By BassFan Staff

(Part 2 of a 3-part examination of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic field, with anglers listed in alphabetical order. To read part 1, click here.)

Richard Howes – Oviedo, Fla
> Qualified through: Lake Toho Southern Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Howes unfortunately will not be at full strength for his Classic appearance, as he's been battling a case of vertigo. He could manage only a 177th-place showing in defense of his 2013 Toho Open crown earlier this month. He's a definite longshot to be a factor at Guntersville.

Mike Iaconelli – Pittsgrove, N.J.
> Qualified through: Lake Erie Northern Open winner
> Classics fished: 14
> Best Classic finish: 1st (2003)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 66th (2010), 4th (2009), 64th (2007), 1st (2006)
> Current world rank: 60th
> Insight: After a second straight sub-par Elite Series season, Ike slipped into the Classic by winning the final Northern Open. Now that he's there, he's almost certain to be heard from. He's had a lot of success at Guntersville throughout his career and has finished 11th or better in five of the past six Classics. Chilly water doesn't bother him a bit and his penchant for finding an out-of-the-way route to the top of the leaderboard could play huge.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Tim Johnston – Kalispell, Mont.
> Qualified through: B.A.S.S. Nation Western Division champion
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Johnston is a complete unknown from a region where bass fishing isn't extremely popular. He has an opportunity to pull off what would undoubtedly be the biggest upset in the history of this sport. If that occurred, the big question might be whether he'd even get a mention in the newspaper up there in trout and walleye country.

Alton Jones – Waco, Texas
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 15
> Best Classic finish: 1st (2008)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 62nd (2010), 12th (2009), 8th (2007), 2nd (2006)
> Current world rank: 15th
> Insight: Jones is on top of his game and has a long record of strong performances at Guntersville. There are no weaknesses in his arsenal – he can find them and catch them in deep water, shallow water or anywhere in between. He'll be on a lot of people's watch lists.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Chris M. Jones – Bokoshe, Okla.
> Qualified through: Arkansas River Central Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Not much to go on here other than Jones' prowess on the Arkansas River. His track record from other venues is spotty or nonexistent, and Guntersville has very little in common with his home water. A true longshot.

Steve Kennedy – Auburn, Ala.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 6
> Best Classic finish: 8th (2007)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 54th (2010), 85th (2009), 20th (2007), 3rd (2006)
> Current world rank: 89th
> Insight: Kennedy finished 8th in his initial Classic in 2007, but hasn't come close to even making it to the final day in five appearances since (best finish: 35th). It could be a different story this time around, though, particularly if he can get some cranking action going. Despite his recent Classic record, he's not one to sleep on.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

David Kilgore – Jasper, Ala.
> Qualified through: Logan Martin Lake Southern Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Kilgore is a guy with considerable experience at Guntersville and he handles himself like a seasoned pro even though he's never competed at the tour level (he's qualified to do that on three occasions, but has always turned down the invitation). It'd be no surprise to see him advance to the final day.



BassFan
Photo: BassFan

Gary Klein hopes his 30th appearance in the Classic will result in his first victory.

Gary Klein – Weatherford, Texas
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 29
> Best Classic finish: 2nd (2003)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 14th (2010), 16th (2009), 47th (2007), 78th (2006)
> Current world rank: 114th
> Insight: Klein is about to join Rick Clunn as the only anglers in history to have fished 30 or more Classics, and he's definitely a sentimental favorite considering that he's yet to win one. Guntersville represents another solid opportunity to capture the title that's eluded him for so long, as he has strengths that can be plied in either deep or shallow water. Lots of people will be anxious to find out how he fares on day 1.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Jordan Lee – Cullman, Ala.
> Qualified through: B.A.S.S. College champion
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Lee is following in his brother Matt's footsteps as the collegiate qualifier and he has more Guntersville knowledge than many in the field. It would be no stunner to see him make the day-2 cut to the Top 25 and even a single-digit finish wouldn't be a giant shock. On the other hand, lots of factors that could prove negative are on the table for him, too, including a total lack of experience at this level of competition.

Bobby Lane – Lakeland, Fla.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 6
> Best Classic finish: 4th (2008)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 33rd (2010), 29th (2009)
> Current world rank: 17th
> Insight: The older of the two Lane brothers who'll compete in this event always brings his A-game to the Classic – he's yet to finish outside the Top 20 in any of them. He's one of the best all-around anglers in the sport and is very strong on the mental side, which is extremely important in the Classic. He's bound to win one of these sooner or later.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

Chris Lane, the 2012 Classic champion, will have a few distractions to contend with when the event comes to his hometown.

