Expect To Have Your Best Tournament Ever

The last competitor I interviewed before the 1984 Classic about his chances to win was Rick Clunn, someone you never could count out at any tournament. Known for his ability to find and catch bass in big tournaments with plenty of pressure, Clunn just had completed fishing a national tournament all week in the Nevada desert in over 110-degree heat. Even with Clunn's great competitive spirit, no one gave him much of a chance to win. They felt he had spent all his energy the week before while fishing the tournament near Las Vegas. I talked with Clunn the night before the Classic started and wondered aloud how he could summon up his competitiveness after fishing the week before the BASS Masters Classic.

Clunn of Glorieta, New Mexico, smiled and said, "I expect to have the best tournament of my life at this Classic. An angler is never more prepared to fish than immediately after he's finished fishing. My body is conditioned for the hot weather we must face here in Arkansas. Because I've been in and out of my tackle box so much, I know where every lure is-and probably can find them blindfolded. All my rods and reels have been fished with for a week, and my whole body is tuned-up to compete. I really believe I can put in one of the best performances of my life at this tournament."

During the next three days, Clunn set a new record for catching bass - taking 21 bass that weighed a total of 75 pounds and 9 ounces to win the BASS Masters Classic.

Each man before the tournament began prophesied how he would fish and identified problems that would cause him to win or lose the Classic. As they thought, so they performed.

Check back each day this week for more about bassing's secret weapons...

Day 1 - The "Loser" Who Won
Day 2 - "As A Man Thinketh In His Heart, So Is He"
Day 3 - Don't Get Distracted By Other Anglers
Day 4 - Fish Your Best Spots
Day 5 - Expect To Have Your Best Tournament Ever

John's Journal