We spoke with Brandon Lester, a perennial favorite to win any fishing tournament, about the 50th Bassmaster Classic.
Lake Guntersville, the location for the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, is pretty close to home for seven-year Elite pro Brandon Lester.
He's from Fayetteville, Tennessee and has fished Guntersville many times. Enough to refer to himself as a "Guntersville guy." So you've got to assume that benefits him heading into the Super Bowl of bass fishing.
"It's certainly a big deal," he said of the milestone event. "It's something that we're all proud of, just to be a part of B.A.S.S., no doubt. And for me, my house is only about an hour and a half from Lake Guntersville. I'm a southern middle Tennessee guy, so that Tennessee River system is special to me. It helped shape who I am as a fisherman. I mean, that's where I cut my teeth."
That obviously adds to the importance, but it also adds some assumptions. Lester should know where to go and what to do, as good or better than the other anglers, right? He wasn't too quick to claim any advantage, but was excited about his chances nonetheless.
"This one will be extra special," he said. "I hope some of that stuff I've learned over the years helps me out a little bit this week!"
Fishing in his fifth Classic, Lester knows what the added pressure is like, knows what the increased crowds are like, and knows what it feels like to walk up on stage after three days of fishing and stand a chance to win the big one.
Heading into the weekend, Lester admitted the conditions weren't great and was ready to try and work through that challenge.
"I've been thinking about places that will kind of be protected," he said," kind of out of the wind a little bit. I'm just going to go into it with an open mind, and if I have to make adjustments I will. I've been doing it long enough to know it's never the same two days in a row. If I have to make adjustments, that's exactly what I'll do."
Will it help him raise the trophy when it's all said and done? Watch to see as the 2020 Bassmaster Classic wraps up Sunday with the Final Day Weigh-In.
NEXT: THE SECRET COAST: FISH THE MISSISSIPPI GULF BEFORE THE WORD GETS OUT
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