See You in Knoxville

The upcoming Bassmaster Classic will be my 22^nd. That includes 21 as a member of some form of media and 16 working for BASS. I’ve enjoyed each one of them for different reasons, and not necessarily because they were high-scoring affairs. I thought the Pittsburgh affair that KVD won was awesome, as was the one he won on the Louisiana Delta. And in case you think I’m just a VanDam fanboy, I thought Ott’s win and Gussy’s win were exceptional, too. 

One of things those last two have in common is that they were won by two of the nicest and most widely-respected anglers in the sport. They also took place in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Knoxville is a town known for big sports moments – from Peyton Manning to Pat Summitt UT produces champions – and the people there know how to roll out the red carpet for visiting fans. They have big stadiums and fantastic facilities.

So if you’re on the fence about going to your first Classic, I’d strongly suggest attending no matter what the venue, but this one is particularly good. That’s because unlike some others, the Expo, the weigh-in and the blast-off are all within walking distance. No pre-dawn hour and a half drives, shuttles to and from are not required. You can take it all in without taking your vehicle out of the parking lot 

And in case you think you’ve seen it all, this one will be different than the others in Knoxville. No pure local favorite like Ott. No defending champion in Jeff Gustafson. We’re going to crown a new Knoxville winner.

I look forward to the Classic every year. I come home beaten down by long days. And as soon as it’s over I’m ready to head back. Knoxville’s only 7 hours from my house – I may never get closer again, and by the time I hit the driveway I’ll be processing what #22 meant in the grand scheme of things. I hope we get a winner who appreciates the opportunity to be there as much as I do.