B.A.S.S. headquarters itself in Birmingham, Ala., and the company for most of its lifetime was housed in Montgomery, Ala. But when it comes to the roots of the modern fishing revolution, and the bass-fishing revolution, Tulsa can perhaps lay claim to being the capital.

Long before B.A.S.S. was even a whisper of a thought, R.D. Hull

brought his first prototype spincast reel to the Zero Hour Bomb Co. in Tulsa. By 1949, the reel was in production and the company later renamed itself Zebco.

In 1964, Carl Lowrance moved production of Lowrance electronics to Tulsa, where the company is still headquartered today.

And when B.A.S.S. was formed, its very first member, Don Butler, was from Tulsa. Soon-to-be Bassmaster magazine editor Bob Cobb hailed from Tulsa as well.

Gene Larew, which was granted the first patent for salt-impregnated lures, is based in Tulsa.

And today, influential firms like Dynamic Sponsorships, Winnercomm, Dollahon PR and Bassin' magazine all call Tulsa home.

Which is why there's such a buzz about B.A.S.S.'s decision to locate the 2013 Bassmaster Classic at Tulsa and nearby Grand Lake o' the Cherokees. It'll mark the first Oklahoma-area Classic since the 1979 Texoma contest, and B.A.S.S. has visited Grand Lake only five times for professional derbies (three Invitationals and two Elite Series).

Despite the excitement and the homage to history, there is a shadow of doubt and it concerns weather. The Feb. 22–24 dates fall within a volatile weather period and conditions could run the gamut from ice-over conditions and snowstorms to sunny and seasonable temperatures.

Tulsa averages lows in the low-30s and highs in the low-50s across February, with upticks as the month progresses. There have been record highs in the 80s and record lows in the teens and even single digits.

No matter how one looks at it, Tulsa in February is a gamble, and most pros feel that way.

Following is a summary of reactions from a few pros and industry folks about the choice of Tulsa as a destination.

Walker Loves it

Tennessee pro David Walker left B.A.S.S. for about a half-decade and fished the FLW Tour, but returned this season largely based on his love for the Classic. He sweltered for years under the early August Forrest Wood Cup format and thinks Tulsa in late February is an excellent choice.

"It's good news and I don't care how cold it is," Walker said. "I'm a fisherman and I've fished a lot of tournaments when it's snowing. We go through it all and late-February is probably one of my favorite times to fish. That's one thing I missed most about the Classic the last 5 or 6 years."

He's never fished Grand, he added, but has "heard a lot of good things about it" and much prefers a lake that time of year to a river. The upcoming 2012 Classic, by comparison, will be held at the Red River in Shreveport, La.

Biffle Likes Choice

Consider Tommy Biffle an instant favorite to win the Tulsa Classic, although he has to qualify first – a feat he didn't accomplish this year.

For Biffle, the Tulsa Classic should produce a boost for his Polaris dealership in nearby Wagoner, as well as a boost for his soft-plastics sponsor Gene Larew, rod/reel sponsor Quantum and electronics sponsor Lowrance. All are Tulsa-based.

"I think it'll be great," Biffle said shortly after the news landed. "But the deal is you still have to make it. It's going to be a good Classic though. There are lots and lots of fishermen around here, it's a good lake with a lot of quality fish in it so there should be some big catches."

About the weather, Biffle said: "Yeah, it could be frozen over – it could be a real cold Classic. We had a bunch of snow this year, but if we get a nice, early spring it could be warm. We had a Bassmasters at Grand in October when I think it was 12 degrees. It was the coldest one we ever had and we still caught them."

To help ensure he makes it, Biffle has already signed up for all three Bassmaster Central Opens next year and will consider fishing an additional division. He won a Central Open this year at Muskogee, Okla., but did not receive the Classic berth because he didn't fish a full Central Open season.

Trumps Earthquake

A series of earthquakes rumbled the Tulsa area this week, but according to industry veteran Gary Dollahon of Dollahon PR, the Classic bombshell quickly overtook the earthquakes as the top citywide news story.



Tulsa mover and shaker Gary Dollahon says the community couldn't be more excited – the Classic's bigger news than the recent earthquakes.

Dollahon currently counts Gene Larew among his clients, but has worked with several other Tulsa-area and industry-wide fishing manufacturers.

He attended today's press conference at the Bank of Oklahoma Center and spoke with BassFan shortly thereafter.

"We're as excited as a community could possibly be about a Classic," Dollahon said. "It's ironic because Tulsa's had these earthquakes, but the Classic announcement has sent out a lot of shockwaves. It's a big deal.

"And I'd say that Tulsa's the epicenter of bass fishing – from the roots of R.D. Hull walking into Zebco, to Lowrance, Jimmy Houston, Don Butler being the first B.A.S.S. member. The fishing roots here are as deep as they can be. The whole community's just buzzing, even with the little time the news has had to spread. It's a big deal."

Kriet Expects Big Bags

Jeff Kriet hails from Oklahoma and counts Falcon Rods among his sponsors – another Tulsa-based fishing company. And although Kriet lives more south in Ardmore, he knows Grand Lake well and finished 2nd there at the 2007 Elite contest.

"Grand is so good – it's got 'em," he said. "The fishing could be unbelievable with big sacks. But the weather's the deal. If the water's cold and muddy, it'll be tough. If we get some decent weather, we could have a really, really good tournament. I'm excited about it just because there'll be so many different ways to catch them."

Like Biffle, he plans to fish the full season of Central Opens to better his chances of making the 2013 Classic.

Duckett a Little Shocked

When Boyd Duckett first heard the rumor of a Tulsa Classic, he figured B.A.S.S. would move the date.

"Grand Lake in February? We're liable to freeze to death," Duckett said. "I heard you can catch them there in February, but that's going to be a bitter, bitter cold tournament. It can be warm there, but that's my first reaction."

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