2008 Bassmaster Classic

I would have to say that attending the Bassmaster Classic has got to be the second best thing for a die hard fisherman to experience. Obviously the first would have to be fishing the Classic, and for most of us it will always be a dream. This year marks the third Bassmaster Classic that I have attended. The difference this year is that I had to work for one of my sponsors, Strike King Lure Company. I was more than happy to go and work for the one company that has stood behind me for the past three years. Mark Menendez and I braved an ice storm and headed toward Greenville, South Carolina. We arrived late that night and got a much needed good night sleep. I was defiantly unprepared for what was about to happen that morning when the fans arrived at the sport show. At 10:00a.m., the doors were opened and the people piled in. I worked the Strike King Booth only for about fifteen minutes when I was directed to go and help out at the Tackle Warehouse booth. Tackle Warehouse was selling our product along with several other vendors. Our pegboards that were full of baits were emptied in a matter of hours. I and another Strike King regional pro, Todd Witt, helped customers with questions along with restocking the booth. It was an absolute mad house. Todd and I could not get the baits back out as people swarmed like vultures. The hot item, the Series Five Sexy Shad crankbait. We sold out of almost all of our Sexy Shad crankbaits by 2:00p.m. on Friday. We continued to sell just about everything that we put up and were the number one seller of product in the Tackle Warehouse booth. Todd and I felt like Wal-Mart stock boys but it was a good problem to have. We did utilize our reinforcements though. Strike King Elite pros Mark Menendez and James Niggemeyer helped out tremendously. It was a fun yet exhausting weekend. It was a great experience and I was glad to have been invited. I met a lot of really nice people and had a good time with some great friends. I am hoping that next year I will be at the classic only this time fishing instead of working. If not, I am sure I will retain my job of head stock boy.