2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic at Tennessee River - Final Day (Championship Sunday)

what is bass bass is a dream a dream thought up by a great American visionary over fifty years ago a dream fueled by a feeling a connection a yearning to connect to nature and unite with others the same I need to share the amazing secrets of our homes on the water with all that wood listen one thing on that lower - let me go out and have this pretty a home for the sport for the industry a home for the dream your dream my dream all of our dreams this all started with one dream a simple daydream at an insurance salesman desk exploded into an ever-evolving ever growing industry all fueled by a dream I don't know when or where it happened for each of you but at some point race got planted his crazy dream in all of us maybe you saw it on Bassmaster TV all read about it in the pages of Bassmaster magazine maybe you found it through one of the thousands of incredible vast nation clubs across the country and around the world maybe it was College bass casting kids high school fishing the opens bass master calm or even bass conservation but at some point his dream blew into your dream and half a million dreams united under one shield teaching learning protecting competing and dreaming together but how do you get here right here today sitting in an arena full of people the Superbowl of bass fishing the Geico Bassmaster Classic year after year different names appear a new dream achieved a light change sure there's a lot of other shiny trophies you can win and fishing but when you win the classic you don't just win a trophy you win a title you voice this bad boy in it comes party your name you're no longer Rick Kevin skeet Bobby Casey I Hank Denny or baby cook the rest of your life people refer to you as a Bassmaster Classic champion you see that's what makes this dream so special it's not just raised dream it's now all of our dreams 1982 Paul Elias Niels and rills his way to a Bassmaster Classic victory and a 13 year old kid in Kalamazoo Michigan starts to dream 1986 Charlie Reed gets crowned right here in Tennessee and a 21 year old Army sergeant from prosperity South Carolina starts to dream 1990 Rick Clunn wins number four and a little breakdance and kids staring at a TV and Philadelphia starts to dream year after year dreams start in those seats and then are achieved on this stage [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so here's my question to you who's it gonna be not just here today but next year the year after that five years from now ten years from now who's it going to me bassmaster big bass big stage big dreams who's next who's next who's next who's next is it dude maybe it's you we are Bassmaster [Music] yeah who's it gonna be that is a really great question on a single most important day in the sport of tournament bass fishing the Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods welcome to the Toyota Bassmaster studios on Tommy Sanders here with mark zona we're down to half our field today and you think in the upper half of that number you've got every one of them capable of catching 20 pounds and winner of the tournament also every one of those capable of falling off a cliff no doubt about it Tommy and they're relieved that this is the biggest day for the majority of these anglers lifetime on the water and the one thing that you could say about this event right now the one constant is how inconsistent this body of water is that being said it plays into really the last few years of the Bassmaster Classic when you think in angler is out of it you better think again yeah it plays into the hands of the fans as well you meet everyone else who wants a big big surprise ending maybe even at the end of it all we got to start that we know we can look forward to though volunteer landing is we take you out to the take-off right here we got the crowds that have been setting records all week long this is a huge expansive landing every square foot of real estate is occupied by someone here every little nook and cranny place you can stand to get a better view is occupied we've got ten guys staring at the one day that could make or break their career their biggest opportunity leading them out here on day number three the final bit did we go man this is it we're in contention to win there goes boat number one we're only a pound and a half out big bass big stage big dreams this is it man I mean the biggest event in the world of bass fishing how are you feeling on this final day man I feel unbelievable right now you know coming out with the lead small margin but Smalley but overall man this is just one of those things a lot of emotion here in Knoxville tower and a half way from my house only three anglers in the past ten years that were leading going into that third day have won the classic is there one guy I didn't mean to put that pressure on you but is there one guy or a couple of guys that you really have to look for today man I'm not too worried about them I got to do my deal overall and just catch as much as I possibly can and let the chips fall our way where they may ultimately for me I've won a lot of big events and I've lost a lot of big events I've been in contention several times when it's your time you're gonna win and that's all I'm gonna say look Jacob hammer down this time thank you so much Jacob wheeler staring right into the face of the biggest opportunity of his bass fishing life from Jacob wheeler he's not one of our Tennessee natives but he has some experience here on this particular body of water let's all get a little experience with our Yamaha unlocked the link exactly right Tommy Sanders the headwaters of the Tennessee River that flow right in a fort loud in from there fort loud you see going into Teleco Lake and throughout this tournament the major player has been Ford Loudon for consistency except guys like Mark Daniels jr. see him heading down lake on Fort Loudoun well this is a big day for mark Daniels but he only caught five keepers on day number two day three Bassmasters possible you don't get no don't get no better than this to be in this position I'm really excited I got my favorite lure in my hand we're gonna build Lewis Robert route and we're gonna see if we can catch the spot bigness that's a little dude right there buddy you know what that's ahead of schedule for mark Daniels jr. day one didn't get his first keeper till 10:30 maybe maybe 30 minutes earlier yesterday so mark Daniels jr. is off to a great start on this final day of the classic a matter of fact he has the lead right now one of the big stories at the top another big story at the top is the prohibitive favorite coming in here OTT Defoe who opened with 20 pounds on day number one well he had a tough day on day number two does he still think he can win I've had good classics before I mean I've had really good ones you know to go out the final day being the super six have a cameraman and I I know how he can feel to catch a big bag on the last day but it was never big enough [Music] there is stay on there baby there's number one you round where you're supposed to be getting a little chunky one I don't have to measure him even thank you lord don't worry lux jerkbait big thing to look at right they're switching to a jerkbait with hot D fo the waters clearing not as much current and hot D fo