The Daily Crank

The 40^th Bassmaster Classic is near and with it comes the typical preparations for an “all or none” tournament that can help solidify an angler’s career.

Lucky Craft pro-staffers Gerald Swindle of Alabama, Kelly Jordon of Texas and Skeet Reese, the defending champion, of California are in Alabama for the event. It is set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake, which has hosted three previous Classics.

Two of those were in summer, back in 1996 and 2002, and the third was in February 2007. Weather conditions this year are a big concern as Alabama has been socked by uncharacteristically cold temperatures for the last three months along with repeated storms in the Southeast. Cold, heavily-stained to muddy water will likely be found on the Coosa River impoundment.

“I won’t be taking any topwaters, that’s for sure,” Jordon said, laughing. “I’ll take everything I need for pre-spawn and winter conditions … football jigs, suspending jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits for a reaction bite when it’s cold. But if water temperatures are below 50 degrees, that could be spotty. If temperatures are in the mid-40s or colder, which they likely will be, we’ll have small windows to catch them and the bites probably will be real light and not very aggressive.”

Here’s a look at their Classic preparations and thoughts:

Kelly Jordon – Minneola, Texas

Jordon knows how weather can impact a fishery after living in Texas for years, and so that aspect is something he’ll be familiar with. But the ultra-cold water temperatures will provide a challenge.

“It looks like it will be really cold, unfortunately. Or, fortunately depending on how you look at it,” he said. “Some guys don’t mind that. It definitely will make this more of a winter pattern. That part of Alabama usually is not as cold as it’s been, historically.”

Usually by the third week of February on the Coosa, the water temperatures are higher and bass are staging to spawn. This year, chances are not good for that situation.

“Typically you want somewhere in the 52- to 55-degree range, which is a magic number in the Southeast, and that’s kind of a pre-spawn temperature. Below that, it puts a crimp on things. Fish are fish and you don’t know what they’re going to do, but you have to adjust accordingly to temperatures.

“We may still have water in the 40s, and that will make some people make different decisions based on what they find in practice. I’d prefer a strong warming trend but it doesn’t look like we’ll get that. But maybe it will be cold and stable. Someone will figure them out and win.”

Gerald Swindle – Hayden, Ala.

Swindle is one of seven Alabama anglers in the 51-angler field, and has seen first-hand the weather patterns that have blitzed the state this winter

As usual, he said, he’s in crunch mode getting ready for the Classic with last-minute details including announcing some new sponsors and getting his gear ready.

“Preparation is normal, which is total chaos. It is every year,” he said. “No matter how much I try try to prepare ahead of time it always comes down to literally the last minute. Boat wraps, truck wraps, the jersey (that I won’t even see until the very day before the Classic) … so like I said, pretty normal.”

The Coosa River is known for its aggressive spotted bass, which often plays a role with anglers wanting to put a limit in the box before seeking bigger fish. Largemouth are found in Lay Lake, many of them Florida-strain species that typically are impacted by cold weather and get ultra-finicky … sometimes to the point of lockjaw.

But the big spotted bass sometimes turn on in colder conditions and a patient angler, or one with a solid big-spot pattern, could turn some heads

“The weather will be the biggest factor of the 2010 Classic,” Swindle said. “It will dictate the type of fish it will take to win it.”

Skeet Reese – Auburn, Calif.

The defending champion found himself six ounces shy of the win in 2007 and has not been on the lake since then except for the Mark’s Outdoors Lay Lake Classic last summer in which he participated as a visiting Elite Series pro.

“Practice will be my first real time back on the lake in three years,” Reese said. “If there’s current blowing they’re going to bite, but if it’s cold and muddy that will hurt. If there’s some clear water will be better, obviously. But that may be tough to find depending on whether another storm (system) moves through.”

Forecasts called for snow in Central Alabama on Friday, the first day of the three-day practice period, and possibly more rain. Any rain that falls in north Alabama or northeast Georgia also impacts the Coosa’s upper reservoirs and, ultimately, Lay Lake.

Reese isn’t too worried about outside influences he can’t control, though.

“I just try to keep myself in a positive mindset and know I’m going to need to catch at least 15 pounds a day to have a shot at winning,” he said. “We haven’t had those (water) conditions in a while (on the Tour) and so it will be a challenge.

“I’m indifferent … it is what it is. I can’t change the conditions and just have to go fish the conditions we have. It’s either going to be a slow, methodical, brutal bite or a reaction bite.”