It’s been a long winter and the days are now getting longer, a sure sign that the granddaddy of all fishing tournaments is about to take place.
Starting Friday, February 19, the Bassmaster Classic begins on Alabama’s Lay Lake and runs through Sunday, February 21. ESPN takes the enjoyment to a higher level by beginning their Fantasy Fishing League on the same day.
My coworkers all get a chuckle when I tell them that my fantasy fishing league is starting this weekend. They always respond with comments like, “I WOULD play, but it might interfere with my fantasy tetherball league!” I always respond with the fact that fishing is a billion (with a “B”) dollar industry and is growing annually.
ESPN’s fantasy league is a great way to not only take a chance on some great prizes, but also to learn about the people on the circuit, how they fish, how they read the lake, how they adjust to weather conditions and how they choose the lures to match those conditions.
ESPN does a decent job of providing info and stats for helping with your picks, but there is room for improvement in my opinion. Currently, it is up each player to research the lake, learn each fisherman’s strengths and weaknesses as well as mixing in a bit of luck with their picks. What I HAVE learned though is that no matter how much time and effort I put into researching a tournament, there always seems to be someone who is not in the top 15 that has an awesome day on the water.
Click HERE to register for the Fantasy Fishing Game.
You will have to sign up and then make your picks before Friday afternoon. Once the deadline passes, your picks cannot be changed. After the tournament, your standings will be posted on the website.
Side Note: Congratulations to Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., who scored the second berth ever for a female angler on the strength of her 2009 Toyota Tundra Women’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year title!
Watch the Bassmaster Classic on ESPN360.com
Check out ESPN Outdoor’s coverage of the Bassmaster Classic this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on ESPN360.com.
WATCH: Friday ( 5:30pm-8:30pm ET) | Saturday (5:30pm-8:30pm ET) | Sunday (5:30pm-8:30pm ET)
Bookmarked your blog. Thank you for sharing. Definitely worth the time away from my workload.
I Will have to come back again when my course load lets up – even so I am taking your RSS feed so I can read your site offline. Thanks.