"The Stage is Set for a Classic Showdown!"

Well ladies and gentlemen, the TNCBA Classic is just over one week away and we have one of the tightest points races in club history. As the anglers back their boats into the water next Saturday, the top three anglers will only be separated by two points and fourth thru eighth will only be separated by five points. With everyone fishing for individual weight and double points on the line, anything could happen.

Current Top 10:

  1. Mark Rice - 393 pts.

  2. Keith Dison - 393 pts.

  3. Steve Legg - 391 pts.

  4. Fred Rutherford - 377 pts.

  5. Mike Vandyke - 376 pts.

  6. Wiley Gobble - 375 pts.

  7. Lynn Feagins - 375 pts.

  8. Wes Meade - 371 pts.

  9. Keith Lester - 369 pts.

  10. Josh Olinger - 364 pts.

The Classic is different from all of the other TNCBA tournaments. Anglers will no longer be fishing for team weight. Anglers will try to accumulate the heaviest five fish they alone can catch, and not only will they be fishing for individual weight, but they will also be battling for double points. This means “zeroing” at this event could be disastrous. There will also be bonus points on the line for big fish, largemouth over 5 lbs., smallmouth over 4 lbs., and spotted bass over 3 lbs. The points battle is so tight that there are a long list of scenarios that could play out. As long as the top three anglers bring a bass to the scales, they will all but secure a spot in the 2019 TNCBA Top 6. The top three anglers will need to pay close attention to every detail during the tournament, as any oversight, a nick in the line, a dull hook, or one second of lost concentration could be the difference.

Fourth thru tenth have to focus on the tournament within the tournament. Fred, Mike, Wiley, and Lynn are trying to maintain the status quo more than anything, while anglers like Wes, Keith, and Josh need to finish in the top five. With the way that TNCBA anglers have been fishing this year, you can’t afford sit around hoping the angler in front of you will “zero”. It is now or never for these guys to solidify their place in the top six and qualify for the TNCBA All-Star event to be held in January 2020!

Good luck to everyone competing next week. As we get closer to the TNCBA Classic we will take a closer look at the 2019 season of each angler in the top 10 and break down the 2020 TNCBA Schedule that will be released next week. GOD Bless!