Annually, in this column in this particular issue, I predict who will win the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, not by typical analysis, but by how the universe seems to be lining up for a particular angler. I’ve leaned on the Chinese zodiac, the Farmers’ Almanac, and ancient writings about the ides of spring to hone my past theories into madly inaccurate predictions. But, practice makes … as they say.
Now, there are some odds-on favorites heading into the 54th edition of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors. Since this world championship is being held in Tulsa, Okla., with anglers rattling rods on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees at the end of March, native son Jason Christie is expected to be in contention for the title. This Oklahoma Elite Series pro already has one Classic trophy on his mantel and took the runner-up spot the last time a Classic was contested on this body of water in 2016.
Perennial powerhouse Greg Hackney is on everyone’s short list, as he finished in the Top 10 in 2016 and had a 13th-place finish at the 2013 Classic on Grand. And if it’s not one of these two hammers, the experts predict Brandon Palaniuk to be standing under the confetti after the last fish is weighed. The Prodigy, as he is called, landed in second place when the Classic was contested on Grand in 2013 and barely missed the Top 10 cut in 2016.
That said, I’m gonna lean on the almost exact science of pattern recognition (some call it advanced mathematics) to make my Classic champ prediction. Calculators ready? Stick with me. This will be the 54th installment of the Classic, and we have visited Grand twice. So, divide 54 by two, and you get 27 (yes, advanced maths). Who won the 27th Classic? Any bass fishing history buffs out there? I’ll give you a sec. It was Dion Hibdon, and the year was 1997.
Now, looking through the list of Classic qualifiers armed with just these two numbers, one name stands out above all others: Elite Series pro Cody Huff. Why? I’m glad you asked. Huff celebrates his 27th birthday the week of the Classic (remember who won the 27th Classic?). And more spectacularly, Huff was born in 1997, the same year Hibdon won the Classic. Mind. Blown. And ready for the icing on this discovery cake? Huff and Hibdon both hail from Missouri.
I’m sure this is enough evidence for your complete buy-in on my prediction, but if you want more proof from the pattern: Hibdon won the third to last Classic he fished, Huff is fishing his third world championship. See, these two anglers are opposing historical pieces of the same Classic theorem. They are geometrically opposed from past to present, with the convergence point being the Bassmaster Classic Ray Scott trophy.
For complete transparency and in the spirit of full disclosure, I should probably mention that Huff competed on Grand during a 2021 St. Croix Bassmaster Open and landed in eighth place out of more than 200 competitors. And the other time the Missouri pro fished in the state of Oklahoma (2020, Arkansas River), he finished fifth out of over 190 competitors.
I hope you will join me in watching how this Classic unfolds. Will the pundits using traditional methods of past success get it right, or will my advanced pattern metrics call the shot? Looking at it now, with Huff, I think both apply.
“Now, looking through the list of Classic qualifiers armed with just these two numbers, one name stands out …”
