Come join Strike King at Booth 2110 for live updates at the Classic, daily giveaways, check out our gear, have a chance to meet the pros, & more!
470 Green Pond Rd.
Anderson, SC 29625
Get the day started early with an up-close view of the Classic contender takeoff at 7 a.m. daily! Plus, check out booths and activations from our sponsors.
650 N. Academy St.
Greenville, SC 29601
Doors open at 3 p.m. for credentialed B.A.S.S. Life and B.A.S.S. Nation members and 3:15 p.m. for the general public. The weigh-in is expected to begin around 4:30 p.m.
ATTENTION: Please be advised that there is a strict clear bag policy for Bon Secours Wellness Arena. For more information and a list of FAQ, please click here.
https://www.bonsecoursarena.com/guest-services/clearbagpolicy
Greenville Convention Center
1 Exposition Dr.
Greenville, SC 29607
Come join Strike King at Booth 2110!
Friday, March 4, 2022 - Media/B.A.S.S. Life & Nation Members
Members Preview- 11 a.m. - Noon
General Public- Noon - 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 5, 2022 - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 6, 2022 - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Qualified via the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series
Headed into his 17th Bassmaster Classic appearance, 2014 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Strike King and Lew’s pro Greg Hackney shares his favorite Classic memories along with predicting the which Strike King baits will have the biggest impact at the Classic.
“Probably the first bass of my first Classic in 2003,” remembers Hackney when asked about his favorite Bassmaster Classic memory. Although Hackney is very familiar with Lake Hartwell, he feels as if there are a lot of aspects that will be dependent on the weather.
“Weather will dictate if the tournament is won shallow or deep. If it’s still cold, it will be winter event.”
Planning on taking home a W, Hackney says that the Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flipping Jig will be a gamechanger in this year’s tournament. “Hartwell is a great lake with big populations of spotted bass and largemouth. It’ll take 16-17 pounds per day to win,” Hackney states. His strategy? “Make no mistake and don’t get dialed in to one deal have plenty of back up!”
Qualified via the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series
Photo: Andy Crawford
Texas-native and Strike King Pro Ray Hanselman shares his strategy for a Classic win and his excitement as he enters his second Bassmaster Classic tournament appearance.
With smoke blowing and fans screaming, Hanselman reminisces on entering the Classic stage for the first time.
“When you've seen it on TV and then actually become part of it, you kind of feel like you've met some of your lifelong goals as a tournament fisherman by driving through that arena. Win or lose, you made it. You got there.”
Though the entrance will always be a special moment for Hanselman, he says his most memorable moment in the Classic has nothing to do with the stage at all. “The second day, I got a nine-pounder to the boat and had it on a Thunder Cricket. The fish just locked down on it and I went to lip its mouth and it just came out,” explains Hanselman.
Ray’s strategy going into the 2022 Classic is to swing for the fences – fish more aggressively and keep going for that bigger bite every time.
“You can win on either species spots or large mouth or combination - I'm probably going to do the combination or try it in practice to find some of those open water spots on the hand and swim baits."
“I want to go there with a mindset practice for 15 to 17 pounds a day,” Ray responds when asked how much weight per day it will take to win. Ray continues, “It could take more, it could take less, but I feel like if you can consistently find something like that in two or three days of practice, you've got a really good chance of winning.”
Qualified via the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series
Photo: James Overstreet
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro KJ Queen is getting his mind around how he will fish his first Bassmaster Classic in March on South Carolina’s famed Lake Hartwell. Facing down the most prestigious championship tournament in all of competitive fishing is, perhaps, quite a task for a young man who is in the throes of his rookie season on the Elite Series, but he has had a long while to prepare. KJ attended his first Bassmaster Classic Weigh-In as a child, no older than six or seven, to watch the most elite anglers in the world walk across the stage. It was a moment that would shape the direction of his life and propel him on a path toward his own Classic finish. He attended that first Classic nearly twenty years ago on Lake Wylie, which sits on the border of North and South Carolina outside the city of Charlotte.
Queen was sitting in the stands beside his grandfather Carroll when Takahiro Omori hefted the Classic Trophy overhead and was crowned the champion.
A few years later, it was also his grandfather who fished with KJ in his very first bass tournament – a local derby on Lake Norman, just outside of his hometown of Catawba, North Carolina. KJ was ten years old. He doesn’t remember much about the fishing in that tournament, but he remembers his grandfather on the bow of that boat.
A little over a year ago, the Queen family was dealt a heavy blow when Carroll Queen passed away from COVID-19. Like the 2004 Classic, it was another moment that shaped KJ’s life. His grandfather is in his thoughts every time he hears his name called and blasts off at safe light. As KJ puts the finishing touches on his plan of attack for Lake Hartwell, he draws inspiration from the memories of his first tournament partner. His grandfather’s name is printed on the side of his Bullet bass boat, a reminder of a guiding force for KJ on the water, and a resounding call for him to fish his hardest.
If you ask the rookie what he plans to do on Lake Hartwell to bring a winning bag to the ramp, you won’t get much out of him except a shrug and a smile. But the young Lew’s Team angler has a few things up his sleeve. A few things his grandfather taught him years ago.
Qualified via the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series
Photo: James Overstreet
Qualified via the 2021 Bassmaster College Bracket
Photo: Kyle Jessie
