Fishing

The 2012 Bassmaster Classic is underway as the best anglers in the world are all at the Red River in the Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana area for one of the sport's greatest events. 

The man that everyone is trying to beat is Kevin VanDam, or KVD, who is the two-time defending champion and has won four times overall (2001, 2005, 2010, 2011). 

A win from VanDam would break his tie with Rick Clunn for the event's greatest champion. 

Television: The Bassmaster Classic will air on Sunday, March 4 on ESPN2 at 9:30 p.m. EST. 

Online: Follow the World Bassmaster Classic live online at Bassmaster.com.

How it works: If you're new to the event, don't worry, it's pretty simple. It starts with 50 competitors. After two days, the bottom 25 anglers are eliminated and the rest continue on to the final day. Fishermen can reel in a haul of five fish per day.

Fish must be alive when they're measured. If not, a penalty is assessed. If a fisherman does not return from fishing at the allotted time, he will be penalized one pound for every minute that he is late. 

What to expect: If an angler can't bring in at least 50 pounds, they're not going to be a serious threat to win this thing. 

Leaderboard (Day 1)

Angler	Weight
Keith Poche	17 lbs, 13 oz
Greg Vinson	17 lbs, 12 oz
Dustin Wilks	16 lbs, 9 oz
David Walker	16 lbs, 8 oz
Ott DeFoe	16 lbs, 6 oz
Chris Lane	16 lbs, 4 oz.
Bobby Lane	16 lbs, 4 oz
Edwin Evers	16 lbs, 3 oz
Jamie Horton	14 lbs, 15 oz
Bill Lowen	14 lbs, 13 oz
Terry Scroggins	14 lbs, 8 oz
Matt Reed	14 lbs, 8 oz.
Greg Hackney	13 lbs, 15 oz
Aaron Martens	13 lbs, 14 oz
Takahiro Omori	13 lbs, 14 oz
Alton Jones	13 lbs, 13 oz
Keith Combs	13 lbs, 9 oz
Davy Hite	13 lbs, 8 oz
Marty Robinson	12 lbs, 8 oz
Andrew Upshaw	12 lbs, 8 oz
John Crews	11 lbs, 15 oz
Stephen Kennedy	11 lbs, 15 oz
Brent Chapman	11 lbs, 14 oz
Randy Howell	11 lbs, 11 oz
Stephen Browning	11 lbs, 3 oz
Josh Polfer	11 lbs, 3 oz
Kevin VanDam	11 lbs, 0 oz
Alan Glasgow	10 lbs, 15 oz
Timmy Horton	10 lbs, 11 oz
Fred Roumbanis	10 lbs, 10 oz
Tom Jessop	10 lbs, 7 oz
Chris Price	10 lbs, 7 oz
Michael Iaconelli	10 lbs, 7 oz
Jeff Kriet	10 lbs, 6 oz
Fletcher Shryock	10 lbs, 3 oz.
Ishama Monroe	9 lbs, 10 oz
Todd Faircloth	9 lbs, 9 oz
Kevin Wirth	8 lbs, 15 oz
Denny Brauer	8 lbs, 13 oz
Gerald Swindle	8 lbs, 12 oz
John Diaco	6 lbs, 12 oz
Jared Lintner	6 lbs, 8 oz
Dean Rojas	6 lbs, 0 oz.
Mark Tucker	5 lbs, 7 oz
Shaw Grigsby	4 lbs, 5 oz
Matt McCoy	1 lb, 14 oz
Kelly Pratt	1 lb, 13 oz
Casey Ashley	1 lb, 11 oz
Brandon Palaniuk	0 lbs, 0 oz.

What to Watch for From Now On

Anyone at 14 pounds or more will likely continue what they're doing. They are all in great position to win this thing still, so there is no need to do anything that would put making the cut at risk.

Anyone after that will have no choice but to try something different. Those over 12 are okay to make the cut if they maintain their current pace, but they will be hard pressed to win without changing things up. 

