Louisiana BassMasters Classic - Louisiana Sportsman

Chris Lane clinches 2012 Classic championship

Bassmaster Elite Series Chris Lane won the 2012 Bassmaster Classic by catching 51 pounds, 6 ounces of Red River bass.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Lane went through a rough patch a couple of years ago, struggling to string together much of anything resembling success and watching older brother Bobby qualify for Bassmaster Classics while he watched from the sidelines.

Younger Brother Lane handled business during only his second Classic appearance, and Sunday won the biggest prize in tournament bass fishing - the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title.

And Bobby was there to cheer him on, bellowing his brother’s name after being knocked out of contention. He knew Chris still had a good chance.Read More...

February 26, 2012 at 9:07 pm
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Arkansas takes College Classic crown from LSU

The Arkansas fishing team decoded the notoriously tough Cross Lake to win the 2012 Bassmaster College Classic.

LSU fishing team members were feeling pretty confident about their chances of defending their Bassmaster College Series title, having located some nice bedding fish on Cross Lake.

And the three two-man Tiger teams did bring a few over-the-slot lunkers to the scales. However, Arkansas team members managed to stick an extra weigh fish, and that was the difference.Read More...

February 26, 2012 at 6:09 pm
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Chris Lane jumps to top of Classic leaderboard

Florida's Chris Lane jumped to the top of the 2012 Bassmaster Classic leaderboard going into the final day of the championship event.

Florida’s Chris Lane abandoned the area he fished on the first day of the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, locked down one pool and proceeded to put together a 19-pound, 4-ounce stringer that boosted him into the top spot going into the final day of championship competition.

“Today was plan B, and tomorrow is plan C,” Lane said. “I’m going to try to take plan A and Plan B, and come up with plan C.”Read More...

February 25, 2012 at 9:12 pm
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Poche takes early lead in 2012 Bassmaster Classic

Louisiana native Keith Poche earned a slim early lead in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic being held through Sunday on the Red River.

Louisiana native Keith Poche had a great homecoming today (Feb. 24) when he took the early lead in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic being held on the Red River.

But the lead was tenuous, putting Poche a mere 1 ounce ahead of fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Vinson.

“This is a blur right now. My first Bassmaster Classic, at home in Louisiana, and I’m the leader. I don’t know what to say,” said Poche, who grew up in Natchitoches, La., but now lives in Pike Road, Ala.Read More...

February 24, 2012 at 11:33 pm
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Fishing should be good for Bassmaster Classic, Hackney says

Greg Hackney said he can't wait for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic to begin, with chunky bass being in shallow and waiting to be caught.

Some contenders for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title have said the first three days of practice were pretty awful, but Louisiana’s sole competitor in the Big Show said bass should be readily available.

In fact, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Hackney said he had a good practice despite the inclement weather, and he said the forecast for cold nightly temperatures throughout the competition shouldn’t have any real impact on the fishing.Read More...

February 22, 2012 at 8:46 am
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Bassmaster Classic schedule of events

Weigh-ins and all other activities associated with the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River are free and open to the public.

All activities surrounding the 2012 Bassmaster Classic being held Friday (Feb. 24) through Sunday (Feb. 26) are free and open to the public. That includes daily launches, the annual Outdoor Expo and weigh-ins.Read More...

February 22, 2012 at 8:40 am
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First practice days leave question mark on Bassmaster Classic

The first three days of practice for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic were pretty much a bust, making the final practice day even more important.

Contenders for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title hit the water on Friday for the first three days of practice for the championship event, but changing temperatures and heavy rainfalls left the anglers scratching their heads.

At least that’s how South Carolina’s Davy Hite and North Carolina’s Dustin Wilks felt.Read More...

February 21, 2012 at 11:59 am
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Bassmaster Classic VIP Experience packages awarded

Two LouisianaSportsman.com users have won backstage access, along with all manner of B.A.S.S. merchandise, as part of the Bassmaster Classic VIP Experience contest.

Two LouisianaSportsman.com users have won special access to the Bassmaster Classic being held this weekend in Shreveport as part of the Bassmaster Classic VIP Experience contest.

The Classic is being held on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City on March 24-26, with weigh-ins taking place at the CenturyLink Center.Read More...

February 21, 2012 at 8:34 am
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Elias to be inducted into Bass Fishing Hall of Fame

Mississippi Bassmaster Elite Series pro Paul Elias, who won the 1982 Bassmaster Classic) will be inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame during the Classic in Shreveport.

Former Bassmaster Classic champion Paul Elias is one of four being inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame during a banquet to be held next Friday (Feb. 24) in conjunction with the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport.

