Bassmaster Classic the Super Bowl of Angling

The Bassmaster Classic is somewhere between being the Super Bowl and World Series of competitive bass fishing. This year's Classic is currently underway, ending Sunday. Lake Hartwell in Greenville, SC, is the location of this year's classic.

As of Friday's weigh-in, Charlie Hartley, Scott Rook and heavy-weight Kevin VanDam are in the top three positions according to the results posted on ESPN's Bassmaster Web site.

Although VanDam is already in the third spot, there are still two days of competition to allow some other heavy hitters to make their presences known. Some of those include Terry Scroggins in fourth place, the boisterous Mike Iaconelli, currently eighth; Skeet Reese, 30^th; Tommy Biffle, 33^rd; and Takahiro Omori, 36^th. Both Omori and Ishama "Ish" Monroe have been in slumps the past season, so this would be a much-needed boost to the ego if they would have a serious showing at this year's Classic.

For live streaming videos of the weigh-ins and Classic coverage, as well as interviews and the leader board, go online to: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/index.

And much like the Super Bowl and World Series, there are amateur fishermen who dream of competing in an event of the prestige the Bassmaster Classic holds. While many do get a chance at the fame through membership in BASS and the involvement in BASS Federation Nation regional tournaments, most bass fishermen are perfectly content to enter local tournaments and scour the rocky shorelines and weed beds for real lunkers - but that's if you have a boat.

A real bass boat can cost as much as a new car, so it's not always practical for those living on a tight budget. As someone in that situation, personal experience has led me to aggressive shoreline attitude. Not only does this expose one to rock-loving smallmouth bass, but also hard fighting trout and plentiful panfish like perch, bluegills and sunfish.

Although they don't have as much prestige as bass tournaments, there are plenty of trout tournaments, pike tournaments, ice fishing tournaments and tourney for just about every other game fish in North America.

The annual Presidents' Day Weekend trout ice fishing derby at Wildhorse Reservoir in northern Elko County, Nevada, draws many fishermen from around the west to the annual chance at a shot of a share in a couple thousands dollars in cash. Each day of the weekend, a first place winner gets $500 with places paid down through third place by biggest length nose to tail.

From personal experience, ice fishing Wildhorse in itself can be a treat. It's practically a party on the ice with snowmobiles, four-wheelers and even the charcoal or propane grill. A shot at a $500 trout only sweetens the day, and it's not long before certain desperation can creep over even the most seasoned angler.

Tournaments can bring out the best in anglers, and strengthen the bonds between families and best friends. Or it can be a living nightmare to get the longest trout, or even the most no-limit yellow perch. The only problem with having the most perch is that once you get home you've got the clean them all.

Maybe those bass anglers are onto something.