Classic format flawed

I’m a huge fan of watching the Classic and even a fan of Jorden Lee. However, I think they spread out practice for this event way too much prior to the start. It seems pretty obvious that Lee had nothing good going in practice so he just started over on day one and figured it out in the current conditions. My bet is that if he discovered some developing patterns in practice that he too would have been surprised by how much the fish moved in their time off. Yes, he won fair and square but I really think a lot of it was the luck of having a terrible practice and this is too big of a tournament for that. I’m not talking about the need for adjustments based on conditions, this event proved to me it required a complete restart. Not how I want to see a Classic won. Anyone else think the same?

... No.

What you’re calling luck, I call skilled st making adjustments

No. Lol

Uhhh, what would you propose??

I think we'd all like to see guys go out there and smash them. It's not overly entertaining to watch the best in the world scratch out 5 fish for 9lbs. That said, it had nothing to do with when they practiced and everything to do with tough conditions. For whatever reason that lake just got tough. If there was a dominate pattern to be had one of those guys would have found it. I guess you could say Jordan Lee found it, it's just not what many of us were hoping for.

Fish don't always cooperate. I think that's what draws most of us to this sport. Just when you think you've got them figured out you get humbled.

Nope

Nope. I don’t agree.

Move this thread to Facebook. Geez, where is my safe zone for just reading about fishing

I am not fully understanding your issue. Why do they need to have a good practice? Having a bad practice can also be a good thing. Tells you what you thought was was wrong. Lee adapted and put it together on game day. How else would you have liked to have seen it won?

No I don’t agree

I do not agree at all. If you have fished enough it's about making adjustments and trusting ur gut. Easily said very hard to do. Congrats too Jordan Lee.

Actually it's exactly how I would like to see a classic won. Someone figuring it out basically that day and not from simply repeating practice. There are many really good fishermen that excel simply because they continually spend time on the water continually patterning fish on their lake(like a guide) and then there are really gifted fishermen that can continually adapt to changing lakes and changing patterns(successful tournament anglers). Was some measure of luck involved? His finally "figuring it out at the right time"? Sure, luck will always play a part in fishing...always. Talent/gifting though prevail at this level and I don't think the format or timing of practice "flawed the outcome".

I think that proves he's an even better angler. All of them can fish predictable conditions, but the ones who can really adjust to the fast changing conditions are what separates them.

Congrats to Jordan.

The only flaw with the format is it won't let shmucks like me in.

For real though, I like the format and I like to see guys struggle...then figure it out.

It's called fishing, not catching. The name of the game is to go out and do whatever it takes on the days of the classic, these guys are the best in the world. Why in the world would you say that it is flawed, these guys could go out on any given lake and catch them. The one that can do it three days in a row no matter the weather, conditions, or fishing pattern is the one that deserves the trophy...

Need to save for dumbest post of the year award.

Just like the U. S. Open in golf. I like to see the pros struggle. I like instinct to kick in when plan A goes out the window. The best fishermen know when to get off what isn’t working and do something else. What was Christie thinking?

Completely agree! In many of the pre-tournament interviews with the pros, I heard guys say "this Classic will be won by someone who has no idea they're going to win it".

Think the same? buddy I don't think you and I are on the same planet.

Seriously guys OP must just be trolling us

+1!

Not at all. I think this went about as well for BASS as possible with that much drama on the final day.

I was really pulling for Christie though, man he just needed 1 more swimmer....

I dont even comprehend what the point is he is trying to make.

I watched and they all said in a few days it would go off. At first I thought him and his brother had figured something out in practice, among many other patterns and finally dialed that one in. Recall Jordan caught 25lbs last year on last day, thats a come from behind if I ever saw one, and it only took 12 fish to win it for him, not 15, cant get that out of my head!!!

Right! I feel for the guy for sure! He got screwed by spectator boats for two of the three days he was on the water.

On day two, he actually bumped a spectator boat trying to get out of the back of a cove. Sad.

Let the guys fish! No need to be all up on the guys nuts while he's fishing. The spectators cut his bite in half on day two and three. The ran boats all over his outbound side of his coves, as they followed him "at distance" into the coves. Idiots.

