Well the 2009 Classic is in the record books. And for Classic champion Skeet Reese the magic number was 11.  He put together a 16 lb. 12 oz. 5 fish limit on day 3 to beat out second place finisher Mike Iaconelli by just 11 ounces becoming the 11^th angler in the history of BASS to win both Angler of the Year and the Classic in his career.  Congratulations Mr. Reese on a major accomplishment in your bass fishing career and we look forward to seeing the momentum you carry with you as the Elite series is set to begin.

The word that continued to be spoken throughout the 3 day even was adjustments.  Because of changing weather patterns anglers were faced with a drop in water temps which forced some to fish slower or to change tactics that may have worked for them in practice.  The 54 lb. 13 oz. winning bag from Reese proved once again that these anglers are at the top of their game and changing conditions are something they deal with all the time.  The ability to make decisions in the moment and adjust in a way that allows an angler the winning edge separates great anglers from mediocre anglers.  Wanting to win and being able to stay in the game to win are two different things and the top 25 that made the cut to fish day 3 of the Classic proved that. 

I am fortunate enough to have an internet provider that offers ESPN360 so I was able to watch all 3 days of the weigh-ins live.  It was great coverage, though I suspect BASS and ESPN may hear from some disgruntled fans about the limited opportunities to see the weigh-ins.  I wish ESPN would at least televise the weigh-ins each day because I believe there would be a great appreciation from the fans to see it live on TV or to record it to view later.  I hope to set-up a live blog feature on my website and cover the Elite Series weigh-ins live with opportunities for fans to comment as the fish are brought to the scales.  If I am able to get this set-up I will make an announcement about it in a future blog.

One more Classic note is that the Federation Nation was represented very well at the Classic with 3 of the final 25 anglers being Fed members.  Bryan Schmidt finishing 6^th with a three day total of 51 lbs. 1oz., Terry Fitzpatrick finishing 17^th with a three day total of 39 lbs. 15 oz. and Jay Evans finishing 25^th with a three day total of  31 lbs. 7 oz.  Congrats guys on representing the Federation Nation and on being top 25 Classic competitors.

Have a Great Day on the Lake
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