Who will win the Classic according to the Bass Fishing Home Page?
In the Internet world chat boards are huge and there's no bigger in the bass-fishing chat world than the Bass Fishing Home Page.
These guys live and breathe bass so much they spend almost every waking hour discussing (some might say arguing) the finer points of everything that make up the sport. They have some interesting insight as well. ESPNOutdoors.com polled a sample of some of the mainstays of that site to get their take on who will win the Classic.
Butch Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., Screen name "ButchT"
"My pick to win the 2007 BassMasters Classic would have to be Steve Kennedy. He not only has extensive knowledge of Lay Lake but knows the ins and outs of the Coosa River strain of spots as well. With the weather fluctuations we've recently experienced, Steve should have an inside on how to adapt to the changes and make them work in his favor. When you factor in that he's at the top of his game right now, Steve Kennedy is an easy choice for me."
Mike Whitten, Germantown, Tenn., Screen name "Mike Whitten"
"I have three picks: Aaron Martens: Aaron is a master on deepwater spotted bass, he has multiple second place Classic finishes, and seems to be able to find a technique (Fish Head Spin, drop shot) that others haven't found. And, he has proven to be able to fish in cold and adverse conditions.
"Kevin Van Dam: Kevin is just a monster when all the marbles are on the table. No one figures out patterns faster than Kevin, and his recent mastery of the shakey worm and his machine gun spinnerbait tactics are both tools that work on spotted bass.
"Mike Iaconelli: Like Van Dam, a master of the shakey head worm, and as part of the Berkley team, has some new lures designed just for the classic. Mike has always been a competitor, and would love to follow up Angler of the Year with a Classic Win. Plus, he's now in the Bass Cat Family. Got to vote with the Family!"
Ryan Coleman: Flowery Branch, Ga. Screen name: "RyanC/LanierSpots"
"My first thought, as anytime it is on a spotted bass lake, was Aaron Martens but Lay does not fish like a traditional deep water spotted bass lake. Those crazy fish try and act like largemouth's. They get very shallow and hold in wood or even some of Lay's grass.
"This weeks warm weather should bring a bunch of the big fish, spots and largemouth's, up shallow but if they get spooked from all the boating and fishing pressure, it may be necessary to fish a little deeper on the last day or so to win it.
"My pick to win the Classic is Edwin Evers. Edwin has proved to be a very versatile angler over the past few years. Edwin has a shallow water background but proved that he can adapt to deepwater fishing. With the warming weather this week, I believe anglers will be forced to scramble and not concentrate on one pattern. Edwin is on the verge of becoming the next 'Superstar' and I believe this classic will do it for him."
Keep checking back throughout the week to see more picks from the fine folks at Bass Fishing Home Page and others here at ESPNOutdoors.com!
To see Part 1 of the Bass Fishing Home Page Classic picks, click here.