The big day, the Media Day at the Bassmaster Classic is in the books. And what an AWESOME day it turned out to be. The weather turned out to be perfect, not too hot, and the rain had left.
For those that don’t know, Media Day is where all the media are welcomed to the Classic by B.A.S.S. and afterwards we get to talk to all the anglers who will be competing. We, the media, gather together and then the anglers come into the building and we all get fed a great lunch. Afterwards, Mr. Tommy Sanders welcomes everyone and a few presentations are made, then the anglers go outside to their boats, and the madhouse begins. While you can set up a request for interviews with anglers, most don’t, which creates a mess with those who have a time to interview an angler.
The first angler I had on my schedule for the day was the man himself , Gerald GMan Swindle. Of course, if the angler is late getting to his boat, you have to wait. I, for some reason, had him scheduled for my first 2 interviews. So actually, it worked out great. From there, what was scheduled went haywire. My 2nd angler interview never happened and I had to wait for the next interview. That’s how it goes, you end up getting interviews with whoever is available and the schedule goes out the window.
When you interview an angler, you try not to ask the same old questions, but you need basic information. How do you think the changing weather is going to effect your fishing? What do you think will be the top 3 baits for you tomorrow? Do you plan to stay close, make a short run, or a long run? What do you think you will need to either lead or be in the top 10 on day one? What do you think you will need to win? And then, depending on the angler, the interview can turn more personal. And it varies from angler to angler.
How will the weather effect your fishing? GMan is going fishing. “We tend to complicate things too much” he said. By going fishing, we tend to let the fish tell us what they want. Some said that they had found places where they expected the bass to move into after the weather today. And others, it just depends on if the wind blows, how much the sun shines, and if. In other words, we are going fishing.
What 3 baits? What a variety of choices. A lipless crankbait and a jerkbait was a good choice for some. While others were talking crankbaits, from a flat sided to a DT6, something that could hit the bottom was the objective. And we know that a jig can catch big bass and will be on the deck, even if they didn’t say so. A wacky rigged worm and a spinnerbait was another option for a couple.
And when it comes to what you will need to be in the top ten on day one, it ranged from 11-12 pounds to 15 pounds to be in the top, but there was a good possibility that some would find them and bring in 20 pounds. But no one believed that someone would be able to put 20 pounds together each of the 3 days. And what will it take to win, somewhere between 42 and 52 pounds.
Media Day is the kickoff to the BIG event. We work to bring you all the information we can about what is happening and what to look for when the live comes on. But it can be a real madhouse. And we love doing it for you. Stay tuned for more.
