The easy, sexy and surprising picks

Predications on who will be the Bassmaster Classic champion are a dime a dozen. Every newspaper article or website having anything to do with the outdoors has a guess from people who think they know the winner.

Stinks to be stuck

VENICE, La. It plain stinks to be stuck out in the middle of the marsh with no one around for miles, but for at least five of the anglers fishing out of the Venice area, beaching the boat was a fact of life on the first day of official practice.

We need licensing in Florida!

Wow! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you?! Here in Florida Senator Joe Negron (R-Palm City) has filled SB 744 which would eliminate the need for freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses in Florida. Doesn't he know that license sales fund fisheries conservation? Hasn't he ever heard of Wallop-Breaux or Dingell-Johnson?

Classic starts Friday with first practice

VENICE, La. For many fans, the Classic starts February 18, when they will pack the arena to see the Day One weigh-in, but for the 50 qualifiers, the Classic begins tomorrow. Friday is the first of three grueling days of practice, a time when the Classic will likely be won or lost.

Rookies and the Classic

Rookies have been a part of the Bassmaster Classic since the very beginning -- 1971, when all the anglers were rookies. In 2011, there will be 15 Classic rookies competing. It seems like a big number, but it's actually quite average.

Classic expectations

I feel sorry for the first fish that bites my bait during practice Friday on the Delta. He's going to get an unexpected surprise when I set the hook.

How-To

Finesse Fishing with Ike

Whether you dream of becoming a full-time professional tournament angler, or just want to put more bass into your livewell on weekends, Bassmaster Classic winner Michael Iaconelli and Bass Fishing Hall of Fame writer Steve Price tell you how in Finesse Fishing with Mike Iaconelli.Under their guidance, you'll learn all the secrets of using lighter rods, reels, lines, and lures to increase your catch, techniques that have taken Mike Iaconelli to the very top of the bass fishing world in both B.A.S.S. and FLW competition.

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