Bass Fishing Season Has Started
Well, in our part of the world, another bass fishing season has officially kicked off. The Bassmaster Classic was last weekend and created plenty of excitement. I always look forward to the Classic and following the BLOG and BassTraxx coverage online. It seems like there is always a story that begins to develop mid-tournament. At this year’s extra exciting Classic, we were lucky enough to see two different stories really come to the forefront. Every year, the common weekend angler can’t help but pull for the Federation guys. It’s human nature. You want to root for the “little guy”. Now, we did have an Indiana angler in the field (Congrats to Mark Dove for making another Classic through the Federation Nation) but unfortunately this was not his year. But, it was the year for Dobyns Pro Staffer Paul Mueller, a guide up in Connecticut. After a disappointing Day 1, Paul wowed the thousands of fans at the weigh in with a 5 fish limit of over 32 lbs, the biggest bag of the tournament. He put himself in position to win and become only the 2nd Federation angler to ever win the Classic. And with a strong Day 3 (over 25lbs), he may have gotten the victory if it weren’t for a truly special day by Randy Howell.
Although I do not know Randy Howell, he is generally regarded as one of the nicest guys you could ever want to meet. He’s a religious man has been donated much of his time and effort to serving those less fortunate than himself. The final morning Randy sat in 11th place and said he was on his way to his first spot……he knew where he was going. But, this a thought popped into his head, and he had the overwhelming urge to turn around his Triton boat and head back to a bridge in Spring Creek. What followed was one of the most magical days in Bassmaster Classic history. Howell proceeded to take a Rapala DT-6 and put on a show for hundreds of fans watching on the bridge behind him. He caught fish after fish after fish, as evidenced by the video footage online. Once he caught everything he could on the DT, he switched up to a Livingston Lure prototype crankbait that he had just received and went back back to whacking them cast after cast. When the weigh in arrived, his near 30lb bag was enough to catapult him from 11th all the way to the top, snagging his 1st Bassmaster Classic Title.
Bass Fishing: The Sport
What a Classic, what a day, what a sport. It might not be football or basketball. The athletes may not be as physically superior, but the athletes are instead mentally strong and sharp. There are no time outs, the games don’t last 3 or 4 hours……they last 3 or 4 days. The battle the elements, wind……doesn’t matter, they better catch em. Rain……doesn’t matter, they better catch em. Muddy water…..doesn’t matter, they better catch em. And if they don’t, they don’t get paid. Talk about a performance evaluation.
Congrats Randy Howell. Enjoy it, savor it, and relish in your success for the next year. And thank you for one heck of a Bassmaster Classic finish. If that doesn’t get you fired up to go fishing, there isn’t much that will! Now, let’s get out on the water and get this winter out of here!
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