The fish were plentiful in Day 1, as the overwhelming majority of anglers reeled in a full haul of five.

For anyone in the Top 10, it literally may come down to reeling in one big fish. This thing is still wide open. 

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For those of you who don't know, this weekend is the Bassmaster Classic, taking place on the Red River in Shreveport, La. For those of you haven't tuned in, there are plenty of reasons to tune your television sets to the 2012 event, and get in on the action.

Maybe bass fishing isn't your thing, but there are plenty of reasons to tune your television sets to the 2012 event and get in on the action.

This weekend is packed with many sporting events, including the NFL combine, NBA All-Star Weekend and the Daytona 500. The Bassmaster Classic may sit behind all of those in most people's minds, but for the following reasons you should tune in and check out the action.

1. Big Surprises

Fishing is pretty impressive, as it is all about where you get your boat at, as well as a little luck of the draw. You can watch any other sporting event and pretty much everything is in control of factors that are within reach.

As for bass fishing, these fishermen have no real say in what is going to bite or not. They do have their approaches, and obviously each is good at what they do, but at the end of the day it is pretty hard to be skilled in bringing in the biggest fish.

2. The Other Events Get Old

If you are watching the NFL combine or NASCAR's Daytona 500, it can get a little boring watching the same thing over and over again. With the Bassmaster, you get to see different angles, storylines and the ability to learn a thing or two about fishing.

It is really entertaining to watch, as these fishermen get pretty crazy on their boats. While sometimes it looks as if it is going to slip from right under their feet, somehow they all make it back to the dock without losing a thing.

3. We Could Have Our First Ever Three-Peat

Winning three titles in a row in any sport is tough, so things are no different with the Bassmaster Classic. Kevin VanDam is going for his third straight title, and that will certainly put him in his own elite spot in the sport of fishing.

He has already won the tournament four times over his career, which ties him with Rick Clunn. A victory this year will make him the only five-time winner, as well completing the first three-peat in the history of the classic.

It's certainly an exciting time for outdoor sports enthusiasts as their version of the Super Bowl is finally upon us in the form of the Bassmasters Classic. The event features 49 of the nation's best anglers, all of whom are vying for the biggest haul in order to take home the $500,000 grand prize.

Somebody like Kevin VanDam could advance their legend by winning yet another Bassmaster Classic, while new faces could just as easily make a name for themselves. There is plenty of unpredictability in fishing, so this sure to be a fun competition.

Here are three anglers to keep your eye on in fishing's elite contest.

Kevin VanDam

As a four-time Bassmaster Classic winner and the defending champion, Kevin VanDam is considered by many to be the best angler of all time, and certainly the best in the present day. His accomplishments in the sport truly are incredible when you consider how random the outcomes should be.

One would think that luck plays into his success a lot, but as the old saying goes, it's often better to be lucky than good. It's fair to say that VanDam has both qualities, though, and because of that the brash fisherman is the odds-on favorite to take home the crown.

Chris Lane

With three career overall victories and 15 top-10 finishes, Chris Lane is the most likely angler to score their first-career Classic win. Lane is the Southern Open's leader and has been faring quite well lately, so it's fair to say that he is the biggest obstacle standing between Kevin VanDam and a fourth Bassmaster Classic title.

The Alabama native has been on the cusp of greatness for quite some time, and if he is able to find a way to win the the Classic, then he might supplant VanDam as the best angler currently in the sport.

Keith Poche

Keith Poche is a rising star in fishing and he has a chance to complete his ascent toward the top by winning the Bassmaster Classic. Poche may not be well known like Kevin VanDam, and he may not be on a major hot streak like Chris Lane, but he is certainly a dark horse to keep an eye on.

There may not be much talk about Poche heading into the tournament, but by the time it ends, there is a good chance he could be the talk of the fishing world. It isn't easy for a fisherman to gain mainstream attention, but Poche has the skill and personality to do it.

