An Open Letter to the 2024 Bassmaster Classic Anglers

Many of you fishing this gig these next few days may not even know who I am…

…no one’s fault, just how life, age, health play out through the short time we have here on this planet…
…or up there on that Bassmaster Stage.

I did 12 Classics in a row from Alton Jones through Hank Cherry, watched friends win, watched friends lose, sat with wives, girlfriends, parents, grandparents, sponsors and life members.

It is “The Show,” of the show. You have earned your right to be there, take the time to enjoy it, no guarantees you’ll be back.

Here’s what I’ve learned over those 12 years, my view from the Classic floor.

Flesh.

Iron.

Legend

FLESH

Leave nothing in reserve, whatever tank you have within you, empty it, drain it, those who leave something behind will themselves be behind.

Show the show what you’ve got, the louder the applause the closer the glory, never for a moment think you’ll be back.

You do, you won’t.

Take nothing for granted, if it can break it will, if conditions can change, they will, if you can be tired, hurt, sick, you will be.

No one gives a “Championship” away, you gotta come get it, don’t matter none how popular you are, don’t matter none what kind of a year you had, don’t matter none you the favorite.

Come get it or stay seated in the stands.

Buy some popcorn and watch, keeping thinking that “someday” that’ll be you down there.

Ain’t no free ride, ain’t about your Mama or your Daddy, it’s about you, it’s about what’s inside you that makes you, you.

Seats, they free, that Classic stage there, ain’t.

Stage going take something from you, stage going make you have skin in the game.

Flesh.

IRON

Win the Bassmaster Classic and the trophy you lift above your head, that Iron you won weighs more than you think, that iron you won now you and it attached.

Burden ain’t on the iron in the air.

Burden that on you down on the ground.

Any sentence, any story you find yourself in going mention the iron, iron going to be your last name.

Iron and you are brothers, good story or bad, respect the iron and respect will come your way, disrespect the iron, see what happens.

Fans, they’ll choose the iron, over you.

Chumps always Chumps.

Iron always Iron.

Legend

Legend come from the word legacy.
Legend is about what you do on the field of play.
Legacy is about what you do off the field.
Legend is about numbers.
Legacy is about deeds.
Legacy is about who you are and what you do for the game, for the fans, for history.

Legacy, it out lives you, legacy not about the fish but about the fisherman.

The difference in Legend vs Legacy is simple, legend is about numbers and the fish.

Legacy is about your Bassmaster Classic win and what you do with it.

BASS will hang a banner in the rafters with your name on it.

Fans will look up at it and either smile, or frown. That up to you.

I wish I was there to shake your hand, welcome you to the rafters, watch your life change…this picture here is the last photo I took as a dude with BASS…

…it is of good buddy Hank Cherry winning the Classic, he’s a good buddy as is his wife and family, won’t hide the fact I had tears running down my cheeks when I took this snap. At the end of the 3 days on the water what does it all mean in the grand scope of things…

…what does it mean when you put the trophy down…

…what does it mean when the stage and floor is all swept up…

…what does it mean when the big lights go dim…

…it means this: