By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
The start of the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series campaign will be unlike any other since the circuit's inception in 2006. Unlike in years past, about a third of the field will still be looking toward the Classic when the regular season gets under way Feb. 9-12 at Lake Cherokee in Tennessee.
That derby will be followed by one at Florida's Lake Okeechobee 2 weeks later. Then there's a break of about a month leading up to the Classic, which is set for March 24-26 at Lake Conroe near Houston, Texas.
"It's going to be a little different," said four-time Classic winner Kevin VanDam, who'll make his 26th appearance in the sport's premier event. "The biggest thing is it changes the deadlines for having the boat ready and getting all your jerseys and things like that, but it really shouldn't be a problem because it's not a ton different than what we're used to."
Four-time Classic qualifier Jason Christie was in agreement for the most part.
"For me, not much will change – I'm good with it as long as they don't start putting Elite events during deer season.
"In a way, this is better because when we start (the regular season) in late March we have to jam-pack nine events into just a few months. This way we get a couple of events out of the way early and spread the schedule out and it allows us to see the wife and kids now and again."
Will Some Buzz Be Lost?
Angler opinions were a bit more varied when asked if pushing the Classic behind two Elite tournaments would cause the "big show" to lose some of its luster.
"I think it absolutely will," said Dean Rojas. "In my opinion, some of it's going to get lost in the shuffle after those first two events. But B.A.S.S. has their reasons why they need to do it that way – it's their business and they can run it any way they want. No matter what, it'll be my 15th Classic and I'll be super-excited about it when I get there."
VanDam mentioned that B.A.S.S. would've preferred an earlier date for the Classic (the 2017 edition will be by far the latest since it switched to a late winter/spring affair in '06), but availability of Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, was limited.
Jason Christie is fine with any Elite Series schedule that doesn't overlap with deer-hunting season in Oklahoma.
"It's not that they wanted to change it, but facilities like that are scheduled several years out," he said. "Next year there's a big rodeo there in March, and right before that is the Super Bowl (which will be played at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans)."
Lorena, Texas resident Alton Jones, the 2008 Classic winner and a 17-time participant, doesn't think the event will suffer due to logistics.
"I think the Classic is a stand-alone event and it'll generate a lot of excitement," he said. "The Houston area has never hosted an event like the Classic and I know the people in my area in central Texas are really excited to have it coming to that neck of the woods. It'll be a great venue.
"Another thing is that we'd been kind of playing roulette with the Classic, having it at more northern venues earlier in the year. This one's not only later, but it's also farther south. We're not going to have a blizzard that shuts the Classic down."
Prep Should be Easier
The prevailing outlook on preparation for next year's Classic is that it'll be less involved than usual due to the latitude of the venue and where it falls on the calendar.
"A cold-weather Classic is different to get ready for," VanDam said. "At Conroe, those fish will probably be in the post-spawn pattern, so that might make it more simple."
Jones, because of his proximity to Conroe, will spend a great deal of time on the lake this winter before it goes off-limits in January. That'll also be true of his son, Alton Jr., who qualfied via his recent victory at the Red River Central Open.
"The only times I've been there were for two (Toyota Texas Bass Classics)," the elder Jones said. "But I know it fishes very similarly to other lakes in central Texas that I do have extensive time on. I have an idea about some specific patterns and what to expect, so that makes my process easier.
"You'll have fish in all phases at that time of year. You won't have many in the pre-spawn, but some will spawning and some will be done."
Those two events that'll come before it could be much more perplexing. Cherokee will still be in the throes of winter and Okeechobee, despite it's warm weather and huge population of massive largemouths, always causes many pros to leave shaking their heads.
"Those will be two totally different types of fishing," VanDam said. "It's like when we went from La Crosse to Mille Lacs, which was a 180-degree turn. They're exponentially different fisheries."
