Classic Practice Period Approaching Quickly

The clock probably can't move fast enough for Bassmaster Classic competitors. The official practice period begins in a few hours. Four days to gauge river conditions, find the right fish and figure out the best strategy for three days of competition that begin a week from today.

Someone will go home with a check for half a million dollars. That's a big chunk of money for a 49-boat tournament, but it's merely a shadow of what's at stake. More so, it's the title of Bassmaster Classic Champion -- a title that forever elevates a angler's place in the bass fishing world. Points don't matter. It's an all-or-nothing championship tournament against the best of the best, and every angler's strategy is all about winning.

Today also jump-starts a week and a half of tremendous sponsor, media and fan hype. It's undoubtedly one of the greatest experiences a professional bass fisherman can go through, but it also must be distracting and exhausting. Endurance and focus could be almost as important as picking the right area and color of lure.

For many competitors, this is familiar ground; something they've done several times before. For others, virtually everything about the next 10 days will be new territory. For every competitor it's a very big deal -- and it begins very soon.