Take binoculars and stay the hell away from his area.
Off my box now.

look at another way.....the difference between 1st place and 10th was only 5lbs....(47lbs vs 42lbs)....each of the top 10 culled multiple times and weighed 15 fish total for three days...the difference between 1st place and 2nd place was only one pound meaning only 1 ounce per fish....
all of the top 10 are very good fishermen but seems to me when the weights are this close,luck determines who wins.....
(and Jason Christi ain't had no luck in the classic)....

This Classic was the epitomy of fishing. Jordan couldn’t find a pattern so he went to his style of fishing, what he is confident in. Sometimes, that’s the answer and this proved that.

I would rather there be no practice time at all, just show up and fish just like MLF.

I think this is typical for a bass tournament during the spawn. On a lake where you cannot see beds, fishing seems to almost shut down when they start spawning because moving baits become less effective. And if you cannot see the beds, unless you are dragging a TR or CR, you might have a tough time getting a bite. Jordan was able to find just enough weight to pull out the win. They are all fishing the same conditions, so whoever makes the better adjustment finds the better fish.

Christie only weighed 14 fish. He didn’t have a limit yesterday

No.

DUMB

losing the classic by 1lb2oz and only having 4 fish last day...and losing two years ago because somebody caught a 29lb sack last day is....having no luck at the classic...

Ok....... I wasn’t talking about bad luck

You said all he top 10 had 15 fish. I was stating that was not correct as Christie(3rd place) only had 14 fish for 3 days

^^^^This. Pre-fishing is over-rated

We are all now dumber for having read this post and may god have mercy on your soul.

I think BASS is doing a great job with there business.. They have a committee of present and past anglers that they ask for input .

Tournament format is fine, problem I have is Basstrakk, it takes all the anticipation out of the weigh in. Why even watch when it is that predictable at the end.

Id rather them have no practice... or at most 1 day... like 99% of us get to fish

Christie got beat by edwin 2 years ago. Guy set the record to win it, shake his hand, move on.

Christie LOST this one himself... any keeper yesterday and he wins...

+1

Exactly. 99.9% of the time the best guy wins and that's the purpose of the Classic. Definitely worked this time. I would have liked Christie to win but he was missing #15 and Lee got his. Best man won again.

I like the zero-practice format.

Damn Yankees...

WHAT???? Wtf are you smoking. Wow

No JFB I don't agree with you at all. Figuring out the fish daily is part of the fun of tournament fishing!

Wait the major issue here is the OP is from New York.

Go spew your hate and ignorance of the sport on the NYFF.

I thought it was one of the best classics ever! I think most everybody was all in on Christie winning it, he is the most feared angler in bass fishing tournaments,right. BUT!!! Here comes this young quiet college kid that just won't go away! You're to damn young, you haven't paid your dues, you were born with a silver spoon, everything has been given to you on a silver platter, blah, blah, blah! Jordon Lee just showed the world he is the real deal. He's not going anywhere any time soon and if you want it you better bring your A game every single day. He's shown he can fish off of his electronics and do exceptionally well, and he's shown he can shallow water fish with the best in the world. He just showed us how adaptable he is and how quickly he can change gears while IN the moment. That does not equate to an intangible given. Jordan has the IT factor, he has IT, we wish we could find IT! The IT factor can't be bought, or given from one to another. It is a God given talent that is found and perfected by the individual through hard work and discipline. I think we have all learned a lot about tournament bass fishing in those three days of competition.

I somewhat agree. I think tournament days benefit from basstrakk and live.. makes thurs-sat bearable to watch.. kills all the excitement out of Championship Sunday though

For the record, no. The format works fine.

It's all about making money, 100% THE MAIN GOAL, basstrak gets viewership, viewership gets advertising dollars and that is what drives the machine.

I enjoy basstrak and the live coverage and I am not mad anyone is making bank...

This is pretty much me as well, i'd be happy to see them cut off live and Basstrakk at 11 am on Championship Sunday!

This is the highest level of bass fishing, 49 of these guys are full timers, they all have the ability to adapt on any given day, Jordan Lee just did it better than the rest of the field!

Congrats to the young man!

Dang!!!! The kid wins 2 Classics in a row and people still claim its luck. LOL

Questioned asked and answered, thanks. I didn’t realize so many of you guys were keyboard a$$holes. The simple fact is when you spread out practice and take days off, it does effect the result and it IS different than the rest of what their career is based on- that’s my point. Never took anything away from Lee and even acknowledged the adjustments. I just thought it was telling how guys who were on them in practice really bombed and Lee (who said he found nothing other than some small spots) had no other choice but to go fish his strength and clearly a great decision given the circumstance. To me I just don’t love how he biggest tournament of the year is different than the rest of year (and yes I’d also like it to be 4 days).

