After Bassmaster legend David Fritts announced his retirement from the Bassmaster Elite Series back in November, he appeared on Dave Mercer’s podcast, which was a great episode by the way, and he had a really good quote. He said he “highly recommends winning the Bassmaster Classic.” For all of my fellow anglers out there, I couldn’t agree more. It is truly a life-changing experience.
It’s been 10 months since that amazing week in Knoxville, but I still have moments quite regularly where I still can’t believe it actually happened. Since I was a little kid, winning the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing has been a dream, but one that you really don’t ever expect to happen — at least I didn’t. That’s not to say I don’t have confidence in my abilities or I didn’t think I could win, it’s just that the Classic has so much prestige and history around it. I just never had that expectation it would happen to me.
It’s extra special to me because I know how good the anglers are that I compete against on the Elite Series. They are scary good, and the field continues to get stronger every year. When you look at the roster of anglers that are joining us this year, they have proven they can catch fish at a high level on fisheries across the country. It’s an impressive group, and I think most of them are going to enjoy a long career. Then you look at the established Elite Series anglers who are at the top of their game right now, and it’s a daunting group. I have so much respect for this group, so to win a tournament fishing against them is special. They make it hard!
It’s been a busy year. There have been some good opportunities that have come from the win. Some of my sponsors have really stepped up and will make life on the road a little bit easier in the coming years. There have been many media opportunities, and then a lot of messages from people — both from friends and strangers — who have congratulated me. It’s really been quite surreal. A lot of good things have happened.
After the Classic, my Elite Series season didn’t exactly go how I wanted it to the rest of the year. I had some mediocre results that were well below my expectations, but I hope it was maybe an effect of everything post-Classic and being busy. I was getting pulled in a lot of directions and probably didn’t put as much time into preparing for the next event and working on tackle as I normally do. I still worked hard and didn’t skip out on any practice, but since I was already qualified for the upcoming Classic, maybe I just didn’t have “the killer” as much as I normally would have.
We start the new 2024 season in a few weeks, and I’m excited to get fishing again. We’ve been iced up for a few months already up in Canada. Up first, we’re going to two exciting fisheries in Texas where fans are going to see a bunch of giant bass caught. I can’t wait to get down there.
After those two events in Texas, we head north to Grand Lake, Oklahoma for the Classic, and I get the shot to do it again. Last year was unique because I had some history on the Tennessee River. This time we’re going to a lake that I fished once before, back in 2013, my first season fishing professionally. So, I have seen Grand Lake, but I don’t have a lot of history there. All I know is I want to have that feeling of winning again, and especially winning at the Classic where you have nearly the entire fishing industry to celebrate with after.
Looking back now, one of the most memorable parts of the Knoxville Classic was the celebration after the event. The Bassmaster Classic Champion’s Toast event that Bassmaster hosted on the Sunday night following the tournament was special because I got to share a moment with a lot of the other anglers, B.A.S.S. staff, my friends and family.
Some of the pictures from that evening are so special to me now. I can tell you that, whoever wins the Classic in the coming years, you will see me at the party. B.A.S.S. really gives us the rockstar treatment the week of the Classic, and I can’t wait to do it again in Tulsa in March.
I, too, would highly recommend winning the Bassmaster Classic!