knowing those subtle changes from there I'm gonna go to an angler that went full-blown daenerys targaryen time Sanders on tape number exactly right Jacob wheeler who weighed in five big smallmouth and note one thing with your leaders Jacob wheeler coming into this final day leading all of our anglers that were covering today fishing very close to the main Lake not way back in pockets good luck David no not a keeper yeah that's a part of the name deal there caught them I think that one monkey let's say 17 a half inch er you put your head now let me just fam exhale where's that it there come on I get it I know number one when you fan that tail one decides man they just get a little bit a bit longer I thought maybe now calling that one I ain't gonna worry about that I just call him alright small mouth that's the big part of the wheeler story five big ones on day number two and looks like he's added again yet mark Daniels on top right now but that lead on the final day so important we'll leave them Bassmasters Classic you do everything right and you get them in the boat mmm I say it's hard man it's gonna be going tough one mmm sorry [Music] it's taking me a long time to get to the point where that I could fish professionally in I had a lot of breaks you know why don't won a couple tournaments have a lot of people that believed in me and told me that you know you could always do it and I think that support day in and day out that support is something that you know you'd have as people that would that would be negative and hate on you can't do this you can't do this and whether I win or whether I lose it just it's just so so real you know at this moment just like hey you're leading the Bassmaster Classic you know you're leading this event one more day to go you know it's basically all I dreamed up the 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods is brought to you by Toyota Yamaha Skeeter boats power pole [Music] final day of all important day of the World Championship of bass fishing the Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods we are just getting underway today you know the rules of the game here of course we're on the tennessee river system here in these two lakes Teleco lake and loud or pretty much what's in play three days of fishing for the full field only two days we're down to half that size field on the final day that's the way the payout goes right there of course first place is prohibitively large but everyone in the field top to bottom one through 52 filling the paycheck on this week took a lot to get here and one guy in the field already owns one of those classic trophies he beat of 2003 champion down in Louisiana Mike Iaconelli a big day number two for him you know I'm notorious and I am it it I'm notorious in my career for overestimating my fish today honestly I thought I had right around 18 pounds a shade over 18 pounds and I hadn't had 19 something so that's a good feeling you wanted you want to be wrong on the good side at the Bassmaster Classic definitely what it'd be wrong so the only chance for me to have a shot to win would be for that kind of bag or more that's a big one that's a big one see where he shot series huh they don't want it that's a good indication they don't want it it's also hooking on the bottom which mean he's coming down on it which tells me they're a little more suspended the other thing is look at the color of that fish real white yesterday there were a lot darker so you know all these indications are indications that the fish has suspended a little ice that's more like that's a tune that's a two and a half that's definitely been the right direction anyway I have a bait that runs shallow or two I went over here in a second have a DP 3 flat 3 [Music] Oh Mike Iaconelli now this is a place he's kept honest each of the three days so far this is his large Mount spot mark Sona and he's got to have this place play also a small amount spots will be keeping her eyes on hike and Ellie today exactly right he assaulted that area yesterday just around the corner Jessie Wiggins from Alabama another angler just like Mike Iaconelli that said he had a huge practice it slipped a little bit on day number one came back on day number two but he said the weather is setting up perfect to crush them I hope the big and spot again tomorrow cuz I need to get him in the boat cuz I was around some big ones today and I could have had a monster bag but anyways we get to fish tomorrow so maybe there's no swimming well say y'all tomorrow's gonna be awesome Jesse Wiggins from Smith Lake Alabama really accustomed to deep clear water and if you look at a lot of our leaders here on the final day this has been a winding tournament crank and crank and winding away but really Jesse Wiggins one of our anglers a lot further back in the pockets than most of our other leaders feels like a fish oh my god the giant yes bass master classic baby how about that for a start four pounder yes guess what boys we need five pounds behind no more I can move now from Jesse Wiggins he is back to wheeler this is a big thing now I'll tell you guys right now I think the bite will be early because there's not a whole lot of win today I think that's the reason yesterday I went fishing for largemouth first thing and caught four of them and then I went doing this thing and end up calling them all out with smallmouth but today I went straight to the goods so you know cuz I felt like that wind would cut them up there yesterday along which today you know maybe it will maybe they'll still fight up and maybe they'll still be there but I have a feeling it'll be a little tougher this afternoon what's that hold up I came in hot key for me 14 enter number two keep it going listen ready get on there comes out I only use one live well so he's either one of the trash cans I'll just be to keeping it real with y'all so sometimes I'll let them fish along with the Red Bull camp as I figure it might give them wings every once a while a little scare to do that you might open that thing up and fly right out of there I mean why use a man altimeter why use them at all wheeler here almost 18 pounds yesterday that keeper we just saw probably wouldn't fit in a cast like this and we're a big day yesterday for Kris out Dane it took a while yesterday I think about 10:00 10:30 every single stop I mean I saw it I know what I'm looking for and just slow one and a swimbait through there I really I feel good about today we've got less wind today we don't have that north wind like we did yesterday everybody looking at that lack of wind as Chris mentioned right there of course it's gonna have to be perfect if he wants to equal what he did yesterday 2112 the largest limit of the tournament well that's enough to get a guy who's already excited just a little bit more so it's for the fans man it's for the absolute die-hard big bass fans I'm just trying to be a great you know representative of what grass roots fishing is and going through the ranks and chasing your dreams setting goals and crushing goals and getting to the level you want to be and dream to be yet I found my motivation some people some guys are motivated by the pure competition that's why their Elite Series anglers that's why they compete but I'm doing it for fascination this is the biggest bass fishing tournament in the world all I want to do is win I'm in contention going