Sorry I tried to watch. But watching guys struggling to catch 2lb fish wasn't entertaining. But it's hard for me to watch Dave Dueshpan and Marc Zona

He won fair and square . Maybe a little luck didn’t hurt either.

A lot of times the best thing that can happen during pre-fishing is to not catch fish. It tells you exactly what the fish are not doing and you adjust to what they are doing on tournament day.

I had rather someone struggle and adapt than to find a honey or two and camp out on these spots for three days. I feel this (adapting) has more skill and knowledge of the sport than the finding of a single area and camping out on this area for the entire tournament.

I am just not understanding what is upsetting about this to you. You don't like the fact that someone did poorly in practice and still won versus someone who did well in practice and lost because of the number of days between practice and tournament? Are you saying he won junk fishing and that isn't a proper way to win a tournament? To me that would be the very definiton of adapting. He chose the most right way at least on final day and really Christie kind of handed it to him by weighing only 4. One fish and Lee doesn't win probably.

^^^^^^^^^
This is so right.

You got to catch them when they count. Everyone knew when that was.

Lee is a major sandbagger. He is never on anything. Evrytime he says that from now on they are going to raz him.

They should keep Baststrax separate from the tournament coverage on Sunday. That way you can watch the video and have less idea about who actually won.

Sorry you posted your opinion and some didn't agree. You literally asked for it... Regarding the tournament format, I like it. Most tournaments are won by the angler that makes the right adjustments and executes. Looks like it worked as it should.

So everyone that doesn't agree with you are a-holes??

Man you shouldn't get butt hurt that easily.


Lee went fishing and did the best he could. The top 4-5 after 2 days did not produce, Lee did and he won. Sometimes things happen that are in and out of your control to add up to a positive result for you and sometimes just the opposite happens.
It's called life, grasp the good and let the bad go.

"Luck" as you called it, is a term made up by unsuccessful people as an excuse for failure.

What the hell s different than having a week off limits like most team tournaments around her have?

I don't think he was calling everybody that didn't agree with his opinion a-holes, just the ones that were tossing out insults. I agree that there isn't any reason for that.

I do know that I would be disappointed if they cut the quarters to 12 minutes for the Super Bowl. Not saying that whoever won the game didn't deserve it, but I would rather see it played exactly the same as all the ones leading up to it.

I guess the term luck could be used by unsuccessful people as an excuse for failure... but I've also heard it used by untalented losers, as an explanation for success.

Make it 4 days like an regular Elite event with same practice structure...??? WHY? It’s THE CLASSIC, a different animal. You’re not fishing for points, it’s a tournament to be fished to win.

Man I really like that Douglas. I'm going to use that.

Question, can the anglers look at BassTrak during the tournament?

Seems I remember Christie looking at it in 2016 after a fan told him that Evers had sacked them. Just seems like if Christie were to look and see that he only needed one keeper to win late in the day, he would have done something else to catch that one fish.

They’re both good dudes who love the sport and work relentlessly. Maybe if you knew them personally you wouldn’t make such an ignorant statement...

And for the record I like the Classic format and the challenge it poses for the anglers.

Do you seriously think Christie wasn't doing everything in his power to catch his last fish to fill his limit??

It wasn't like he was throwing a 12" Trout Swimbait swinging for the fences.

I wish they would get rid of the bass trak. I was watching the weigh in and you could tell already that Christie wasn't going to win it, bass trak spoils it.

Asking what others though and then calling em holes for not agreeing w/you? Special!

I like basstrak....it makes watching the sponser announcements from each angler optional. I can simply skip the weighin.

Bingo

I understand. Just have to wonder if he would have done something different, maybe the last hour or so, if he knew that was all he needed to win. I was pulling for him. That was a tough loss to watch him take.

I was pulling for JC as well. I do not think for one second that JC didn't know how close he was to J. Lee. He knew he needed just one little keeper. I believe he was doing ANYTHING he could to get bit.

Kind of humerous situation, I listened to a interview with Matt Lee that was done just before the classic.
He thought the winner (if he didn’t win) would be John Cox, count on it...he is the man to beat... lol