Bassmaster Classic returns to Dallas-Fort Worth with $300,000 prize on the line
The Bassmaster Classic, known as the Super Bowl of professional fishing, returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth area this weekend, offering a $300,000 top prize and a chance for anglers to make history.
For the professional fishermen competing, this event is the culmination of years of dedication, long hours, and grueling travel schedules.
"Typically, the alarm goes off for me around 4, 4:30," one angler said. "Get to the lake, get on the water. A typical practice day for me is daylight to dark, back to the camper, re-rig, get things ready for the next day, and do it all over again."
The road to the top is anything but easy. Pro fisherman Ish Monroe described the intense schedule, with up to 24 events in a year, many scheduled back-to-back.
"There were tournaments I had to drive 15 to 18 hours to," Monroe said. "There were tournaments I had to fly to because they were so spread out that I'd have another boat and truck waiting for me at another event. And then you start practice all over again."
Bill Lowen, another competitor, sacrifices months away from home to chase his dream, living in an RV with his wife and kids throughout the season.
"We leave in February, we don't get home for any amount of time till October," Lowen said.
The stakes are high, with a single fish making the difference between victory and second place.
"A 10-pounder could be the difference between $300,000 or not," said Brandon Palaniuk, one of the competitors.
For anglers like Palaniuk, winning the Bassmaster Classic is the pinnacle of the sport.
"There's only a small group of guys that have ever won that title, and so to put yourself in that, your name is written in the history books forever," he said.
The competition kicks off on March 21 at Ray Roberts State Park, with all events free to the public.
