Pre-2016 Bassmaster Classic Predictions with Casey Ashley

Ashley offers his wisdom.

By Luigi De Rose

Casey Ashley will be trying his best to capture
Classic 2016. 

The 2016 Bassmaster Classic is a week away and everyone who loves bass fishing will be focused on Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees. This year’s event is a few weeks later than in the past. The push to have the tournament in March was to avoid extreme weather like the deep freeze that gripped last year’s event. For the anglers and on-the-water spectators, warmer weather will make for more enjoyable days. March is prime time for pre-spawn fishing and if the temps spikes, a mass migration to the shallows could be possible.

IBASSIN.com contacted Casey Ashley, the 2015 Classic champ, for his perspective on how this year’s Classic will unfold.

IBASSIN

Thanks for chat with us. What’s your early prediction on the Classic?

Casey

Hi, pleasure to talk fishing with you.  So much has happened this year with the flood and a mild winter, Grand Lake might not be fishing like it has in the past. I expect it will be much different than the last Classic we had here. The Classic that Cliff Pace won, the lake was cold and clear which made it perfect for a jerkbait and jig. 

IBASSIN

Which baits should be most prominent during this Classic?

Casey

That is hard to narrow down. A jerkbait and even a Road Runner should be good especially if the bass are around schools of bait. A jig will be very strong. Grand Lake is a very good jig lake. But, if we see a few warm days a shallow crankbait bite might be on.

IBASSIN

What problems are you worried about or needing to plan around?

Spinhead fishing for smallmouth bass

At the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, Casey Ashley put a spinhead into action and won the Classic when most couldn't get a bite. The spinhead is an amazing bait for smallmouth bass that are suspended or schooling on bait. Here's a recent video I did for Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine that highlights several key factors of why the spinhead is an amazing bait for smallmouth bass.

Casey Ashley is the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Champ!

Casey Ashley wins hometown Classic with dad's homemade baits

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. - On Sunday evening at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Casey Ashley completed a journey that began more than three decades ago and seemed to drag on forever these past few weeks.

The 31-year-old South Carolina native, who has lived just a few miles from Lake Hartwell all his life, caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces to cap a moving victory in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on his home waters with a three-day total of 50-1.

The weight was enough to help Ashley past Florida pro Bobby Lane, Jr., who finished second with 46-15, and Texas angler Takahiro Omori who placed third with 44-3.

Casey kept underspin spinning all day to capture win by 3 pounds.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The end of the weigh-in meant Ashley could finally take a deep breath after seven weeks when the lake was mostly off-limits due to B.A.S.S. rules and when virtually everyone he saw wanted to talk about him being the favorite to win.

“I worked a show in Greenville at the TD Convention Center (in mid-January), and I bet I thought about the Classic 50,000 times while I was standing there,” said Ashley, who won the event on his sixth try. “My first Classic was here (in 2008), and ever since then I’ve been saying I’d like to have that one back.
“I wanted to win so bad here at home, and I had a long time to think about it. It was pretty rough.”