When you're about to compete at a level that's above anything you've experienced before, it certainly doesn't hurt to latch onto a mentor. That's what B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Central Division champion Dale Hightower did for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

Hightower has known fellow Oklahoman Tommy Biffle for only a couple of weeks, but they've become fast friends. They traveled to New Orleans together, they're rooming together during their stay and they shared practice information.



"We met at a local boat show about a week before practice started," Hightower said. "Probably the best advice he's given me is to stay true to myself and what I do, and not to let the hype of the whole thing get to me."

Hightower, a 36-year-old co-owner of a refrigeration business in Terlton, Okla., is one of six Fed Nation qualifiers for the Classic. All are trying to achieve a feat accomplished only by the late Bryan Kerchal, who won the 1994 edition as a Federation representative.

Hightower, who'll try to qualify for the 2012 Elite Series via this year's Central Opens, said his fishing style is very similar to Biffle's – he's an avid flipper and pitcher. He had a good practice and expects to contend for the crown.

"You don't come to the Classic to finish 2nd or 3rd," he said. "I believe 100% that I can win. I know what kind of fish I have (from practice) and I know what I could possibly do with them."

Here's a brief look at the other five Fed Nation qualifiers.

Brandon Palaniuk
Rathdrum, Ida.
National Champion

At 23, Palaniuk is by far the youngest of the Fed Nation contingent. He's got plenty of big-event experience, though, having contended and/or won at the top amateur levels within both the B.A.S.S. and FLW organizations.

He's a rising star in the sport and will go from here to his rookie season on the Elite Series. The fishing conditions here aren't quite what he'd anticipated, but he thinks he can make the necessary adjustments.

He describes his style of fishing as "power-finesse."

"I do both," he said. "Being from the Northwest, for the 9 months we get to fish for bass, we see just about everything and we use a lot of different techniques.

"I'm here to either make history or be history. I'm going to fish to win."

He thought that by the time he returned last week, the Delta water would be warmer and higher than what he'd found during pre-practice in December. In that regard, he's been thrown a curve.

"When we got here, it was 2 feet lower and colder, and now it's warmed up but that's all happened over 3 or 4 days. I don't think the fish have fully adjusted yet, but it could be happening right now.

"Yesterday I swear I saw a bed. There wasn't a fish on it, but it looked exactly like every bed I've ever seen before."

George Crain
Cropwell, Ala.
Southern Division

The 58-year-old Crain is the second-oldest competitor in the field after 1982 champion Paul Elias. He's a retired firefighter who now builds custom homes. His own home rests on the shore of Lake Logan Martin.

He's had his share of mishaps since he's been here, but he's had a great time nonetheless.



"I've torn up my boat some and I've fallen in the water," he said. "But aside from that, next to meeting my wife, this is probably the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

He said he's "pretty much a flipper," but the water he's found over the past week hasn't been deep enough for that technique to really shine. Therefore, he's shifted to other tactics.

"As the water has warmed, everybody's feeling more confident about the bite. I don't think I'm on any kind of a winning pattern, but stranger things have happened because here I am."

David Watson
Sullivan, Ind.
Northern Division

Watson, a 50-year-old pipefitter and father of four grown children, also encountered some difficulty during the official practice period. His was mostly of the navigational variety.

"In December I was trailering all over the place to different ramps and I caught fish everywhere I went," he said. "This practice I've had to learn the navigation and that's been the hard part.

"I haven't done as well as December, but it's coming. The water's still a little cold and low."

He could be onto something good, considering he kept encountering Bobby Lane on the water. Lane has had a difficult time containing his enthusiasm about his own practice.

"I'm not just here for a good time – I came down here to win this thing," Watson said. "I plan on being around for the third day."

Sean Alvarez
Rutland, Vt.
Eastern Division

The 41-year-old Alvarez, the first-ever Classic qualifier from Vermont, has been his state's Federation Nation president since 2006. He's reached the Divisional level in all 7 of his years as a Fed Nation angler and has made the national championship three times.

As a health and safety manager for a mining company, he's accustomed to the spotlight. He frequently delivers presentations to executive- and media-types.

A native Californian, he's fished all over the country under a great variety of conditions.

"That's given me versatility and the ability to make adjustments," he said. "One of my best friends is a fisheries biologist and I think I have a pretty good understanding of fish behavior.

"I plan to win this thing, and I don't say that out of arrogance because everybody says that about the Classic. I'm going in with a feeling I can win and I don't need luck to make it happen. If just a few small things go the right way, people might be saying, 'Who is this Sean Alvarez guy.'''

Brian LaClair
Denton, Md.
Mid-Atlantic Division

The 51-year-old LaClair, a truck driver for a seafood company, has greatly enjoyed the time he's spent with the Elite Series anglers and the new B.A.S.S. ownership.

"It's nice to get around and talk to people who do this for a living," he said. "I don't get a chance to see these people in person too often."

He calls himself a versatile angler who's most confident while flipping or throwing a spinnerbait of shallow-running crankbait. His practice wasn't as good as he would've liked.

"From what I've seen, the fish I've found aren't the quality that it's going to take to compete for the win, so getting to the third day would be a good goal. I hope the fish prove me wrong."