(Editor's note: Former B.A.S.S. emcee Keith Alan lived and breathed the tour for a half-decade. This year, his Alan Report will break down each B.A.S.S. tour-level stop to help BassFans get the inside scoop. Today marks the column's debut.)
The mighty Mississippi River spills into the Gulf of Mexico to form one
of the most fertile estuaries on the planet. Every manner of organism, from the tiniest of invertebrates and crustaceans to large pelagics thrive in the waters off the Louisiana coast. It's indeed a world-class fishery.
One problem facing the 50 Bassmaster Classic contenders is they aren't fishing for the plentiful redfish population that made the Louisiana marsh so famous. While bass are the target, redfish may actually be a factor. How so? Just ask the competitors how many redfish they caught before the Delta went off limits in mid-December. Aaron Martens said he caught hundreds, and Brent Chapman and his dad hammered them in the process of scouting for the Classic. Shaking off, breaking off or retying after catching reds is going to eat up precious time, and time's the real enemy at the Delta.
Seeing Red(s)
This Classic venue is unlike any other fishery because it presents such a combination of challenges. For starters, just consider the sheer size of the place. A run from the takeoff at Bayou Signette to the Venice area where many are fishing could take 90 minutes to 2 hours. Double that time for the return trip and you're down to just 4 hours of fishing time. Any time spent catching, releasing and re-tying from encounters with the wrong species is valuable time wasted. With a playing field that large, every minute's critical.
Mike Frenette grew up fishing the Delta. A former Redfish Cup All-Star, he's been fishing these waters his entire life and now he guides out of his Dad's lodge in Venice. He knows there are plenty of largemouths to be found in Venice, and so do I. On a visit a few years ago while waiting for the Scooby-Doo-like fog to lift so we could go chase redfish, we found ourselves fishing from the dock. The bass were chasing bait in the marina so it didn't take long to hook up and give my then 2-year-old daughter a chance to reel in her first-fish ever.
It was a chunky 4 1/2-pound largemouth. Exactly the kind the 50 Classic contenders hope to have in their livewells come weigh-in time.
The run to Venice is long and risky and any fog delay could take the popular destination out of play.
So why do both species thrive in the same area? A massive amount of fresh water from the Mississippi floods the estuary. Due to erosion and post oil-spill dispersion of some of the landmass, the outer edge of the marsh is receding, and the redfish are coming in with it. Is there anyplace for the competitors to go where they can avoid redfish altogether? According to Frenette, not in Venice, but there are a few areas closer to the takeoff that have fewer redfish. Only problem is the areas may have less bait and less largemouths too.
Ups and Downs
Another big factor is tide. Some guys understand it, some don't. So in addition to figuring out how the fish position themselves at any given tide stage, a contender also has to understand how it's going to affect his ability to move around. You could have access into a creek or pond only to find that 20 minutes later you can't get out.
Competitors also have to understand how the tide varies daily and how it may be affected by wind. The fact that so many Classic contenders got stuck during practice is proof that the group hasn't yet mastered the lay of the land.
For those hoping to navigate from memories, a word of caution: The landscape's changed pretty dramatically over the last few years. While electronics are going to be critical, there's no way they can be 100% accurate with the changing landscape.
Potential for Delay
Weather's a wildcard factor in every tournament. This week, if there's any sort of weather delay, like fog, it's going to throw the guys making long runs a huge curveball. I only mention that because the bayou's notorious for fog banks so thick you literally can't see 20 feet in front of you.
Edwin Evers and a few others are so concerned about it they even installed radar units on their boats to spot oncoming traffic. I hate to break it to those guys, but radar isn't likely to pinpoint crab traps, floating logs or random posts that are all over Venice, and if fog is an issue at launch, the tournament director will hold them until it's safe.
A 30-minute fog delay would be brutal. Anything more than that would force a good portion of the field to alter their gameplans.
Keep Your Eyes on These Guys
Here's an overview of who I like heading into day 1.
KVD
Sure it's an obvious pick, so why try to hide him in the middle of the list? Besides, he's got some history in these parts. His stats on the Delta rival his amazing results along the Tennessee River. VanDam's scored four Top 10s in his last five appearances at the Delta including his 2001 Classic victory. I bet against him once on my fantasy team last year. I'll never make that mistake again.
VanDammaged
Skeet Reese has proven he's capable of winning any tournament on any body of water. Beyond his talent, his belly has to burn from the amount of times he's been VanDamned. I don't care how much you meditate or how much yoga you do, getting edged out by Kevin on the last day too many times to count has got to hurt, and I'm sure last year's AOY outcome added to Skeet's motivation. There's a reason his signature spinnerbait's named Redemption. He's hungry for it.
Gary Klein
You can't discuss the Classic without talking about Gary Klein. Two near misses at Classic titles, including the 2003 Classic on the very same Louisiana Delta, drive him as a competitor. He's most comfortable with a flipping stick in his hand, which could set up nice for him in the Big Easy, but his real strength might be versatility. He's determined to get it done in his 29th appearance.
Keith Alan's high on Stephen Browning for this Classic – a former Redfish Cup competitor, Browning once drove the entire length of the Mississippi River.
Stephen Browning
Browning hasn't been on too many pundit radar screens recently, but don't overlook him. He's a great stick and as a former Redfish Cup competitor he understands tides and knows the region. He finished near the top at the California Delta Elite Series last year and has traveled the full length of the Mississippi. He's intimately familiar with the estuary and how to fish it.
Russ Lane
What can I say? The dude's got a swagger about him. He really hit his stride at the end of last season, and he's picked up some new sponsors. He's a determined competitor and he's chomping for his first major win. The former pitcher is bringing the heat.
Ike
Let's face it: The odds of Iaconelli winning a second Classic title on the very same body of water are extremely thin. Then again, the so called "baby pattern" could come into play as it did when Roumbanis, Wolak and Martens hoisted trophies right after their kids were born. Beck-onelli's going to deliver any day now. A factor that understandably has Ike's head in other places.
He planned to travel back to Jersey to be with Becky for the pending birth of their child in between practice and day 1 of the tournament. However childbirth figures into Ike's Classic-week schedule, it's going to be hectic. It could be a zero or hero performance. You know he'll be motivated and inspired, and you just can't rule out the mojo that goes with the baby pattern.
Morizo Shimizu
A dark horse perhaps, but you have to give this guy props. The language barrier alone keeps him from even overhearing any dock talk, let alone discussing strategies with the other anglers. If you're thinking maybe the Japanese pros hang out together and share info, think again. I've never even seen them talk to each other. Morizo's probably the most famous of the bunch back home in Japan. In the U.S., he does his own thing and he does it well. It's a dream come true to qualify for his first Classic. I'd love to see him contend.
How To Win?
Like John Crews' dramatic upset over Skeet Reese at the California Delta last season, the big factors are going to be location, isolation and time management. Anybody who makes the run to Venice will have to commit to an area. There just isn't enough time to do too much running around, especially when you factor in time to refuel for the run back.
It's a safe bet that anybody who can find fish and have an area to himself is going to be a serious threat. It's tough to pinpoint which angler it'll be, but one thing's for certain: Whoever nicknamed this place the Big Easy clearly wasn't a bass fisherman.
Keith Alan spent the better part of the last decade traveling, working and fishing with the pros. His company, Ultimate Fishing Experience, offers on-the-water fishing clinics and trip-of-a-lifetime experiences with the biggest names in fishing.