Chris Lane – Guntersville, Ala.
> Qualified through: Lake St. Clair Elite Series winner
> Classics fished: 3
> Best Classic finish: 1st (2012)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 40th (2010), 91st (2009), 50th (2007), 35th (2006)
> Current world rank: 43rd
> Insight: The 2012 Classic champion, who relocated to Guntersville from Florida several years ago and has immersed himself in the community, is serving as an unofficial host of this event. It remains to be seen whether that'll take anything away from his competitive focus. Just getting into this derby was a struggle during a lackluster 2013 Elite Series season, and now he's intent on making a good showing. If he doesn't, it won't be for lack of effort.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Bill Lowen – Brookville, Ind.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 5
> Best Classic finish: 10th (2012)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 32nd (2010), 44th (2009), 71st (2007), 28th (2006)
> Current world rank: 55th
> Insight: There's not a lot that points toward Lowen finishing high in this one – his strengths are moving water and low-weight events, and Guntersville simply doesn't offer those scenarios. He'll need to find some strong shallow action to improve upon his personal-best Classic finish of 10th.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Jeff Lugar – McGaheysville, Va.
> Qualified through: B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Division champion
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: The skill set of Lugar, the B.A.S.S. Nation champion, is a mystery at this point, but it's safe to say he doesn't have a great deal of experience amassing 25-pound bags, which is what it'll take to excel at Guntersville. Like the majority of Nation entrants, he'll turn a lot of heads if he can advance to day 3.

Aaron Martens – Leeds, Ala.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 14
> Best Classic finish: 2nd (2011, 2005, 2004, 2002)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 57th (2010), 1st (2009), 43rd (2007), 17th (2006)
> Current world rank: 6th
> Insight: Just about everybody expects to see Martens' name at or near the top of the leaderboard on each day of this event, and hopefully that's not bad mojo for him. Many factors favor him: He blistered his way through last year's Elite campaign en route to his second career Angler of the Year title, he has a strong history at the venue, his Classic ledger (sans victory) is stellar, he's very good in cold water and he caught some absolute pigs during pre-practice. A heavy favorite, for sure.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Yuskei Miyazaki – Mineola, Texas
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 1
> Best Classic finish: 40th (2013)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 83rd (2010), 81st (2009), 7th (2007), 12th (2006)
> Current world rank: 59th
> Insight: After failing to sniff the Classic for a number of years after the Elite Series' inception in 2006, Miyazaki has posted back-to-back strong seasons and will now compete in the sport's premier event for the second straight year. He's done some of his best work as an Elite at Guntersville (two Top-12s), but he's had a few stinkers as well. His career arc is on a decided upswing, but his prospects for this event are still a crapshoot.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Ish Monroe – Hughson, Calif.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 8
> Best Classic finish: 14th (2007)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 41st (2010), 70th (2009), 18th (2007), 33rd (2006)
> Current world rank: 18th
> Insight: Monroe's Classic ledger is uninspiring (he's never fared better than 14th), but that's partially because he never fishes for a high finish – it's a win or bust event for him. He spends his official practice time each year looking for off-beat patterns and locales that are high-reward, but very high-risk scenarios. If he finds what he's looking for, watch out. If not, he'll be a non-factor again.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Chad Morgenthaler – Coulterville, Ill.
> Qualified through: Bassmaster Wildcard winner
> Classics fished: 3
> Best Classic finish: 25th (2005)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: N/A
> Current world rank: 113th
> Insight: Morgenthaler returns to the Classic after an 8-year absence, claiming the final berth via his Wildcard triumph at Lake Okeechobee in early December. He doesn't have a sparking record at Guntersville, but the pre-spawn is one of his specialties. If enthusiasm for being back in the event counts for anything, that'll be another factor in his favor.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

Rick Morris – Lake Gaston, Va.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 4
> Best Classic finish: 2nd (2006)
> Elite Series finishes at Guntersville: 45th (2010), 72nd (2009), 52nd (2007), 32nd (2006)
> Current world rank: 86th
> Insight: Morris hasn't competed in a Classic since 2009 and it's been 8 years since his runner-up finish to Luke Clausen at Lake Toho in his most recent appearance prior to that. He hasn't placed higher than 32nd at Guntersville in seven tour-level events dating back more than a decade, although his worst bombs were in the pre-Elite Series days. Has to be considered a stretch pick right now.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.

End part 2 (of 3)