B.A.S.S. broke with recent tradition this year by moving the Bassmaster Classic back a few weeks. By doing that, it allowed for a couple Elite Series events to be scheduled in advance of the organization’s marquee event.
That was music to the ears of Elite Series rookie and Classic newcomer Alton Jones Jr. It gave him a couple opportunities to gain some confidence heading into the biggest tournament of his young career.
With a 25th at Lake Cherokee and a 33rd at Lake Okeechobee under his belt – he’s 18th in AOY points – Jones came to Houston with a jump in his step
“Looking at the schedule and seeing those two Elite Series tournaments first, I knew they were either going to hurt me or help me because confidence is everything in this sport,” he said Thursday at Classic Media Day. “I knew if I had two bad showings at those first two events, it was just going to make me not believe in myself coming into this Classic.
I had two top-50 solid finishes and got some good points and I think that’s going to get rid of a lot of the nerves I would’ve had had this been my first big-time tournament.”
He knows there will be a bit more attention paid him this week since he’s one of five Texas residents in the field, but he’s going to do his best to keep things simple.
“All these guys put their pants on the same way I do,” he said. “I try as hard as I can to make it me versus the fish, not me versus A, B, C or D because if you do it that way it’s going to overwhelm you real fast.”
Nerve-less Lefebre
Dave Lefebre’s first experience in the Classic was in 2003 at the Louisiana Delta, an event that brought Mike Iaconelli’s “Never Give Up” phrase to the forefront. For Lefebre, it was a learning experience, plain and simple.
“I hadn’t even fished the (FLW) Tour at that point,” Lefebre said.
A lot has transpired in the intervening 14 years. Lefebre went on to build a successful career with three FLW Tour victories and a win in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Conroe in 2009. Last year, he returned to the Elite Series and qualified for the Classic via Elite Series points. Now that he’s back in the Classic, he remembers what it felt like to fish the first.
“It was my first time being around some of these guys and it was overwhelming,” he said.
So, does he expect to feel any of the nerves or butterflies Friday morning?
“None,” he said. “There will be some in the morning, but I’m so dialed in that I don’t care.”
Redemption Time for Omori
Coming off a 2016 season that included his first Elite Series victory and a 16th-place finish in points, Takahiro Omori was riding high entering the 2017 season.
He’s not riding high anymore, following consecutive 108th-place finishes that put him in a tie for last place in the AOY standings. With no points on the line this week, he has a chance to hit the reset button and build some momentum for the rest of the season. He said he’s fished plenty of local tournaments at Conroe. He lives in Emory, near Lake Fork.
“Every tournament and every day of fishing is totally new so whatever has happened in the past really doesn’t matter,” Omori said. “To be honest, it’s hard to forget where I am right now in points, but I always come back. I like a challenge.”
Despite his struggles, he’s not ready to give up.
“Never,” he said.
Notable
> Bass fishing stat guru and Fishing Tackle Retailer editor Ken Duke passed along the following factoids about this year’s Classic on Media Day: Trip Weldon will tie Harold Sharp with his 16th Classic as B.A.S.S. tournament director. Dewey Kendrick oversaw 15 Classics as tournament director. This is also the most experienced Classic field ever with the average angler having competed in 5.9 of them.
