By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
Perhaps no Bassmaster Elite Series angler appreciated the soon-to-be-concluded month-long break from competition more than Chris Lane. It's allowed the reigning Classic champion to finally catch his breath.
"Things have calmed down a little bit and with not being on the road so much recently,
I've been able to catch up on things," he said. "One of the biggest things has been returning phone calls and touching base with people and doing all the little things I need to do. I feel like I'm pretty much caught up now and I'm looking forward to these next four events.
"I was really excited to get out of Douglas with a Top-30 finish because by that point it was sheer exhaustion. I was tired and I knew if I could just grind it out through that third day, I'd get a month off to rest."
Ask Him Next Year
Lane, the Florida native who's resided in Guntersville, Ala. for the past several years, has done a handful of local speaking engagements since winning the sport's premier event 3 months ago at Louisiana's Red River. One of those was for Anheuser-Busch's annual company tournament and another was part of a Legend Boats event, and he's also made presentations to several service clubs.
The question he's asked most often is, "What's it like to be the Bassmaster Classic champion?" He has a stock answer for that which could change at some point down the road.
"I tell them that it's the most amazing thing in the world and it's a life-changing event, but I haven't gotten the full effect of it yet and I'll know a lot more about it next year," he said. "Different things keep coming up and I know there's a lot to come that I haven't experienced yet. The one thing I know is it's been really busy."
It's tough to say whether the additional time commitments have had a negative impact on his performance. At No. 22 in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) race, he's down 18 spots from where he was at this time last year, but most of that can be attributed to a single bomb at Bull Shoals (78th). He's in line to become a triple-qualifier for next year's Classic at Grand Lake, as he already has the defending champion's exemption and one from his Harris Chain Southern Open victory in January in his pocket.
Lane is on track to become a triple-qualifier for the 2013 Classic.
"The big test question is who you become after you win the Classic and how (well) do you fish from that point on. I've felt some of that pressure, but I've been determined to put my head down and do well. That bad one at Bull Shoals was kind of a wake-up call."
Paying Double Entry Fees
Every time Lane sends a check to B.A.S.S. this year to cover Elite entry fees, it's for twice the normal amount. He's made good on his agreement with brother Bobby that if either won the Classic, he'd bankroll the other's 2012 campaign.
Bobby's taking full advantage, too, as he sits at No. 8 in the points. Chris is trying to come up with some sort of humorous graphic acknowledging his generosity to put on his older brother's boat, but hasn't yet been successful in that endeavor.
When he pulls out for Toledo Bend this weekend, he'll be behind the wheel of a brand new tow vehicle. He struck an agreement with Bob Hembree Chevrolet of Guntersville that will allow him to retire his 2003 Suburban in favor of a 2012 Silverado 2500 HD
"They wanted me to be driving a new Chevrolet, and I wanted to be driving one, too," he said. "A real big thanks to them – it's going to be a lot better than driving that 200,000-mile vehicle."
He's excited about going back to Toledo Bend, where he finished 4th last year in a derby that took place 2 months earlier on the calendar. Then it'll be off to the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, Wis., followed by the recently revealed mystery venue (Green Bay on Lake Michigan) before June is out.
"I really like the rest of the schedule. Bull Shoals was one of them in the first half that I was worried about, and you can see why, but Douglas was one of the other ones. Going to Toledo Bend and then up north in the summertime, it should be a lot like Florida in the spring – maybe not a lot of spawning, but a lot of grass and a lot of fish to catch beating the banks.
"As for Lake Michigan is what it is. It's kind of a like a NASCAR driver who's used to races where all you do it turn left, then you give him a track where he has to turn right and he has to figure it out. That's what we're supposed to do – that's our job."