into day three that's all that you've been asked for the best slogan big bass big stage big dreams that is me that is Chris's Aldean that was Chris al Dain when he was 12 13 years old and to put it all together on day three of the Bassmaster Classic 2019 Knoxville Tennessee we're gonna blow the roof off this thing [Music] Geico Bassmaster Classic this is a big big week the biggest week in the sport of bass fishing in a big part of it is what you're looking at right now the classic Expo presented by Dick's Sporting Goods one of the most incredible outdoor shows a singular sort of thing there's not one that's even coming close for this category of outdoor shows and of course this is the world championship it's the final day here's Roy Hawk his first classic he just joined the Bassmaster Elite Series a couple of years ago and having a great class especially day one 1711 really roy Hawk said I have to rotate new water into my game I'm bouncing around with Kevin VanDam guys like Jacob wheeler and so far this tournament he has been full always here we go number one he's a little keeper that four digs Hawk secret baby first spinnerbait fish I caught this week bet I kept you know thank you lord we roy hawk just take so much joy and what he does for a living and he's done it successfully he's won everything out west i mean absolutely everything multiple times he you almost won a tournament his first time out with a Bassmaster Elite Series down in Alabama his first event as a rookie and Roy Hawk is enjoying his first classic let's put it that way exactly right but the big morning so far has been with Jesse Wiggins we said you better watch out for guys that aren't at the top of the leaderboard you're Jacob wheelers you're Mike Iaconelli guys like OTT defo quietly Jesse Wiggins has got himself back into this event and here's what's really interesting about this final morning it is totally different conditions the water is clearing not as much wind not as much current a lot of those anglers that were out on the main river like OTT Defoe Jacob wheeler Roy Hawk a lot slower morning so far--and well Jesse Wiggins getting a little bit further back into these pockets exactly where these bass are going well he has definitely collided so far not a problem catching a limit and a few big bites Jesse Wiggins could be looking at the Bassmaster Classic trophy yeah holiday that's a bias that's another billion it is it's another big into don't come off baby when it's going your way it's going your way baby and it is going my way right now son-of-a-gun ate it off the top of the water Wyatt was setting up and wines backlash oh my god whoo-hoo three and a half grand corner oh my gosh there on those little flat points sit look at my dead fighter right there see that little fighting off at Lauren's see Matt showed me that little flat stick out he's just setting up the same one that other bigan was on well when things are going right they're going right and that is gonna be the Skeeter boats taste the bait and then is just something you generally don't see this time of year with the water being cold is the fish biting a crankbait basically off of the top when you're picking a backlash out but really it could be the Skeeter boats taste the spot little shallow knotch points that has been key for Jesse Wiggins let's get over to hot beef oh he lost his wind direction that was favorable to him yesterday today there's no wind at all so defo having to call upon all his experience everything he knows about every corner of this fishery in order to get things done and maybe get that classic win I'm really kind of throwing you know if I had any sort of a pattern I'm not gonna forget about it but for the most part I'm throwing it out of the window today I have very very very little confidence in the lipless plate right now just given the conditions given that it's just dead slit comb that's why I switched more to the jerk bait then than anything this morning is it's just strictly conditioning related but that's what I'm doing that but towards the kind of place I'm fishing they're still similar those first couple I caught we're probably a little bit deeper than when I've been fishing they were probably six or seven foot where they did happen it's not like they're big ones they're just you know just keepers well you could see that this is a different fort loud in here on day number three for the first time in this event hot defo kind of leaving that main drag that main Fort Loudoun Lake and going while going to a boat dock area that we have not seen him hit this entire event could have been that he got a little bit of word from another competitor she's got to find out if it pays off Thank You Keith poche they told me yesterday before the weigh-in about this spot you like of credit with Chris do I follow doesn't hello Joe Joe mama keep the hope you're watching hope you saw that well just in case you didn't know it's perfectly legal and completely normal for these competitors within the same event to to share experiences and maybe give some advice to another angler where he might pick up a Fisher too stay out where yes thank you Jesus Ethan won't kiss you when I see you what I want to do well maybe not everything happens for a reason man one of the biggest moves we've seen defo making this tournament slow day number two but things turning around for all kinds of reasons this is going to be the greatest opportunity to win a classic and not Defoe's life and that's a big step I've had good classics before I mean I've had really good ones you know to go out the final day being the super six and I I know how he can feel to catch a big bag on the last day but it was never big enough not the ones that I call that makes me want to make this one mine even that much more and I'm as determined for tomorrow as I think I've ever been for something out it's gonna take a goodbye but it's certainly within reach and that's all I can ask for that would be I'd be pretty special is the world championship of the sport of bass fishing only three days of fishing and it goes by so fast we are well into the final day but he's 25 anglers left the Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods look at this place Knoxville Tennessee what an incredible host city this is turned out to be just a great sports town and they turn out for bass fishing that is for sure and talking about turning out for a season this guy certainly did it in 2018 on the Bassmaster Elite Series he is our Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the year Justin Lucas great day won some struggle on day two for him and we're down to one huh all right finally three Hey clutch fish right there for Justin Lucas interestingly enough he was called the vacuum back in Little League playing shortstop and that's exactly what he was oh that in the 2018 season on the Bassmaster Elite Series potentially it's fair to say more consistent than any angler we've covered the last half dozen that is true that is quite true all credit to him for winning that award that race going on this year for sure 2019 there's your Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings Canadian Chris Johnston two great tournaments to start out his year Scott Canterbury of Alabama Lee Liberty and also Patrick Walters both of those anglers striking a big lick at our first stop of the year on the st. Johns River drew