The Bassmaster Classic can be seen on the Outdoor Channel and ESPN family of networks over the next month. The television schedule can be viewed here.

The 2012 Bassmaster Classic is this weekend. For bass-fishing enthusiasts, this is like the Super Bowl, the World Series and a random day out on the lake all rolled into one.

For non-bass fishing enthusiasts (i.e. most people), the Bassmaster Classic is just another thing on the outskirts of television. Most people have probably heard about it, but they have no idea where to watch it or when, and they sure as heck don't have reasons to watch it.

The first two concerns are easy to answer. Everything you need to know about the Bassmaster Classic's TV schedule can be found in our full preview.

As for reasons to watch, I've got four of them.

It's an Actual Competition

There are some pretty big sporting events going on this weekend. The Daytona 500 is on Sunday, and sports nuts can also delight in watching the NFL scouting combine and the NBA All-Star festivities if they so choose.

The Daytona 500 is fine, but there's one fundamental problem with both the combine and the NBA All-Star festivities: There's no actual competition.

The combine consists of a bunch of jocks doing, well, nothing at all, really. All-Star Weekend features a whole lot of activity, but none of it means anything. The rookie-sophomore game is a joke, the skills challenge and the dunk contest are not as exciting as they should be and the All-Star Game itself is a tired joke.

There's a lot at stake in the Bassmaster Classic. Whoever wins is the basically the best bass fisherman in the world, a designation that is desired by many and pursued only by the best of the best.

Before you think it's all luck, I assure you it's not. There are several fisherman who have won the event multiple times. You don't do that with luck; you do that with skill.

Make no mistake, these guys are legit, and they want to win.

Good for the Kids

All kids do these days is sit inside and play video games and code HTML. My understanding is that outdoor activities just don't appeal to kids anymore.

If your kids are averse to going outdoors, try sitting them down and subjecting them to the Bassmaster Classic. This is a particularly good idea if you have a son, as you can point out to him that bass-fishing is a real hobby for real men. None of the guys on the tube know what it's like to score an epic kill streak in Modern Warfare, but they've caught enough fish in their lifetimes to feed cities.

With a bit of luck, your son will then want to go fishing. And let's face it, all sons should want to go fishing.

If they don't, they just need a little convincing. That's what the Bassmaster Classic is for.

Perfect Way to Spend a Relaxing Day on the Couch

OK, let's say your efforts to get your kids into fishing fail. Or maybe you just don't have kids. Either way.

In this case, you should still sit yourself down and and watch the Bassmaster Classic for a few hours. It will be a nice, relaxing experience. You can enhance it with beer and potato chips, just like you would a football game, a basketball game, a baseball game and so on.

You'll be at risk of unintentionally slipping into a nap, but that's not such a bad thing. Studies have shown that naps are awesome and that they do the body good.

I conducted these studies on my own, for the record.

Bass Fishing is Awesome

If you've never been bass fishing before, you don't need further justification of this point. There's nothing like shoving off early in the morning, chilling in a boat all day and occasionally hooking a few bass. They taste good too, especially if you fry 'em up in a bit of lard and bacon grease.

Hey, don't knock it if you haven't tried it.

If you haven't tried fishing yet, what you need is a little motivation to get out there. Just like watching a football game will make you feel like tossing a football around, watching the Bassmaster Classic will make you feel like busting out rod and reel and hitting the lake.

In fact, if you feel like doing that now, I won't stop you. Just make sure you hang a "Gone Fishin'" sign outside your cubicle. Such things are required.

If you feel like exchanging fishing stories, hit me up on Twitter.

The Super Bowl of bass fishing is trolling up on us. This is fishing's marquee and most hyped event, and it will hit the Red River on February 24th. 

This is the 42nd Bassmaster Classic. 100 professional anglers will be competing for the top prize. Last year, the top prize came with a $500,000 check.  

