We are roughly one week away from the 2024 Bassmaster Classic and the biggest question is can the winning fish be caught up shallow or must an angler rely on forward-facing sonar to win? We’ve seen shallow water anglers like Jason Christie, Bill Lowen, and Greg Hackney have success the last time the Classic was at Grand Lake in March. However, most of the fish will likely still be pre-spawn so forward-facing sonar will no doubt be a player whether it is the winning pattern or not. For this tournament, we will suggest 2 anglers per bucket. One of these anglers will be a forward-facing sonar guru, and the other one will be known for their shallow water strengths. This gives you the opportunity to choose between the two! Let’s dive into it!
Bucket A: Jason Christie or Patrick Walters
(Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
When it comes to Grand Lake and the Bassmaster Classic, 2022 Classic champ Jason Christie is always the favorite. Christie is famous for throwing a spinnerbait and a jig up shallow, but he proved in the 2022 Classic at Lake Hartwell that he can catch fish utilizing forward-facing sonar as well. Ever since Bassmaster announced that the Classic was returning to Grand Lake in 2024, there is no doubt that Christie has been craving another Classic win. Not to mention he finished in 2nd at the 2016 Classic after leading for 2 days, so you can bet that he is wanting some revenge there. When it comes to Patrick Walters, he is on as much of a hot streak as anyone right now. His last 4 Elite Series tournament finishes are 12th, 2nd, 1st, and 7th. He is also great with forward-facing sonar and a jerkbait, which will be a huge player for those pre-spawn bass. You can bet that Walters will be one to keep an eye on.
Bucket B: John Cox or Stetson Blaylock
(Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
There is no doubt that John Cox is a successful shallow water angler, and he has even claimed that he would rather not have forward-facing sonar on his boat. With all the boat docks and other types of shallow cover on Grand Lake, Cox could be one that could figure out the shallow bite. Sure, he has had a rough start to the 2024 season, but spring is his time of year, and he usually has a few good tournaments early in the season. Stetson Blaylock on the other hand has had a great start to the 2024 season with a 15th place finish and a 6th place finish in the Texas swing. He has also had two 3rd place finishes in Bassmaster Classics, one at Guntersville in 2020 and one at Hartwell in 2022. While he is a great shallow water angler, he is also successful with forward-facing sonar. Because Blaylock is a versatile angler, this could really suit him well for the Classic.
Bucket C: Tyler Rivet or Kyoya Fujita
(Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
A shallow water angler like Tyler Rivet could do well at the Classic, especially since he has fished better than he ever has throughout the last year or so. He finished 9th in the 2023 AOY standings, and he is fresh off a 2nd place finish at Lake Fork. He is also great with a jerkbait and forward-facing sonar, as he proved at Lake Fork and his 2023 win at Lake Okeechobee. On the other hand, Kyoya Fujita is the favorite in this bucket. The Japanese angler had a win at Toledo Bend earlier this year, a win at Lake Champlain in 2023, along with three more top 3 finishes in 2023. The forward-facing sonar guru has made a name for himself ever since his rookie year last year.
Bucket D: Justin Hamner and Cody Huff
(Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
Because this bucket is dominated with forward-facing sonar guys, we decided to pick 2 of them even though they are different in how they typically approach using it. Growing up fishing on the Coosa River, Justin Hamner is used to fishing shallower dirty water. Cody Huff on the other hand, grew up fishing deeper clear lakes like Table Rock and Bull Shoals, but he did finish in 8th place at Grand in a Bassmaster Open in 2021. Hamner is known for utilizing forward-facing sonar with a jerkbait, and Huff is great with deeper finesse tactics. Both of these anglers could be great choices for Grand Lake. However, if you want to ride the momentum train you should choose Justin Hamner who has not finished worse than 21st place in his previous 5 tournaments. He is also fresh off a 3rd place finish at Lake Fork.
Bucket E: Tyler Williams and Kyle Patrick
(Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster)
These two anglers are both young rookies on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and their first 2 events this year have been no worse than a 21st place finish for the both of them. They are both northern anglers, one from Maine and one from New York, but they obviously excel all over the country. Tyler Williams is known for his success with a jig, which can be a huge player on Grand Lake in the springtime. Kyle Patrick is great with his forward-facing sonar, but he is also skilled with a jig and other shallow water techniques. Tyler Williams’s previous 5 finishes dating back to the 2023 Bassmaster Opens are 4th, 19th, 9th, 8th, and 1st. Kyle Patrick’s finishes in those same 5 tournaments are 9th, 21st, 79th, 1st, and 22nd.