Watch Micah Frazier in Hartwell Classic

I read with interest Bassmaster.com's article that put odds on each Bassmaster Classic competitor's chances of winning this year's world championship (read for yourself). It was well put together, and for the most part, I agreed with the general placement of anglers. We all have our opinions, though, and the one place I disagree with the odds-making crew is in the placement of Elite Series pro Micah Frazier.

Frazier was dubbed a "longshot" -- the article's extreme outer circle -- and was one of only two Elite Series qualifiers in that category. I understand that Frazier lacks the pedigree of many in the field and wouldn't earn the shortest of odds, but to me he has too much in his favor in this Classic to be given such extreme long odds.

For starters, he's no novice. Although he's still quite young, Frazier is in his fourth year fishing the Elites, following a five-year pro stint with FLW, and he finished 31st in this year's AOY points race. He's used to the road, tournament prep, strategizing and the big stage. This will also be his second Bassmaster Classic.

Frazier is also from Newnan, Georgia, which is just south of Atlanta. When folks talk about home state anglers at Hartwell the conversation is always about South Carolina, which hosts Classic events. The lake is half in Georgia, though, so Georgia anglers are just as much home-state anglers as are South Carolina anglers. Hartwell is by no means home water for Frazier, but you don't pave your way into the tournament bass world from a Middle Georgia home without logging some time on the Savannah River lakes.

Newnan has highland lakes to the north and flatland lakes to the South, so Frazier grew up fishing a lot of variety, and one of his main lakes, experience wise, is Lake Lanier. And while Lanier is truly a unique animal, it has some undeniable common traits with Hartwell, with its deep clear main body and more fertile river arms, largemouth/spotted bass mix and a blueback herring heavy forage base.

And one final thing that makes me see Frazier much more as a dark horse to watch than complete longshot. He finished second on an FLW Tour event on Hartwell, and it was held in mid-March!