cook of Florida on down the list that competition is ongoing and we hard fought until the end of the season there's a guy who owns a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy Mike Iaconelli Michael Iaconelli with a fast morning but the one thing missing that he had on day number two the quality has left maybe at the better one here's a good one there's a big one there's a big one there's a big one Oh God Oh God four pounder zt6 and his face 56 in his face in his face that's a heck of a number five Gerber pliers out the Garba for making the best players in the game there's a first four pounder today now we need four more like that one I don't understand the spitting gig I don't I've been around a while I know here's the thing I don't understand Lane it maybe he's the reverse vacuum creature I don't know around the corner - you're on official leader hot Depot who quietly quietly has risen atop the leaderboard number five a little stubby one two and a quarter I really try not to think about the final stages of the classic too much I want to focus on you know the fishing part then the good part of that will take care of itself in the end so for me it's just about staying focused on on my task which is which is going out there and catching five big ones every day I mean these fish live here and off that they don't on those points and stuff but one thing with that out there as it's getting some Sun and that could be and even that fish I call it there was like the last clip that was in the Sun with a herd fish busting into here so being a river system you knew this was gonna be a tournament of change in this body of water has changed literally every hour of this event and hot defo so far has definitely changed with it and fair to say making that boat dock right there probably the most famous boat dock on the Tennessee really for classic purposes that is for sure we're gonna move now from defo gonna go over to the man who took over the lead briefly this morning much faster start to his day for Mark Daniels jr. who had a great day yesterday but a little slow going we get further on up into the final day pass a pass for sure it's a keeper to Oh talk about eating that thing making a little adjustment running down here lift things up a little bit got the trap down pick up a little black fry crankbait let's just mix things up and call this one pretty quick no see if we can't write this little wave here for a minute as you said Tommy Sanders much master day today for mark Daniels jr. and fair to say he is the real deal no doubt about it started the day go in second place just ounces behind everyone else is sort of gain ground on mark Daniels hanging in the top-5 though dreamed about it you know I've thought of body actually make my mom wake me up wake me up at 5:00 in the morning on Saturday so I can watch Bassmaster and now I'm here competing against some of those guys still that I was watching then and thinking about where I'm sitting right now this is this is a life this is a lifelong dream and a life long accomplishment and hard work to gear [Music] yeah I don't know yeah I'm giving my all man that's that's it you championship Sunday not just any championship Sunday but the big one final day of the Geico Bassmaster Classic it's also safe Patrick's Day look at the st. Patrick's Day parade here in Knoxville the Marshall mini time classic competitor Roland Martin st. Patrick's Day parade would be something and it hit me is it Grand Marshall I don't know what I'm doing I'm Swedish the world of bass fishing you know you're talking about the Super Bowl of a special plastic we have one of the bass master passive learners right here in Larry Nixon we called the general it's really important to change your life didn't you want one of these you win the ultimate last mission and that's what every fisherman dreams I wanted 1983 [Music] probably the most incredible moment of my life well I never did when I came in this high a second place and but I always just wanted to win the Bassmaster Classic everybody wants to win the SEC we did see if I don't why don't we get back out in the water right now with Chris and Sal Dane taking a look at really he's been in the bottom end of Fort Loudoun and the bottom end of Teleco and here's why he caught him on Damen number two is what Chris Al Dane said wind current and Sun so far today Sun is all he has and so far today it has not been enough I'm 34 years old now and ever since I was in junior high school 13 14 years old I wanted to be a professional bass fisherman and I took the appropriate steps to get there I fished the club level the Bassmaster opens as an amateur I fished as an Ames wanna boat and finally in 2012 I've made the Bassmaster Elite Series and this is eight years in the making oh one little one I'm just trying to be a great you know representative of what grassroots fishing is getting to the level you want to be and dream to be yet and you know I'm a representative of that maybe sure but I'm just focused on winning this tournament that's the goal I said that's my personal goal I set out to win the Bassmaster Classic Oh such a big day for Chris Haldane with the conditions just absolutely will not get it let him get close to doing what he did on day number two let's get back after Jesse Wiggins earlier we watched Jesse go on a good little run they're getting from ninth place up into the top three and interestingly enough if you looked at a lot of these guys practice session when it was much much colder cloudier high heavy winds these guys crushed him and these fish were a lot more active the more the water has warmed up more the lot of these fish have scattered but Jesse Wiggins in an area where it looks like a lot of these bigger largemouth are coming to him and really Jesse Wiggins is only one big bite from walking in his first Bassmaster Classic trophy that's a monster boys that's the one I got a half and as a jot that is a John he's got it choked I think they're an eight minute I'd say four pounder you told my biting the crankbaits on when they bite it on this like oh lord have mercy they don't play around oh it's three big uns got two by two five pounders I'm gonna win the Bassmaster Classic it's good news when you're already calling this size of fish but was hunger empty it is good news good news for Jessie Wiggins indeed and if you really look at him if he did not slip on day number one he would be blowing this classic away definitely got it going in the right direction his timing is pretty good maybe not enough time left that's his only worry right now could be a worry for the guy who started the day with the lead to Jacob wheelers all the way down to fifth place by now Mercer tell your buddies to get out of my way the Canadian Geese right there and just they're messing them official that's right Canadians man come on guys not trying to mess y'all up Jacob wheeler said he needs to still be the hunter even though he was coming in this day leading this tournament will he has slayed two dragons days one and two so far day three has haunted young Jacob wheeler yes sir that's the one we were like you bit my bait I just came back and God doing to you I'd gone to you oh you're trying to get me to okay settle down so low I'll get you undone I had that sucker bite me right next to bow and I said forget it I caught one there yesterday on that exact same