Joining Elias will be longtime B.A.S.S. photographer Gerald Crawford, award-winning videographer Glenn Lau and bass-boat innovator Holmes Thurmond. Read More...

February 17, 2012 at 11:37 am
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Weather, water levels the big unknown for Bassmaster Classic

The 49 competitors in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic begin practicing on the Red River tomorrow (Feb. 17).

None of the contenders for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic title know what to expect from the Red River, since it’s been off limits for more than two months. But that changes tomorrow (Feb. 17) when the first of four practice days begin.

The Classic is set to be held Feb. 24-26 out of Shreveport-Bossier City.

It’s a safe bet that the majority of the 49 competitors have been tracking weather trends and river levels for weeks. Most anglers’ ideal conditions would be moderate air and water temperatures, Goldilocks water levels (not too high and not too low) and a moderate rate of water flow.

And that’s been the Red over the past few days.Read More...

February 16, 2012 at 4:25 pm
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See the Bassmaster Classic - up close and personal

Winners of the Bassmaster VIP Experience will meet all the top Bassmaster Elite Series pros during the 2012 Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport.

The 2012 Bassmaster Classic will pit the world’s top bass anglers against the Red River, on Feb. 24-26 with the angler coming out on top at the end of the three-day championship earning a cool $500,000 in cash.

And Louisiana Sportsman and B.A.S.S. has teamed up to give two lucky people backstage passes, along with lots of other swag, to the big show.Read More...

February 11, 2012 at 11:14 am
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Six Federation anglers win Bassmaster Classic slots

The highest-ranked anglers in each B.A.S.S. Federation Nation division during the Federation Championship this weekend on the Ouachita River will move on to the Bassmaster Classic in February on the Red River.

Mining a miniscule area made Alabama’s Jamie Horton a champion for the second time on the Ouachita River.

The River Region Bass Fraternity club member relied on the same spot all three days to catch 36 pounds, 2 ounces to win the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship (FNC) presented by Yamaha Outboards and Skeeter Boats and a coveted seat in the Bassmaster Classic.Read More...

November 05, 2011 at 10:21 am
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Wheeler Lake Elite Series final: Walker walks away with first Bassmaster win

Tennessee's David Walker earned his first Bassmaster victory Sunday (June 19) by winning the Wheeler Lake stop of the Elite Series circuit.

Tennessee’s David Walker surged to victory Sunday (June 19) during the Wheeler Lake stop of the Bassmaster Elite Series, when three-day leader Bradley Roy stumbled.

Walker’s 63 pounds, 10 ounces of bass earned the pro angler his first Bassmaster victory.

“I’ve fished a lot of them, and I hadn’t won one,” said Walker, 46, an experienced pro who made a name for himself on the FLW circuit before joining the Elite Series for the 2011 season. “I always felt like I was good enough to do it, and I feel like I’ve paid my dues. And why not a win?Read More...

June 20, 2011 at 11:16 am
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Classic champ VanDam sets record in Tank Pond

Kevin VanDam clinched his fourth Bassmaster Classic title - his second in New Orleans - today (Feb. 20).

It’s hard to tell who exactly was the star of the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Was it Kevin VanDam, the now four-time Classic winner, who threw 69 pounds of bass on the scales to crush the dreams of 49 other anglers?

Or was it the Lake Cataouatche Tank Pond, a non-descript rectangle of shallow water that delivered lunker after lunker for each of the top three finishers?Read More...

February 20, 2011 at 9:12 pm
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LSU takes College Classic crown from Alabama

The LSU Collegiate Bass Team won the second-annual College Classic, sending defending champions Alabama home without the trophy.

This year, tens of thousands of LSU fans went crazy watching the Tigers humble the Alabama Crimson Tide on the gridiron of Tiger Stadium.

A smaller but just as raucous crowd did the same cheering for the LSU bass fishing team at the New Orleans Arena just before the final weigh-in for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.
Read More...

February 20, 2011 at 5:57 pm
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Final Classic day a go; no fog in sight

Three-time Bassmaster Classic champion Kevin VanDam is on track for a fourth title - if he continues to pull hefty bass from Lake Cataouatche's Tank Pond as he has the past two days.

The final day of the 2011 Bassmaster Classic is set to begin on schedule, a departure from the past two days that were delayed due to dense fog at the launch site of Bayou Segnette State Park.

“There’s no fog in sight,” Luling’s Bruce McDonald said while sitting in the boat of competitor Terry Scroggins waiting for the blast-off. “It’s beautiful. It’s completely different than the other days.”Read More...

February 20, 2011 at 6:58 am
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