The New Champion

This man is living his dream, and did whatever it took to fulfill it.

Phil

CONGTATS TAK!

Warren

His win will probably usher in a lot more Japanese pros to the US bass scene as well as their baits and tackle.

Brad Coovert 2003 Angler of the Year, Greenfield Bassmasters http://www.greenfieldbassmasters.com

Overall I enjoyed my entire experience given that it was my first Classic attendance in person. I almost won the Triton (or so I tell myself, the first name called was not in attendance, so they drew again, I know they "just" missed mine and the wife's entires in the second draw LOL!) The show was ok, but being made-for-TV it got kinda slow when they were apparently going to commerical. I think the 13,000 attendance number was low, as they had to open the upper deck before 3PM and the lower seats appeared stuffed full and more than any 13k people IMO.

Congrats to my hometown boy doing good (Marty Stone, Linden NC) and my current "hometown" guy also cashing, Dustin Wilks (who gave a shout out for our great Northern NC lakes on national teevee, Harris, Jordan, Falls, Kerr and Gaston Lakes). No offense to anyone else, but I was hoping that KVD's lead would hold up through the Super Six so he could join the few multi-Classic winners, and was glad that Tak ended up the winner. Talk about the American dream. Omori's dream had to come true yesterday if I had to guess. Yes, I was pulling for VanDam even though he was not my guy in the ROFB pool.

And while rambling around the show at the convention center back up town I got to meet and chat with Rick Clunn, Roland Martin, and Hank Parker, all great guys who were taking the time to speak with weekend warriors like myself and sign autgraphs for the kids. Saw the Secret Weapon lures booth and thought about popping in but those guys were busy-busy. Stopped into the Booyah booth and grabbed a couple of spinnerbaits. Oh, and drooled over all the nice pro rigs they had lined up in there, including the incredibly nice Triton TR21X they gave away. That puppy had color LCD/GPS on the console AND the front end both, a Lowrance 19? in the console and a 330? at the bow. Nice. Had a 225 Optimax on the back, but again I am a weekend hacker, and a big old 250 Verado would be wasted on me except for just knowing that it is supercharged...the prize boat with the 225 would have been a wet dream for me as it was. I'd pay the income tax on it and keep it had I won, but no way could I justify the $47k MSRP to buy one just like it out of the showroom.

Traffic wasn't terrible out of the Coliseum, but road work on I-85 North near Greensboro made for a really late return to our near-Raleigh home. All and all it was very worth it, though I've decided to try and be in the "gallery" the next time, if ever, they return to a nearby NC/SC lake. I'd like to have seen these guys work on the water. And given that the prior 2 trips here were to High Rock and it has since been dessimated by drought (summer before last, the lake was basically closed the entire summer due to low water), I can't see them back there in the next few years, if ever. If nothing else, maybe they'll be back to Santee Cooper sometime soon, that's not too terrible a drive.

Anyway, congrats to the Classic winner...Takahiro Omori.

One of the smallest things, that seemed cool to me as well, were the banners hanging from the rafters (in the Coliseum) like retired jerseys, listing the year, the locale, and the winner of all the previous Classics. I would point up to some and say things like "1989, Hank, I remember that one, he got it exactly 10 years after his first in 1979, which I also remember" and so on to my wife, showed her all of Clunn's banners, etc. If there was ever any doubt in my wife about me being a charter member of the redneck club, they were all laid to rest this weekend... LOL!

As we walked up to the weigh-in yesterday I would say "Look, that's a 1995 Skeeter. Look there, that's a REAL old Ranger, prolly a late 70s model. That HAS GOT TO BE at least a 25 year old Evinrude on that boat..." (about the boats in the parking lot) and she just laughed and smiled in amazement that her hubby, that took 12 years off from fishing to be her full time husband, really was into hawg bass fishing in such a way. (a passion, but never a profession)

Yes, she said "You're welcome" several times during the day for "letting" me (yeah right) get a new little boat last year and spend so much time out on the water again, where IMO, I just seem to belong, regardless of whether I am just fishing or actually catching... ;-p So now that I've got the bug bad, I can get BACK on the water later this week IF this blasted TS Alex will get on out of here. Raining cats and dogs here and it's just outer bands/squalls to this point...that's fine, push those lakes back up into the trees. I'll know where to find some fish then.....LOL!

I especially like that the Japanese victor -- from the land of high end crankbaits -- used an old American crankbait to claim the victory.<G>

RichZ© www.richz.com/fishing