Photos Courtesy of James Elam
James Elam, the 29-year-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma first signed his invitation to the 2016 Bassmaster Classic by winning the Central Open on Fort Gibson back in September of 2015.
Elam is now set to fish the biggest fishing event of his career and it could not be more exciting. What many may not realize is that Grand Lake is considered Elam’s home lake and this is an opportunity to compete on bass fishing’s biggest 
stage with his friends, family and supporters cheering from the crowd.
“I never envisioned my first Bassmaster Classic at home. There’s going to be a lot of anglers there that I have fished around. Family will be there, home base support and it’s the biggest tournament. It’s really neat to see them support me here at home,” he said.
For now, preparation is utmost important. From research, to weather patterns, to looking over each and every single hook point, Elam knows that fishing a clean tournament and staying strong mentally is just as important as having equipment that won’t buckle under pressure.
“It’s a daily grind of preparation. You get your boat, you communicate with your sponsors and at the end of the day, there are so many things that have to happen in order to fish The Bassmaster Classic,” he said.
When asked about in-depth details of staying alert and preparing both mentally and physically, Elam said, “I practice by fishing around my hometown. Getting into fishing shape is important. Sometimes you can over-prepare and over-think it, but you have to focus on the preventative maintenance and control what you can control.”
Preventative Maintenance
There is no easier task than looking over your equipment to make sure each and every detail is complete. With reaction baits in early spring, Elam is very cautious about making sure each lure’s treble hooks are worthy of the three-day competition.
“Some of my baits such as the Jackall Squadminnow are set to go with Owner Stinger ST-36 treble hooks. For other baits, none of them hit the water without the replacements,” he said. “Another great treble hook worth mentioning is Owner’s Zo-Wire. This material increases strength while reducing wire diameter. Smaller diameter and sharper hook points help you fish clean by giving the angler better penetration over the fish.”
Elam will look to the Jackall Squadminnow 95 and 115 to help dial in Grand Lake, throwing these baits on his 6’9” McCain Jerkbait Rod, spooled with 10-pound Seaguar InvizX 100% Fluorocarbon. Depending on the conditions of the water, using search baits could be the go-to approach, but slowing down and using plastics can’t be overlooked. A shallow water game could come into play, if warming trends set the fish up shallower than expected.
Slowing Down for Big Bites
Reaction baits such as jerkbaits and crankbaits are heavy favorites for winning strategies, but Elam expanded on his opinion of using plastics to catch bigger than average fish. One specific technique will be ready at a moment’s notice – the shakey head.
“This time of year when it’s cold, the one thing you can do is throw a shakey head. Owner’s Shakey Ultrahead is the best on the market. It has a strong hook, balances well, has a center pin system and is a fantastic hook for worms,” he said.
Elam described how this particular shakey head helps eliminate wasted casts because of the patent-pending TwistLOCK design. Instead of having to super glue and waste additional rigging time, Owner has made it very easy to hook the fish well from the start.
Elam elaborated on his shakey head setup, “I will have 3/16- and ¼-oz shakey heads tied onto 7’, medium action McCain Hi Performance Graphite Spinning Rods, spooled with 8-pound Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon. The great thing about this setup is that you can adjust your presentation and rig different baits on there, such as a small creature bait, gliding bait, Baby Chunk Craw, or my favorite straight tail worm.”
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Elam excels at solving bass fishing’s most challenging puzzles. Grand Lake is not only his home lake; it can be considered one of his favorite bodies of water to fish. Finishing 26th in B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Points and winning on Fort Gibson, Elam double qualified for the 2016 Bassmaster Classic and has proven to be one of the anglers to watch come Classic time.
“I’m just really happy and blessed…I’m excited for the opportunity. I want to do well here and then turn my focus to the first event as the next season comes hard,” said Elam.
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