Some Predict At Least Half Of Field Will Catch 5 On Day 1

No matter how tough the fishing conditions are at Alabama's Lay Lake tomorrow, some anglers will bring a limit to the scale on day 1 of the Bassmaster Classic. On the flip side, there are bound to be some zeroes as well.

How many of each? BassFan surveyed a sizable portion of the field at Classic Media Day to get some predictions. Responses were all over the spectrum.

Kevin Wirth – "I'll say there'll be 25 limits, and it might be a little higher. I don't know that there'll be more than 1 or 2 zeroes."

Greg Hackney – "Eight or 10 limits and about the same amount of zeroes. There's a few guys who, if they're not dialed in right now, they will be by tomorrow morning."

Shaw Grigsby – "Six or 7 limits, maybe a few more, and also 6 or 7 zeroes. Now if this tournament were held from Sunday through next Tuesday, you'd see a bunch of limits and some big stringers. But with the conditions we have right now, some people are going to struggle."

Tommy Biffle – "Ten limits and 4 or 5 zeroes. I've never walked across a Classic stage without a fish and I don't want the first time to be tomorrow."

Casey Ashley – "Thirty limits and 4 or 5 zeroes."

Jeff Kriet – "I'll say 39 limits and 9 zeroes. Before yesterday (the final practice day) I probably would've said like 17 limits, but I saw some things go on that tells me the lake's trying to shape up."

Billy McCaghren – "Ten and 10, and I think it'll continue to improve a little bit each day."

Kevin Short – "Twelve limits, 12 zeroes. I think it'll get better on Saturday, but it might drop back down again on Sunday because of boat traffic."

Gary Klein – "Eleven limits, 11 zeroes. But you could have four fish here that weight 16-something. All I know is I want to be fishing on Sunday."

Alton Jones – "Fourteen limits, 8 zeroes."

Cliff Pace – "Twenty-nine (limits) and 6 (zeroes)."

Terry Butcher – "Fifteen limits and 5 zeroes. This is my first Classic and I want to enjoy it, and if I zero it won't be one to enjoy."

Jami Fralick – "Nineteen limits, eight zeroes."

Gerald Swindle – "Fifteen limits, 9 zeroes. And I have every intention of being one of the guys with a limit."

Steve Kennedy – "Sixteen limits, 8 zeroes."

Boyd Duckett – "Twenty limits, 4 zeroes."

Aaron Martens – "Twenty limits, 7 zeroes."

Mike McClelland – "Twenty-five limits, 5 zeroes."

Randy Howell – "Seventeen limits, 9 zeroes. There are so many little spotted bass that the zeroes might be less than that. I had one zero in 2001 in New Orleans and I don't want another one."