Where:  Red River in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana 

The launch site is the Red River South Marina. The Weigh-in site is the Century-Link center. 

When: February 24-26

Watch: ESPN 2 and the Outdoor Channel

Opening day Friday's coverage will be on the Outdoor Channel. Weekend coverage will be picked up by ESPN 2 (check here for the dates and times of coverage).

When it comes to fishing, it doesn't get any bigger than this. The event is filled with drama, excitement and theatrics. 

In case you aren't with familiar with this event, or you just want to relive some of last year's action, these highlights should do the trick.

The Bassmaster site tells us this is one of the largest events in the region. And they aren't just talking about fishing. 

Fans will flock to the Red River and the CenturLink center to get close to the action, and they will also be drawn to the The 2012 Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo. 

In 2009, these events drew more than 137,000 and the website thinks this site will be even bigger. 

Louisiana offers some amazing lakes and reservoirs for bass fishing. Because of its warm, moist climate, the central and northern parts of the state provide a great habitat for bass. Here are a few of Louisiana’s top bass fishing lakes:

The region right above Shreveport has some great fishing, and Caddo Lake is one of these great lakes. Caddo is located northwest of Shreveport and sits half in Texas and half in Louisiana.  It has many great coves and plenty of cover for bass. The lake supports a huge population of bait fish that allows the bass to grow big. There are several small towns around the lake, so you can rent a boat or talk to one of the locals to get some good bass fishing advice regarding which lures are hot.

Cross Lake sits just west of Shreveport and is a big lake. It has lots of small fingers that have good vegetation and are fairly shallow. These little fingers have thin bays and lots of cover for the bass. There are also good structures that bass use to their advantage to hunt. When fishing any of these lakes, it is almost always a good idea to check the local fishing regulations to make sure of the size limit and possession limit.

Wallace Lake is another great fishing lake that is just south of Shreveport. Wallace is a winding lake that has great underwater terrain. The town of Palmer Landing has a great dock and put-in point for boats. The lake has many fine places to fish for monster bass.

East of Shreveport is one of the largest lakes of the area. Lake Bottineau is a long, winding lake that has the perfect habitat for bass. There is plenty of vegetation to offer food for both bass and bait fish. The little coves are usually not too deep, but have plenty of cover so bass can hide and ambush their prey.

One of the newest sensations to hit the world of bass fishing is the Alabama rig.

It made its mark at the FLW Tour this past October and may do so again at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. This amazing rig has changed the way lure fishing is done.

The Alabama rig was developed by Andy Poss. He started with the concept of the old umbrella rig that has been used for trolling for many years. The umbrella rig has been quite effective for trolling, but it was too bulky and heavy to cast. 

After more than a year of experimenting and modifications, Poss arrived at what he now calls the Alabama rig.

The beauty of the rig is its simplicity. The rig itself is five metal rods all connected to one end of a sixth short rod.  On the other end of this short rod is the eye to attach the lure to the fishing line. On the other end of each of the five longer rods is a heavy duty swivel clip.

The total weight of the rig alone is about 3/8 oz.

From this point on, every angler can create their own customized lure by placing commercial swim baits, crank baits, spoons or blade baits.

If five Jackal Giron jointed Panfish swim baits are attached, then it should look like a small school of bait fish swimming through the water. It would also have ten treble fish hooks just waiting for a monster bass.

One of the interesting habits of monster bass is they would rather ambush a school of fish rather than a single fish. They know they are almost guaranteed one fish and may be able to get two fish from a single sorting. This makes the Alabama rig a monster magnet.

In fact, it is so much of a monster magnet that may people wonder if it should be legal. After all, what lure has ten treble hooks?

There is also the concern of foul hooking fish.

The weather this fall has been warm and mild in the Midwest, and it looks like it will continue right through the month of October. This has made for some great fishing,

The fall trout season opens this month in Illinois. This year is expected to be great for trout fishing. The fishing regulations have set the daily bag limit to five trout.

