By BassFan Staff
(Part 3 of a 3-part examination of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic field, with anglers listed in alphabetical order. To read part 1, click here. For part 2, click here.)
Brandon Palaniuk – Hayden, Idaho
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 4
> Best Classic finish: 2nd (2013)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 31st
> Insight: Palaniuk's win-or-go-home mentality is perfectly suited for this event and, with two top-4 finishes in four outings, he's already come close on a couple of occasions. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, he knows all about catching fish in chilly water and his skill set consists of both power and finesse techniques. Always a big crowd favorite, he'll create a lot of buzz if he's in contention again.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Chad Pipkens – Holt, Mich.
> Qualified through: Detroit River Northern Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 140th
> Insight: Pipkens has logged a couple of top-12 finishes in his two seasons on the Elite Series, but despite the Open victory in his home region, he's best known for his spiky hair that he never covers with a hat. All of his best tour-level showings have come in the North, so there's no reason to peg him as any type of favorite on a Southern impoundment such as Hartwell. A longshot at this point, for sure.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Clifford Pirch – Payson, Ariz.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 1
> Best Classic finish: 51st (2014)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 64th (2011 FLW Tour), 19th (2012 FLW Tour)
> Current world rank: 65th
> Insight: From a fishing perspective, Pirch had a miserable time in his Classic debut last year at Guntersville. Hartwell is a different type of fishery, however, and it might be more suited to the quiet Arizonan's style. He's not a big fan of cold water, but he knows what he's doing around offshore structure. Not a favorite, but if he finds something good in practice, he'll likely maximize it.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
At a young age, Jacob Wheeler has developed a penchant for winning big events.
Jacob Powroznik – Port Haywood, Va.
> Qualified through: Toledo Bend Elite Series winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 70th (2011 FLW Tour), 29th (2012 FLW Tour)
> Current world rank: 6th
> Insight: Powroznik has been one of the top anglers in the world over the past several years and he finally picked up his initial tour-level victory in 2014. There are likely more to come, and there's nothing that says he can't fare well at Hartwell. His game is extremely well-rounded and if there are enough quality fish from the shallows to the mid-depths, he's likely to find more than his share.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Brett Preuett – Monroe, La.
> Qualified through: Bassmaster College Classic champion
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Let's face it: the collegiate entrant will rarely be high on many people's watch lists, if for no other reason than the magnitude of the event is so much greater than any tournament he's ever competed in previously. Jordan Lee was an exception last year as he rolled to a 6th-place finish on his home water, but Preuett won't enjoy such an advantage – he'd never seen Hartwell prior to pre-practice. Not much is known about his game at this point other than he's proficient with topwater baits, which he used to win last year's College Classic.
Cliff Prince – Palatka, Fla.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 1
> Best Classic finish: 51st (2013)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 87th
> Insight: Prince was the final angler to make the Classic via the Elite Series points. He's at his best in the grass that's abundant in his home state, but he won't find any of that at Hartwell. His biggest asset for this event might be his easy-going nature, which allows him to adapt to any situation he encounters.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Skeet Reese – Auburn, Calif.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 14
> Best Classic finish: 1st (2009)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 12th (2008 Classic)
> Current world rank: 29th
> Insight: The Classic hasn't been kind to Reese since he won in 2009 at the Red River – he's finished 37th or lower in three of his last four appearances. However, with the exception of a bomb at the St. Johns River, he rather quietly put together a superb season in 2014 and should be on top of his game at Hartwell. He's extremely versatile and can never be counted out of any event.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Dean Rojas – Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 12
> Best Classic finish: 4th (2004)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 37th
> Insight: The previous Classic at Hartwell was the only one Rojas has missed out of the last 11, so he has no competitive experience at the venue. He's finished among the top 20 more often than not since the event moved to the late winter in '06, but hasn't done anything spectacular. He has a distaste for slow, methodical fishing, and that may not bode well for him this time.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Scott Rook – Little Rock, Ark.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 8
> Best Classic finish: 2nd (2001)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 13th (2008 Classic)
> Current world rank: 70th
> Insight: The veteran Rook is back after sitting out the past three Classics. His greatest success in the event (by far) has come at the Louisiana Delta, where he was 2nd in 2001 and 7th a decade later. He's primarily a moving-water guy and could try to capitalize on that up one of the rivers.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Morizo Shimizu – Osaka, Japan
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 2
> Best Classic finish: 23rd (2011)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 69th
> Insight: Shimizu will appear in his second consecutive Classic and just the third of his career. He's logged only five finishes among the top 10 on the Elite Series since his victory at Kentucky Lake in 2006, so he's not a favorite to win an event of this scale. If he contends, he'll probably do it offshore.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Kevin Short overcame an extremely difficult time and some fairly long odds to qualify for his third Classic.