cast I had it tweet bite you know throwback in there stop it gets it yeah that's the kind of need a if it was a smallmouth only tournament fair to say Jacob wheeler is dominating this thing he had predicted he would win it if he wins it he's gonna win it with smallmouth now talking about largemouth Mike Iaconelli still in his largemouth place he's got to get enough weight here before he can go chasing small now no really I can Ellie said he thought he was gonna have to weigh in at least one or two giant smallmouth a day to win this tournament I can Ellie still living with his large mouth area and still fighting might help a little yeah that's good that's good [Music] it's not even I don't think I have to even look at it depends [Music] that is a big fish right there for Mike Iaconelli on all levels big in the scope of the competition that's going on right now look at that close close behind hot defo mike iaconelli if you doubt for a second he doesn't want to join that very elite group of anglers with one two of these trophies you'd be wrong from an emotional standpoint there's way more tied to this classic this potentially could be my last classic I hope it's not but it potentially could be and it would mean a lot means a lot to be able to to be one of the guys to win multiple classes there's only been a handful the two things I've wanted since I was a literally little little kid 10 12 11 12 years old was I looked at these things called the classic and I looked at the aoi and I said man if I can fish professionally these are the two titles I have to have have them have them I can rest with that I'm happy with that but man I'm a competitor as long as I'm in this sport as long as I'm competing I'm not happy with second or third or fifth I want to win I want another trophy and and I'm gonna work hard literally to the last cast tomorrow to make that happen [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Swee trip right there from Tony Costello Tommy Sanders and I'll tell you what everybody after that trophy this guy right here in the driver's seat with only a couple hours left of fishing this guy right here OTT Dafoe trying to close the door I do think you know a Big Dave could elevate my career too you know places I never imagined look at that fat tub yeah this is gonna be a pretty good coal right here just over 4 just over for thank you Jesus think of malicious marina a while granted he got a great tip on a place the cone visit here still I've seen this place before he knows how to catch him there that counts for a lot - hats off to hot D focus big turnaround today here's a guy in need of a turnaround Jacob wheeler Kirby are you Kirby Kirby's landing I see not Kirby seem like you you think you own the place he's okay he got all excited with that name small mouth keeper and here my next aboat cards now oh there we go baby yeah you've got a little large Oh at Kirby right there full of fire here on this final day and Jacob wheeler with a solid large mouth scratching and clawing to stay in this thing somebody else with a good history talks yeah at the classics they won't shut up I can Ellie a former classic champ he had gotten really close to our leader but I pulled away from him a bit now that's the one oh god stay on there that hurts me hurts my feelings hunt every kiss I'm getting a bite every care Oh [Music] pretty tender defect in her face my hat right here another good one for Mike Iaconelli right there and whether he wins or loses this tournament he has mind that one spot on the last two days for everything it's worth the only guy we could say is truly been on a pile of him during the course of this class q let's go back to Jessie Wiggins now had a great start to his day kept it going fairly steady all day long but still needs another two good ones this is how I called him yesterday fishing these lay downs and rocks but I didn't catch them to later in the day so may I came to it too early I don't know I didn't get a bunch of bites but when I got a bite it was a big one I mean I got five bites between about eleven and three so me that's pretty good that's a one bottom out I never specially if they're big feel like I can catch a five pounder doing this typical of any springtime event on the Bassmaster Elite Series and especially at this Bassmaster Classic really the last three hours of fishing right with that water heats up the most is when we've seen some of the biggest ones of this event there is tena help when the Jessie Wiggins needs for sure as we take a look at the story thus far OTT Dafoe first day leaders started down a bit today brought it back up and now Wiggins I can le and wheeler are the three who are trying to run him down as time continues to run out the last day of the Geico Bassmaster Classic the 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods is brought to you by hummingbird Minn Kota Talon mercury Oh friends we cannot give enough kudos to our hosts here our host city of Knoxville Tennessee here on the banks of the Tennessee River Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods that's the Sun sphere which was erected for the World's Fair a few years back and of course the classic Expo presented by Dick's Sporting Goods one of a kind one of the most sought-after outdoor shows you will ever see and speaking of dicks they sponsor the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year points race and on top of that race right there is Lee limbus II of Texas Patrick Walters South Carolina drew cook from Florida Brant Watley of Texas and Greg DePalma from New Jersey now if you watched our coverage at Saint John's you know Lee limousine areas [Applause] yes yes Lee Livesey maybe a cookie if he has a great understanding of what makes a magic moment ain't unforgettable moment for bass fishin fans everywhere that was a great tournament that was the start of the year for the Bassmaster Elite Series down at the st. John's just a slugfest supreme will never forget that entire Turner but we're in the middle of a very important one the most important one of the year right now Zee the Geico Bassmaster Classic and well we've had a turning point for sure no doubt about it fair to say the turning point on this final day is seeing defo basically scrapping what got him here we have seen him live on the main lakes on days one slipping a little bit fishing that same way on day two but going to this marina doc going to this set of boat docks proving right now could be the call of the event thank you keep O'Shea you give credit with Kristen all I've done hello Joe yo mama keep the hope you're watching hope you saw that yes thank you Jesus pthen won't kiss you when I see you I wanna do yes it is a good one right there for a hot D phone he's been pretty much flawless all day and that's gonna be the mercury move of the tournament hot depo leaving all of his main Lake points and gettin it done in that marina and he has mined it for pretty much everything it's worth and timing Sanders fair to say as much as we want to give that totally to OTT defo going into that marina getting his job done putting himself in the lead somewhere in there you have to say one other angler this guy right here again how about Jesse weekend a solid final day cut elation I have to say it he is the unofficial mercury move of this championship Sunday any one of these and probably thought had any of these the