Two lakes that have good trout populations are Axehead Lake and Horsetail Lake up in the northern part of Illinois. These lakes are expected to fish well on Deps and KastMaster lures, which are some of the best lures for trout.

Because of the mild weather across the Midwest, fly fishing should be good, too. The aquatic bugs and the hatches should be right on schedule. For those who do their own fly tying, it is recommended to seine the water and see what bugs are there or ask a local fly shop because every area is just a little different.

In south Missouri the fall trout season is also open and expected be very productive on the rivers. The low water level and colder temperatures are good for fishing.

Fishing for largemouth bass is expected to be great in the Midwest. In Illinois, on the Des Plaines River, the fishing is great for largemouth and smallmouth bass as well as pike.

Salmon fishing is good along the lake front of northeast Illinois. It is expected to taper off by the first part of November, but for now fishing with spinners and crank baits are doing well. Fly fishing using purple colored flies are also ideal around this time.

If the fishing slows down or there is a cold snap, playing online fishing games can help satisfy your urge to fish until the fishing season picks up again.

Deep sea fishing is fun any time of year, but in the fall there are several species that are close to the west coast. Knowing what species are available helps you decide where and when you want to go fishing as well as what lures to bring along.

The Skipjack tuna comes in close to the coast this time of the year to spawn. After they spawn the fish hang out to feed for a while before returning out to sea for the winter.

The Skipjack is a great fish to catch. They fight hard and run fast. They are not the largest fish. The average is about two feet with a weight of about 10 pounds. But they can get much larger. They have been known to get as large as 50 pounds.

There are a few Yellow fins that show up along the coast this time of year. They like the warmer water so they will be found on the southern parts of the coast. The Yellow fin is also found around the Hawaiian Islands.

Yellow fins are generally in the range of 25 pounds; however Yellow fins as large as 400 pounds have been caught.

Albacore also come in along the pacific coast of California. The Albacore are one of the most fun to catch because they are extremely fast. When they are hooked, they run hard and will jump.

Albacore are fairly good sized. They average about three feet long and weigh about 35 pounds. In 1997, off the coast of California, an Albacore weighing over 89 pounds was caught. Make sure to choose a fish hook size that will handle a big fish.

The best thing to do is check the fishing maps to see where the good fishing areas are as well as check the fishing regulations. Keeping the wrong size fish or using illegal bait can make for an expensive fishing trip.

Then your only fishing will be free online games.

There is no better way to pass a hot summer’s day than to go fishing for bass. Everyone has their favorite hole for catching a big one. This is the goal. A bass can be very picky. What they hit hard one day, the next day they find icky. Having many choices of lures will likely increase the chances of getting a strike. Here a few fishing tackle tips to help get a lure in their lips.

One of the all-time best bass fishing lures is the Lindy Fuzz-e Grub. It is a jig that can work magic, attracting lots of fish. It comes in a variety of sizes, from 1/16 oz. to 3/8 oz.—the larger, heavier lure seems to work best.

They come in several different color patterns from lime green with a black tail to hot pink with a white tail. All of the color patterns seem to be successful depending on the day.

The Storm Thunder Crank is a crank bait lure that is very versatile for different fishing conditions. It comes in several sizes and patterns. The juvenile bass pattern and the juvenile perch pattern are the most popular.

The Storm Thunder has a long, slightly flaring bib that is set almost parallel to the body. This insures that the lure will dive deep and behave like a young fish.

It is also designed to make a noise by rattling and shaking. This helps attract attention and encourages the fish to strike. When the fish does strike, there is a treble hook waiting.

These lures, in all their variations, will catch even the pickiest fish. However, if fishing is slow, you can always sit in the boat and play online fishing games. There are many free fishing games that are fun and pass the time until the fish decide to bite.