As the Bassmaster Classic kicks off in Tulsa on Friday, one of the few things that remains the same from past events is that local Bassmaster Elite pro Jason Christie is still favored to win.
The weather is better this time; Tulsa’s venue is more extensive; Grand Lake is nationally recognized; and the anglers come with tournament-changing technology. Even Christie has changed. The dangerous, favored rookie of 2013 returns with 10 Classics under his belt, including his first Classic championship win in 2022.
Fifty-six of the world’s top anglers are competing for a top prize of $300,000 this weekend. Daily take-offs from Friday through Sunday are at Wolf Creek Park in Grove at 7:15 a.m. Doors open for weigh-ins at the BOK Center at 3 p.m., with the event starting at 5 p.m.
“If you woulda told me we would be sitting at Bass Pro when the redbuds are not just blooming but bloomed out? It blows my mind,” Christie said at an angler’s press event Thursday. “That we’re thinking about spawners as opposed to snow shoes blows my mind.”
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Indeed, the 2013 Classic saw bone-chilling cold, snow and sleet, and the 2016 Classic saw dawn temperatures in the low 30s, but sunshine through the weekend sparked a bite for Tallala’s Edwin Evers to catch an eye-popping 29 pounds on the final day to knock Christie out of the lead.
Christie, of Dry Creek, could join a rare class of anglers with a second Classic championship, but he exercises a voice of experience when it comes to being the Classic favorite.
“That old 5-pounder sitting on that point doesn’t care who’s on the other end of the line,” he said. “My biggest advantage is knowing the lake and spending as much time as I have, and my biggest disadvantage is knowing the lake and spending as much time as I have.”
Things are very different for Luke Palmer of Coalgate, the only other Oklahoma elite angler in the contest. In 2016, he was a newcomer and a spectator. However, he’s no Classic rookie, having fished five Classics since then.
“It’s going to be a lot better view this time, especially if I have a full bag (of fish) each day,” he said.
Weather plays a key role in the Classic for fans and anglers. After a cool, damp start Friday morning, the temperature is expected to shoot up to 70 in the afternoon, then grow cooler and cloudy over the weekend. High winds are expected Sunday, which stacks up nicely for Christie.
“If I could pick a day on Grand, it would be 40 degrees with a 20 (mph wind) blowing out of the north,” Christie said. “My goal is to be three, four, maybe five pounds behind the leader going into Sunday.”
Forward-facing sonar is a game-changer, which is all the talk this time. It is so effective that it has become controversial, with some fans and anglers wishing it was not allowed in competition.
Christie said he will use the fish-finding tool in places to up his game but that he’s not relying on it.
Still, he said it will make a difference in the overall catch.
“It will play,” he said. “It will play.”
Palmer also said he would look at the screen, but only a little.
“I want to have my eyes down the bank, not down on the screen,” Palmer said.
Still, both men said they expect the overall winning total weight from five fish caught daily to be around 58 to 60 pounds. In 2013, Cliff Pace of Ovett, Mississippi, won with 54 pounds 12 ounces. Evers won in 2016 with 60-7.
The marked difference for fans will be the new venue for the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo. Joel Koester, director of sports sales with the Tulsa Sports Commission, said a significant factor in the Classic not returning for eight years was that the event essentially outgrew Tulsa. That is no longer the case.
“Tulsa has grown by leaps and bounds,” he said. “The Convention Center with the old arena didn’t have enough square feet. Now it has two of the largest ballrooms in the state. The Tulsa Ballroom is around 40,000 square feet, and the new Grand Hall is around 43,000. It’s quite a spectacle over there. They are using every square inch of the building.”
Other factors new for anglers and visitors since 2016 include a bustling downtown area with a wider variety of eateries, hotel space and world-class attractions like the Gathering Place and the Bob Dylan Center.
“Another thing about Tulsa, for an event like this, when you’re here, you’re the big thing, not lost among the others. When we’re all in on the Bassmaster Classic, we’re all in,” Koester said.