Derek Hudnall’s First Classic
This year’s Bassmaster Classic field is made up of past champions, anglers with many qualifications and some who are seeing a lifelong dream come true as they compete for the first time.
Trapper Tackle pro Derek Hudnall will be making his first appearance thanks to his standings in last year’s Bassmaster Central Opens. He is beyond excited for his first classic, but said that he is not just there for the experience; he is there to win.
A Dream Come True
Hudnall said that one of his first fishing memories was watching Hank Parker win the 1989 Classic that was held on the James River in Virginia. Hudnall comes from a bass fishing family, and since that moment he wanted to win this title.
“I have dreamed of it since I was nine years old and am excited to have a chance at winning it finally,” he said.
He has been to previous Classics and worked for sponsors at the expo, but has never attended a weigh-in.
“When I am there it will be my first time for a weigh-in. I’m sure I’ll have some nerves once the tournament starts, but once the anthem plays and we blast off I want to win,” said Hudnall.
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Tennessee River Thoughts and Predictions
The playing field this year is massive, and Hudnall says anglers can be as far as 80-miles away during the competition. Because it is so large, he spent some time there before the cutoff to explore, and he likes what he saw.
“I think it sets up well for me and what I like to do. Both Ft. Loudon and Tellico are full of rocks, wood, creeks, and good looking water,” Hudnall shared. “I do think it is going to set up to be a treble hook tournament and I will probably be using moving baits to cover water.”
Hudnall gives himself an advantage with treble hook baits by changing all of his reaction baits hooks. He swaps the stock treble hooks out for Trapper Tackle Standard Round Bend treble hooks
As with all early season tournaments, the weather will play a significant factor in the fishing and eventual winner’s total weight.
“It is all going to be dictated by the weather, Knoxville just recently had some snow, but a little warm weather could make the fish move up quickly. I do think it will be a transitional tournament as the fish move towards spawning,” he predicted.
When asked to predict the outcome, Hudnall said it is hard to tell since there have not been many big tournaments held there and even less during this time of year.
“I don’t think we will have many huge bags, maybe one or two over 20-pounds. The 15-pound and bigger bags will be solid. The other variable is the smallmouth; they could end up being the “X-Factor” here,” he said.
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Pattern Predictions
As Hudnall predicted earlier, he thinks this tournament is setting up for a reaction bite. He chose jerkbaits, mid-range crankbaits, and squarebills as potential winning lures.
Cranking a Classic Win
The venue for this year’s Classic sets up well for an excellent crankbait bite according to Hudnall.
“There is a lot of rock, and there is going to be perfect for both a square bill and something a little deeper diving like a Rapala DT-10 and DT-16,” he said.
He uses Trapper treble hooks all of the time, but feels it is especially important this time of year when the fish are swiping at baits and acting a little more lethargic.
“You get more of those reaction bites where the fish don’t commit to the bait, and these hooks get them,” he said. “They hook them great inside of the mouth when they choke a bait, but they are even better when fish swipe at the bait and get hooked outside of the mouth.”
He prefers the standard round bend for most instances but chooses the EWG Short Shank version when he is cranking around wood. “You will get hung up less with those, and both Tellico and Loudon are full of wood and laydowns, so I’ll be using the EWG trebles for cranking as well,” Hudnall added. (SEE TRAPPER TREBLE VIDEO BELOW)
Jerkbaits at the Classic
The jerkbait is a go-to for many anglers this time of year, and Hudnall will have them ready for this year’s Classic. Like his crankbaits, he changes out the trebles on these lures.
“Similar to cranking in cold water, you get a lot of bass swiping at the tail of the jerkbait when it is cold. The Trapper Tackle trebles do a great job of landing more of these fish,” he shared.
The 2019 Bassmaster Classic will see Derek Hudnall finally achieve his dream of fishing the most prominent bass tournament in the world. The Louisiana angler has spent years thinking about qualifying for this event, but he is not satisfied with just competing and has put together a strategy to win.
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