What a Crazy Experience
Every bass fisherman dreams of going to the Bassmaster Classic and seeing the best of the best up at the end of the day weighing in on the biggest stage in the business. The Bassmaster Classic experience comes with so much more than just the incredible weigh-in and the emotions that come with that.
The whole city becomes part of the fishing industry! The fishing industry is a giant family and everywhere you go are people with the same interests and we all connect on the same level! The positive vibes filled the streets and for one week nothing mattered except for bass fishing!
My experience started with the travel that most people in the industry know all too well. A 14.5 hr drive from Minnesota to Knoxville, Tennessee. Getting there instantly the switch went off and I was back in that tournament atmosphere. Being in the household with hammers and talking fishing was something that I have missed about the tournament scene and man was it needed.
Early mornings and being up until early the next morning is part of the schedule at a non-stop pace! Being around the people you are, makes that grueling stretch so much fun and worth every bit of it! Knoxville was an amazing city with awesome vibes that I will most certainly be revisiting! However, after the entire Bassmaster Classic week, I am glad to be back home with my wife and family in my own home but everyone does need that little break to get away from time to time. If you are a bass head this is your place!
The Outdoors Expo
The expo itself is a completely different experience on its own! From shoulder-to-shoulder crowds trying to get the best deals to pros hanging out and talking fishing, there is action everywhere. Some vendors come with fun games to give away products. Some show up with exclusive baits only available at the Classic itself! With over 200 booths every floor and hallway was packed! Baits, boats, rods, reels, you name it there was EVERYTHING.
With two different buildings stuffed with people and exhibits, vendors, and food trucks outside, it’s safe to say bass nation took over Knoxville! We set record numbers in sales for the company of any other bassmaster classic they have attended and that has to do a lot with the fact that we were part of the biggest and highest-attended classics of all time!
If you are up and coming in bass fishing this is the place to be! Owners of companies, pros, and marketing directors are all under the same roof! I had the awesome opportunity to work with Profishency for this year’s classic and got to help at one of their booths that was set up in the Academy Sports booth. We had a fun flipping game set up with their “Pocket Combos” and a Bass Mailbox. If the participants made a flip they won a David Dudley series rod from Profishiency!
We had so many people that came up thinking “There is no way I’m going to make this, I don’t fish” and then boom! Winner Winner chicken dinner!!! It didn’t matter the skill level or age or experience we had winners of all sorts! The best though was the kids that would come back day after day trying and when they finally won one, their smiles and excitement made it all worth it!
The Big Stage
Rolling up to the stage in your own rig ready to weigh fish on the biggest stage in bass fishing is what anyone that has even fished a tournament lives for! The opportunity to be in front of thousands and thousands of people and feel that adrenaline is what we all dream of.
Being in attendance to watch Jeff Gustafson raise that trophy and be the first Canadian to do so shows that nothing is out of reach if you work hard enough and have a dream. Doing that ride around in the stadium with your family and the Ray Scott Trophy would be a ride of a lifetime! This was just my first Bassmaster Classic experience and I can already tell you it won’t be my last!