first day Oh Oh sucks oh hello boys and may have him bow hooked how to work it's gonna be two and a half they look good they feel good but they're not ain't helping no I got a call by pounds to win this thing all right a little bit gained from that Co right there for Jesse Wiggins put some up just under 43 pounds but he's got about a three pound disadvantage still remaining him and not defo whittling away at it but with time running out - it's starting to get pretty tense out there on the water for OTT defo the clock cannot tick away fast enough to get closer and closer to the ultimate weigh-in you final day the Bassmaster Classic they are getting ready there in thompson-boling arena for the way in which is coming up very soon introducing the mayor of Knoxville Madeline Rogero dignitaries all including the mayor of Knox County Glenn Jenkins you may recognize him if you're a wrestling fan as the one and only Kane how about that good stuff with that Kane gig but really my true fear came from the Undertaker nearly that's not getting I hear you watching Jacob wheelers final day know that fear has set in for him not having a lot of current today Jacob wheeler is going to need a big one Tommy it's gonna need it now that one's long enough and tell you that right now oh okay you just see what Jacob did he's got his former unbelievable you believe that unreal hey yeah keep her yeah okay we're gonna win this thing that buddy you believe that unreal short strike me again a ding did we have a third person with third first of all just a little bit there that means things are really starting to tighten up here and of course wheeler getting closer and closer to a Defoe as Bears watching for a little while right now as we take you from us well where wheeler is right there most of today he's been occupying the same area as mark Daniels jr. mark Daniels had a much slower day though exactly right taking a look at Jacob wheeler and right across the lake mark Daniel John Green but it's not agreed know exactly right Tommy but mark Daniels jr. alike wheeler a very solid effort on championship Sunday do they gonna make it all day yes sir it is and it's one side of his tail dude it's 14 the other side ain't crazy keeper number 5 4 mark Daniels jr. puts him ahead of schedule from day number two of this classic and really execution has been huge for a lot of our anglers in the top five one of those anglers got Defoe yes OTT Defoe found the conditions turned around made it much worse for him on day number 2 could have been even worse today but he has successfully turned that around [Music] I've got a got a solid lemon in the boat got two really really nice fish bladed jig on this dock has really been let's produce my weight for me today my four best fishing I'll come off of it to him being for sure the kind I need to win this tournament I was walking across the boatyard yesterday to the port of John after the end of the day keith is over there walking in circles nearly for this and man there's all the fishing lost just had a tough day so man I caught some fish down here on this dock like jig down that way y'all to go by there are good fish gonna use my full bladder and Keith post-show you having a bad tournament to put me here and those where I'll be right now what I would have caught you can't beat divine intervention that's my dad and brother over there Thomas kind of tore as to whether I want to just run more dogs don't like the fishes and stuff I've been fishing that's for Loudon yesterday's history tomorrow's a mystery mm-hmm oh thank Jesus know that we went on that path eventually you glad you came now dad he's so heavy three and a half pound suckers laughs it's absolutely phenomenal or the final day of a Bassmaster Classic on your home water getting it done in front of your father where everything did come together on this final day for odd defo when it certainly had a chance to not come together for him again hats off to OTT and he'll be a very hard to catch right now but nobody's gonna quit trying right now West straighter started the day in seventh place hasn't been able to make a lot of headway today and really a lot of the anglers thought that Wesley straighter was the one who really watched coming into this tournament defo said he has a lot more experience here than I do and really throughout this tournament if not for day number one Wesley straighter slowly has climbed the leaderboard oh he got it off the stump do you say that come on come on he got it off the stop he's still on the step please be on there hey still on there he's still on there he's a good to come up Aaron and ate it off the stump I saw him get out the stump I thought was a big first you believe in that you come up and got off of the stump I believe that just happened you know I mean come up and guard alphas dumb people even have one of any East Tennessee angling heroes that is Wesley straighter right there and of course we're coming up on that time where we gather together so many bass fishing heroes weigh-in time at the classic the importance of that of a Bassmaster Classic is it's your stamp on the sport as a whole I think a lot about winning but I try to put it in the back burn I do know where to throw that I don't like to throw that when and throw it there but try not to think about it too much but I do think about it because it would be awesome [Music] you this is it final day championship day of the world championship of bass fishing the 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods this is the 49th Edition we are rapidly running out of time getting closer and closer to the final reckoning weigh-in time there on the water and you back out on the water right now take a look at Jessie Wiggins started today in ninth place has really acquitted himself quite well today I mean he got off to a good start he's been solid ever since and it looks like he's hooked up again not a word yes I'd say almost 2 and 3/4 3 pounds on that one got the fish I get to call lordy mercy Lord that's a get up that's a classic day 3 getting cold 2 and 3/4 - and I have found her yet another upgrade right there for Jessie Wiggins and this is one of those strange tournaments coming down to the final minutes we're really one swing of the bat and get these guys right back in it the final minutes also for a former psycho Bassmaster Classic champion from 2003 Mike Iaconelli certainly fished his way into the top 5 yesterday but hasn't been able to crack the top 2 there's one big one big oh my god giant this is this is the one oh my god oh my god this could be the winner fish yeah four-pounder let's go literally on the last stop of the day let's go [Music] oh my god about 15 years ago the last stop of the day worked out huge for Mike Iaconelli now to another angler trying to get some kind of magic going on his last stop of the day Jacob wheeler two more bites baby they're gonna be big but two more bites trying to think where I want to run what I want her on is the key okay I need to go run mine run this stretch and then one run mine run this stretch men run that one other stretch Jacob wheeler one of the best bass fishermen in the country right now made a statement I have to run new water to win this tournament well he has done definitely that on championship Sunday still behind our leader this one's gonna come out in the last minute I'm just telling you I could