Can't Attend the Superbowl of Bass Fishing? Throw A Classic Party Instead!
February 6, 2009
This just in: You’re not one of the 51 anglers packing their bags for a road trip to Shreveport, Louisiana to fish the Superbowl of bass angling. And you’re not lucky enough to get a winter vacation down south to catch some of the bass action first hand. If you’re like most anglers your winter is dragging and your cabin fever has peaked. If this is the case (it is in my case), then there’s no better way to kick off this year’s fishing season then to host a Bassmasters Classic Party! 
Imagine all of your fishing buds hovered around the cooler, eyes peeled on your big screen, cheering on their favorite anglers – a similar scene at a Superbowl party. Sure Classic coverage doest have the same media hype or the quirky commercials, but it has stuff that the Superbowl doesn’t: three days of action, locks and dams, potential eight pounders, and the Red River are just a few things you can expect to see. If you’re going to do this right, there are a few things you’ll need to plan for the perfect Bassmasters Classic Party.
Snacks, Dips and Louisiana Favorites
Standard Superbowl fare will carry over perfectly for your Bassmasters Classic party: potato chips, guacamole, tortilla chips and salsa, and don’t forget the cocktail sausages and meatballs. If you really want to impress your guests, throw some Louisiana favorite foods into the mix. A spicy jambalaya, pork and sausage Gumbo, Creole and Cajun chicken, or some crawdads (if they’re good enough for bass, they’re good enough for the party!). Whatever you decide to serve, be sure there is enough to go around.
Trivial Knowledge
If you plan to impress your fishing buddies I recommend brushing up on your Classic knowledge. Throw out questions during commercial breaks and make a game of it! How many pools of the Red River can anglers fish at this year’s Classic? How many federation anglers will be part of the 51 angler field? How many weekend series anglers will be looking to cash in on the half million dollar first place price? These are all great questions that will have your guests fishing for answers. By the way, the answers to the questions above are 3 (pools 3, 4, and 5), 6 federation anglers, and 1 weekend series angler. If your guests are hungry for more, put together some old-school trivia questions and see how much they know about previous Classics.
Big Screen Television (The bigger the better)
Louisiana-themed foods and Bassmasters Classic trivia won’t mean a heck of a lot without a big TV to catch all of the action on. When it comes to televisions bigger is better. My suggestion is that a 35” screen is the minimum but if you’ve got a big crowd, a 60” screen is ideal. Since we’re talking big televisions, HD is something to consider. It’s not a must have but since this year’s Bassmasters Classic on ESPN 2 will be broadcast that way, you might as well have a television ready to display those high definition waves if possible.
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or Video Cassette Recorder (VCR)
Just because the Classic is a three day event doesn’t mean that your party has to last that long. While I’m sure you would love to have your fishing bud’s hanging around the house for three straight days, I’m quite certain the lady of the house more than likely won’t. That’s where the recorder comes in handy. Whether you’re using a digital video recorder or the old school method of the VCR, as long as you can record the coverage, it doesn’t matter too much. The best set up is to record the first two days of the coverage, and then catch the day three action when it airs “live”. When planning your party be sure to start it early enough to watch the previous coverage and plan to have at least a couple of intermissions!
Beverages
Beer, soda, or energy drinks - whatever you choose have lots of it and be sure it is ice cold. For the beer drinkers, mix it up with a little variety. Definitely have some of the mainstream lite beers on hand, but consider keeping it Louisiana-style by including a local or regional beer in the mix. I recommend Restoration, a pale ale style beer from the Abita Brewing Company brewed in Abita Springs, Louisiana. If pale ale isn’t your thing, Abita features many different styles to suit your liking, including Andygator Dopplebock or even Abita Rootbeer if you chose. Keeping in the spirit of many of the younger professional anglers that are fishing the Classic this year, better throw some Amp or Redbull in the cooler (this also keeps the energy level in the room above normal).
Armed with these “must have” ideas you’re sure to kick off the 2009 fishing season with an “off the hook” party to impress all of your fishing buds. Bassmaster Classic event coverage begins Saturday February 21st finishing up on Sunday the 22nd, so it would be best to start sending out the invites as soon as possible. For more information on the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Classic coverage, check them out online at www.bassmasters.com.