Kevin Short – Mayflower, Ark.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 2
> Best Classic finish: 22nd (2008
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 22nd (2008 Classic)
> Current world rank: 76th
> Insight: The fact that Short is among the field is a great story in itself as he missed last year's event at Toledo Bend (and thus garnered no points) after his home was ravaged by a tornado. He bounced back with top-10s in each of the last two regular-season events and punched his ticket to Hartwell with some room to spare. There's no question about his mental toughness, and that's always a great asset for the Classic.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Brian Snowden – Reeds Spring, Mo.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 5
> Best Classic finish: 3rd (2009)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 68th
> Insight: Snowden secure his first Classic berth since 2011 via a steady regular season, then a big jump with a 4th-place showing at the Angler of the Year Championship. His 3rd-place finish in '09 at the Red River is the only time he's been a contender in the event. He's strong in clear water and could make some noise if Hartwell features plenty of that a couple weeks from now.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Van Soles – Winter Haven, Fla.
> Qualified through: Toho Southern Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Soles was one of the first anglers to nail down his Classic berth as his Open victory occurred more than a year ago. He's a stud in the grass that's prolific in his home state, but it'd be a surprise if he contended at rocky Hartwell.
Gerald Swindle – Warrior, Ala.
> Qualified through: Toledo Bend Elite Series winner
> Classics fished: 14
> Best Classic finish: 3rd (2005)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 21st (2008 Classic)
> Current world rank: 28th
> Insight: Swindle has competed in eight of the nine wintertime Classics that've been contested but has yet to make an impact in any of them – his best showing was 20th at Lay Lake in 2010. He's an excellent junk-fisherman, but this is likely to be a pattern-oriented event. He certainly could be a factor, but his record in February will keep him off most lists of favorites.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Randall Tharp's versatility and mental toughness make him a threat in any big event.
Randall Tharp – Port St. Joe, Fla.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 2
> Best Classic finish: 5th (2014)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 51st (2011 FLW Tour), 26th (2012 FLW Tour), 13th (2014 FLW Tour)
> Current world rank: 13th
> Insight: Tharp, the former Forrest Wood Cup champion, excels in big events and usually makes his presence felt in championship-type derbies. He's best when he's flipping and pitching, but has shown versatility and is very tough between the ears. Hartwell doesn't seem to set up for him nearly as well as Guntersville did last year, but it would be no shock to see his name near the top of the leaderboard again.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
David Walker – Sevierville, Tenn.
> Qualified through: Elite Series points
> Classics fished: 9
> Best Classic finish: 3rd (2001, 2003)
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: 64th
> Insight: Walker will make his fourth consecutive Classic appearance after returning to the Bassmaster circuit from the FLW Tour in 2011. He's traditionally strong in the early months of the year, but has yet to record a high finish in a wintertime Classic. He's another guy who usually maximizes what he finds and could be in the hunt if that holds up.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Jacob Wheeler – Indianapolis, Ind.
> Qualified through: BASSFest winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: 38th (2012 FLW Tour)
> Current world rank: 16th
> Insight: As a sort of "guest competitor" in this year's Classic, Wheeler is one scary dude. At age 24, the FLW Tour standout and 2012 Forrest Wood Cup champion is unquestionably one of the best in the sport and a guy who almost always brings his 'A' game to the premiere events. His skill set is solid way beyond his years and it's very likely he'll find something to exploit at Hartwell.
> View his BassFan Angler Profile here.
Andy Young – Mound, Minn.
> Qualified through: Amistad Central Open winner
> Classics fished: 0
> Best Classic finish: N/A
> Tour-level finishes at Hartwell: N/A
> Current world rank: N/A
> Insight: Young, a sheet-metal worker by trade, has had a full year to prepare for initial Classic appearance. He's probably not a good bet to contend for the crown, but he overcame extremely long odds just to qualify – beating out a plethora of Texas sticks to prevail at Amistad and overcoming a 10-pound deficit on the final day. He's a jovial guy and fans will get a kick out of him regardless of what he catches.
End Part 3 (of 3)
