Angler briefing meeting

I’m sitting in the angler briefing meeting, listening to Trip Weldon go over details of this week’s Bassmaster Classic. 

Lot of memories are swirling about. This is my 32nd straight Classic. Several of them held in Alabama with weigh ins in the BJCC arena. 

For all of them there has been a briefing in this room.  

Somehow, I’m sitting in the exact seat I set in during many of those. 

In those days. To my left would be Larry Nixon and to his left would be George Cochran. 

Like all good Baptists we took up residence on the back row. I remember getting an education sitting there. Not from Dewey Kendrick, the tournament director, in those days. But from Nixon and Cochran. 

This same room was used for press conferences after practice day and derby days. Practice day was mandatory attendance for all anglers. 

Typically they’d have five seasoned pros on the stage and us media types would throw them questions. 

There was always the answer from the angler. But I got a different interpretation from Nixon and Cochran that usually began with a giggle, followed by “what he really means is…”

The translation was always so much better than the real thing and in some cases something you wouldn’t want to print. 

But for a young outdoor writer it was pure gold. I miss those days as all old guys are want to do.