the fish tell me what I should be doing. I may be throwing a giant swimbait or finesse fishing with a drop shot.
No matter what happens in this event I know it is a blessing to be there and I am going to make the most of it!