Behind the scenes at the 50th annual Bassmaster Classic

PERSONAL CONNECTION

My numerous trips to the Classic between 1991 and 2010 were all memorable, both as an accredited Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) press observer, and as a volunteer Conservation Director for the Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation. However, I always felt there was something lacking because no Canadian anglers had qualified to fish in all the Classics I attended. My friend, the late Hank Gibson had qualified in 1990, and Charles Sim qualified in 2016, but I wasn’t there for either. So, when I learned that three Canadian pros qualified for the 2020 Classic—Jeff Gustafson from Keewatin, Ontario, and Corey and Chris Johnston from the Peterborough, Ontario, region—I knew a return trip was in order.