just I could just feel my gut what's going on so I'm gonna come down to the last cast look can only hope for something giant to happen with these last few casts of the day he's been running hard trying to squeeze all he can out of the final minutes meanwhile at Dafoe a little bit more relaxed but boy would he'd like to catch one more good keeper and lock down that classic trophy I'm all baby [Music] [Music] [Music] hmm yeah thank you Jesus oh thank you Lord right here to the last minute what sir if I had a bias or a drone mmm through this time big one therefore hot D phone a lot of times in Bassmaster Classic competition a local does not live up to his reputation on set body of water this week ah t-phone backed up his reputation well another great crowd has gathered here these crowds at thompson-boling arena have been setting records all week long let's do it one more time we were almost there it's almost weigh-in time [Applause] you third day in a row and look at the size of the crowds that have shown up at one of the largest basketball arenas in the country Thompson Boling Arena only any room to fit anymore in yesterday I don't know if they're all gonna get in today but I tell you what we're all about to go inside all of us watching here because we're gonna see how it goes down at the final reckoning ladies and gentlemen there they are your 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic [Applause] [Music] [Music] all right let's bring in our current a leader ladies and gentlemen and load our hot seat first get loud ladies and gentlemen for Jesse Wiggins Jesse you uh you've been pacing backstage championship Sunday you get a spot in that seat and anything can happen exactly right I'm not complaining one bit for my seat right now well get cozy because you got six of the best to ever play the game rolling through here are you guys ready for the first boat to roll through fishing his third Bassmaster Classic he's a 17 time FLW Cup qualifier three-time Bassmaster winner two of those wins came last year Tennessee's very own Wesley strata starting a date with 28 pounds even he's got five fish all alive looking for 1515 to take the lead 11 pounds 8 ounces not gonna take the lead but he moves into third place and Tennessee he does she proud all year long and he did it again here this week let me hear for Wesley shredder [Applause] here's the 2003 Geico Bassmaster Classic champion the 2006 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year from Pittsburgh New Jersey go I for Mike I can [Applause] pounds and nine ounces he's looking for 15 pounds six ounces to take to leave five fish all alive needs 15 six 14 pounds even one pound six ounces short of the overall lead but I can le moose in the second place [Applause] he is a five-time Bassmaster winner came into this event as the odds-on favorite to win it from Knoxville Tennessee let's hear it for your heart [Applause] thirty pounds and five ounces to start the day he's looking for 13 pounds 10 ounces 8 [Applause] [Applause] his for the Bassmaster Classic he is a two-time fast master winner 16 Bassmaster toptenz Tom to get Saldana's for Chris [Applause] at the biggest bag of the tournament yesterday 21 pounds and today the much tougher date 30 pounds 12 ounces to fish to add to that for 3 pounds 4 ounces gives you 34 pounds even you move into 10th place cheer forum being our super six one of the brightest young stars in this sport took an Elite Series win last year on Lake Hawaii started the day with 31 pounds 14 ounces get loud for mdj but Ben is junior 31 pounds 14 ounces to start the day he's got a 5 fish limit looking for 17 6 9 pounds of 14 ounces he moves into fourth place with 41 12 give me a little love for mdj he is the youngest angler ever to win the Forrest Wood Cup he won the first two Bassmaster Elite Series of Benzi fish get loud for Jacob wheeler [Applause] oh he doesn't need near as much to the other guys he came as your leader let's get on let's get our guys side by side we're gonna have an incredible champion no matter who it is Tennessee he started today with 32 pounds 6 ounces looking for 16 14 12 pounds 15 ounces and your best master Classic champion a showdown the fruit [Applause] go down by d-o-double on Tennessee get live for your hometown hero oh look at this arena what this arena means to you in this community and so many dreams have been achieved in this arena and now the greatest dream of all that you had your whole life if you are a bass master classic champion and you did it right here in Rocky Top well when I went to my first classic at nine years old watch George Cochran win that tournament right then I wanted to be a bass fisherman and I wanted to do this right here so bad I couldn't stand it when you have a dream like that when you have a dream like that when you believe in God man he just makes it way for stuff to happen when it shouldn't happen he makes the way there's a lot of shiny trophies you can win in this sport but there's one title and you're gonna carry it for the rest of your life are you ready to make this official absolutely Tennessee are you ready to make this official [Applause] classic champion back to back Bassmaster Classic champion Jordan Lee to do the honors [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hey so down a barrel down a big fish bill down [Applause] [Applause] what talks about it all the time he doesn't do this by himself he is one of the most amazing support teams and I'm gonna welcome them to the stage right now [Music] at the beginning of the week what did you write on in front of your daddy's garage I I wanted him to win because I think he's the best daddy in the world [Applause] that's what it's all about ladies and gentlemen his incredible family one more time on before you make one of the most iconic rides in fishing your 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic champion the hometown favorite makes the crowd go crazy that's pretty evident right there he was also the favorite coming in what a story from three days of fishing for odd defo and coming off a de marzo 'no that made him mad made him mad but he turned it around on this day and of course all the groundwork was laid maybe on even on day number one you know it was scary going into this tournament I said ah just answer this sentence you will win this tournament if and if you look at this one bass that he caught on day number one he said I'll win this tournament if I catch a giant one giant six to seven pound bite and I stack chips around it that's exactly what happened and really the other side of OTT defo if you really look at the the perspective of sports in general he's the guy you root for and to cover him the years that we have covered him he's a dude that just deserves it absolutely he has laid all the groundwork and he did so this week as well and the only thing that remains I guess is to take us through those three days with the champ himself ah Tico will join us when we come back [Music] you the 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods is brought to you by Nitro boats Abu Garcia [Music] Berkeley Triton boat one of the most amazing things about this classic is the fish it freaks that showed up here head Knoxville Tennessee that's an that's a lot of folks to show up 5:30 in the morning so that really that many people and people from Oh before daylight I mean that just