My wife an I attended this year. It was our 4th in a row. It's exciting to go! Many new names but the quality of the fisherman has not diminished.
We always head to the Day 1 takeoff. This year it was an 1 1/2 hour drive! I usually only wake up that early to GO fishing not to watch other people go fishing.
The attendance was light. It was cold and windy and a long drive so I guess that kept most at home. Best take off so far was Knoxville last year.

The Expo was large with a lot of great vendors. Dicks was not there. Academy didn't have a big shopping setup - and they were a prime sponsor.
Nonetheless there were plenty of great deals and lots of new boats to lust over. Found and bought few innovative things.

One good thing about the BPT - most if not all of the big names were at the booths. We met quite a few, pictures and autographs!
Mike Iaconelli is really a great guy in person - totally laid back and engaging.

Weigh-ins.....really a waste of time. You pretty much know who has what from the live coverage and the tracker. No amount of contrived drama from Dave Mercer can make the weigh-in any better.
We watched all of the weigh-ins over a relaxing dinner. BASS needs to figure this out - time to innovate something new for the Show.

We typically do everything around the Classic on Day 1 and 3 and use Day 2 for site-seeing in the local area. Birmingham has an interesting history with plenty of sites for a day.

Overall we had a great trip! Can't wait for Houston next year! (We heard a rumor from a vendor that it will be in Houston next year.)

Conroe again?

I would love that. Never been to one and had a conflict a couple years ago when it was in Houston.

Awesome recap, sounds like you guys had a great time! The weigh ins are brutal at the Classic and I don't know if there's a real solution. The live coverage from all of the leagues is so good on the water that the weigh ins are becoming less relevant. Some on here will preach to you that the sponsors love them but none of us enjoy a 3-4 hour weigh in... It's like sitting through a graduation ceremony.

Excellent recap.

I’ll never go to a weigh in. It’s just not for me. Graduation ceremony is a good way of putting it.

Dick’s sporting goods has eliminated bass fishing lures from their stores. I believe their Field and Stream locations continue to sell lures and plastics.

Great recap!

Glad to hear y'all had a great time!

prediction....like MLF or not,their format of "made for TV" is where professional bass fishing is headed...BASS elite and FLW series weigh-ins will go away in the future...with Basstrakk and live streaming,you pretty much know what the outcome is so there's no drama..another positive is that it drastically reduces the number of spectator boats which has had a serious effect on the outcome of high level tournaments for years....

What I like about the Classic is the Expo, that's where the money is made for sponsors and vendors. They drag out the weigh ins only at the classic, they don't do that on the regular events.

The Classic weigh ins are made for TV...they condense down, just like MLF does for TV, that's how I see it.

And get rid of the pro to fan interaction? Yea right. Funny how none of this was an issue until the mighty bpt came around and like a lot of egotistical fisherman who have to follow the latest and greatest, all of a sudden weigh ins are the devil and will be gone in the near future. Both trails will even out with some big names going back to BASS and some big names staying with mlf.

Great re-cap.

Would love to see it go to Houston again.

This is the first year; probably from the late 70's, I didn't even bother to follow it. I used to keep up with it religiously. After the big names left and went to MFL that killed it for me.

I love all things bass fishing and a fan of all circuits. IMHO the Classic is and always will be the crown jewel though.

Rumors of Conroe again which is in reality Houston!