2026 Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing Starts Today At Guntersville

 They will be alternating tournaments between no scoping allowed and allowing it. I dropped Trey McKinney and went as chalky as I could get with Cullman, Alabama's own Jordan Lee in Bucket A.  Here is my roster:

For Drain the Lake, I went Alabama-heavy, with Caleb Kuphall as the one exception.  I'm not sure how much long-term planning I'll do with Drain the Lake this year.

Another MN College Kid Is Going To The Bassmaster Classic

 

Easton Fothergill from Grand Rapids, MN won the B.A.S.S. College Championship for the right to go to the Bassmaster Classic next year at Grand Lake next year. Minnesotan Trevor Lo made it to the 2016 Classic, which was also held at Grand Lake, as a college angler. The Sleepy Assasin, Austin Felix, won an FLW College Championship 2015 for the University of Minnesota as well. 

It's great to see MN kids representing.

Story at Bassmaster.

Christie Captures Classic Crown

Click Here To See the rest of Overstreet's Final Weigh-In Photo Gallery.
 

Victory Achieved! He did it. Jason Christie came back to B.A.S.S. with the expressed mission to get himself a Bassmaster Classic Championship, and by golly, he did just that. Christie just edged out Kyle Welcher and Stetson Blaylock, putting a 17lb bag on the scales giving him 54lbs on the dot, which scored me 40 bonus points in Fantasy Fishing and Drain the Lake. Whozahhhh! 

Josh Douglas Qualifies For The Elite Series

All my fishing energies were focused on Platte Lake this past weekend, so I missed Josh Douglas making the ten cut at the Southern Open. Thus qualifying to be the second Bass Pundit MN Blogger Derby participant to make the Elite Series. Bob Downey was the first.  I have so much respect for Josh as a person and angler. He is the ultimate grinder who just kept at it getting closer season after season.  This guy hustles, and his love for catching bass and sharing bass fishing knowledge is really something special. He put in the work for his sponsors everywhere he went in venues small and large.  Josh wanted it, and now he's got it. Congratulations man, can't wait to see you up there with Mercer and making it to your first Classic. I don't think anything is going to stop you from reaching your goals. Get that Rookie of the Year in 22.

Check out this Bass Pundit flashback from 2011: (Near as I can tell and recollect I found out about Josh in 2008, through Rich "Hellabass" Lindgren, who will also probably walk across the Classic Stage sometime in the future and would stand a great chance of making the Elites if he put his mind to it.)

Spring Update & Fantasy Bass Win

Oops: I have not checked my email accounts in the past couple weeks and because of that I missed this email:

Congratulations! We are delighted to inform that your entry has been confirmed as a 7th Place winner in ESPN’s Bass Fantasy Fishing: Elite Tournament #2 – Citrus Slam. As long as you are eligible according to the Official Rules (see attached) and you return your completed paperwork in a timely manner, you have won a 7th Place Prize consisting of:

One (1) Advance Auto Parts $10 Gift Card
Approximate Retail Value=$10


To verify your eligibility and begin prize coordination, please read and complete the enclosed affidavit.

So that you are not disqualified, your completed paperwork must be returned VIA FAX OR EMAIL to Project Support Team, Inc. by END OF DAY WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 2008. Upon receipt of your completed affidavit, you should expect your prize to be delivered in 6-8 weeks.

I made the prizes in ESPN/BASS Fantasy Bass Fishing. Funny the final standings had me in 8th place one slot out of the prizes. Someone must have been like me and missed the message. Oh well I don't know what I would have done with a $10 Advance Auto Parts gift certificate, give it away probably. I don't even know if there is an Advance Auto Parts in this neck of the woods.



I have decided: Ok it is maybe I bit ridiculous at this point but I have decided that I am not going to do any ice fishing this ice fishing season. That makes two years in a row of neglect of all my ice fishing gear. Maybe next year???

"GET ME TO THE LAKE": Minnesota Climatalogy didn't really update their ice out web page today, even though Lake Sakatah is listed as "out" with no date given and it was "partial cover" yesterday. If Sakatah is open it's sister lake Tetonka is probably open to even though they have that lake listed as "partial cover." From using FishingMinnesota.com it basically sounds like all lakes South of New Prague are open and some smaller lakes in Twin Cities Metro are Ice Free. If MC updates tommorrow I expect to see that Kohlman and maybe Gervias in Ramsey Cty are ice free.

Tommorrow I plan to get into the boat, it is stored at the Platte Lake house, and get all my tackle that is in the boat out. I will then probably hit the Grumpy Old Man Hole (GOMH) to throw my first open water casts of the season. I would be amazed if I caught anything, but you never know at that place. Dogfish and Crappie season should be starting sometime next week. Bring on the Bullheads!!!