shows you this is the Bassmaster Classic look at that crowd look at that crowd we're in contention to win it is for the fans may you all time attendance record for the Bassmaster Classic [Music] ohayo baby [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well there it is you got a revel in it the magic moment when one angler stands on top of the world of fishing that is the scene at the weigh-in Geico Bassmaster Classic presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and OTT Dafoe yeah you know the hometown favorite the favorite son of Knoxville Tennessee and the pre-tournament favorite it all came together everybody stuck to the script this time around and it was a great day and one you'll never forget I'm sure absolutely told me man what a day it was and you know watching some of this watch some of this footage going back is really making us think he and it really has you know but man certainly what a day what kind of emotions you know the that morning being kind of tough and then midday being pretty good and then closing off with a really good fish there at the end of the day you look back at the last decade of Bassmaster Classic except except for a couple maybe with Kevin VanDam and 10 and 11 everybody has had to endure one really tough day and it's just three days of fishin it's kind of remarkable that that's the way it works but hey that's great for the fans it adds to the drama you did us all a little favor by by slacking off on these boys on saying but I think the best thing we can do right now is have you take us it was sort of an abbreviated version of what happened in your eyes each day starting with day one absolutely you know day one went perfect I mean looking back at the day as a whole and I said that you know and in the deal in the interview afterwards was that it looked really really good on paper you know I mean having 20 pounds having a 6 pounder I had three keeper small mouth that day it looked really good on paper what the people didn't see was that the three fish that I called the very biggest one was a pound and a half of pound three quart fish so I needed all five of those quality bites that I got and that I was able to land yes I mean I started off with a lipless crankbait that was what produced my fish early and often and and all the big ones you know and except for the very last fish I called it on a grappler dt4 and the only reason I picked up that dt4 on that particular spot was because there was a lot of real shallow stops and I had the fear that I would get that lifters crankbait hung before I was able to generate a bite there and that dt4 just comes through that cover a little bit better I knew I tied that little fella on for a reason last night conditions were perfect when coming from the south just just said if all your spots your kind of unique spots as good as can be but the part of the classic that's the hardest to do is staying ahead of all the changes and we had a complete 180 swap around the conditions tell us what you thought when you saw how it was doing on day 2 on day 2 you know with with that wind switching out of the north I knew it would be a challenge for me or at least I felt like it would and I thought it would be pretty hard on everybody so I wasn't too concerned with it and I thought if I could just catch 12 13 14 pounds I would be really happy and I even told they've merged with out on the dock that morning you know that I'd be happy with a 13 pound day today so I went out that morning and pretty early on called a really nice one three and a half three and three quarter pound largemouth on the lipless crankbait on the same shallow Bars foot and a half to three and a half feet deep kind of stuff that I was fishing and then I called another keeper and then I called another keeper shortly after that and then I just died it just I'm not sure if I got into bad rotation I still don't know what happened to be quite honest but it really really died for me and I went from about 10 o'clock until after 1:00 without catching a fish much less of keeper yeah so you 14 with a you were not happy yeah you had 10 pounds of yeah and some change right there that the last day yeah this is when odd has to reach down and figure out something that's right pretty much the same condition still tough yeah you you've been thinking about it and you get a little help as well yeah yeah absolutely that final day you know we had no wind so at least we had some north wind the day before to help the bite a little bit but that final day having zero wind whatsoever would be the very toughest day and you know I haven't come back in that second day pretty down pretty disgusted walking across the bathroom towards the port of John just just to go you know use it take a bathroom break run into a fellow angler keep poche who had yet to go way in and just like myself and he'd had a really tough tournament start to finish but had generated some bites down there on a marina and said man you know if you're down that way maybe you ought to stop by there and try bladed jig on it and and I was already playing I'm doing something different and going down to the far end the light got to work my way back fish and similar kind of stuff is what I've been fishing but I you know I was open to mixing something different into that you were - good - absolutely absolutely and pulled up there about 9:30 10 o'clock in the morning and was very thankful to get the fish that made all the difference in the world and a moment you've looked forward to since you're a kid you you made your dad take you to the classic that's real oh boy yeah at nine years old I went to my first classic down in Birmingham Alabama I watched George Cochran one win that event and went to the next nine in a row all the way through 2004 watching Takahiro win over on Lake Wylie in North Carolina and most of those first ones the first six or seven up until the Chicago one I went to the Chicago one but that was actually the first one we didn't take a boat and follow guys out real water no all those first several four or five six however many that was we actually would take a bow to go out on the water as well so diehard classic fans I always have been and then now if I have that trophy at home is speaking at home all the years I've known you out of the road you've never been more times than not you've been with your family so this is an occasion for joy times five and it really yeah it really is you know having having jinniyah and our three kids up there on the stage and I'm you know I would have loved to have won the other seven classes that I fished before this one but the great part I mean the Abbey is 11 Parker and Lizzie or seven now they'll remember this for the rest of their life and that's you know that's really really special we had it been a earlier one when the when the twins or two three four years old maybe not so much but they're old enough now they can remember and we'll all remember it and you'll remember it too in the history books forever FIFO your Geico Bassmaster Classic champion thank you I yes sir 2019 Geico Bassmaster Classic champion the pride of Knoxville Tennessee [Music]

Channel: Bassmaster

Views: 276,128

Rating: 4.7756009 out of 5

Keywords: BASS, B.A.S.S., Fishing, bass fishing, Bassmaster

Id: ziISBv_EHCs

Length: 91min 17sec (5477 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 05 2019