All eyes are on the Mossy Oak Fishing Team as the 2018 Bassmaster Classic takes place this week, March 16-18, at Lake Hartwell near Greenville, South Carolina.
Mossy Oak’s Fishing Team members competing in the 2018 Bassmaster Classic are Team Leader, Kevin VanDam (4-Time Classic Champion), Jordan Lee (1-Time Classic Champion), Brandon Palaniuk (2017 AOY), Ott DeFoe, and Gerald Swindle. They will all be seen wearing Mossy Oak’s Elements Agua pattern, the official pattern of B.A.S.S.
Members of the Mossy Oak Fishing Team have been picked high in the standings to win the 2018 Classic by Bryan Brasher, the editor of “Bass Times.” He’s chosen: Brandon Palaniuk, the Angler of the Year, from Hayden, Idaho, as a 6:1 favorite to finish the Classic in the top 3; Kevin VanDam as a 6:1 favorite to finish in the top 5; Ott DeFoe as a 10:1 favorite, to finish in the top 10; Jordan Lee of Grant, Alabama, the 2017 Classic champion, as a 15:1 favorite to finish in the top 15; and Gerald Swindle of Guntersville, Ala., who’s fished in 16 previous Classics, as a 15:1 favorite to finish in the top 18.
“I look forward to the Classic every year and really get fired-up,” Kevin VanDam, four-time Classic champion from Kalamazoo, Michigan, said. “The last time I fished Hartwell I finished third. I certainly hope to better that finish in 2018.”
Bass fishermen in the know at Bassmaster Classic time usually say, “You never want to bet against KVD.” However, the Classic features the best fishermen in the world competing against each other for fame and fortune, and it’s the Super Bowl of bass fishing.
Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, a past Rookie of the Year, explained, “I’m excited about this biggest bass fishing tournament of the year. Classic week is always stressful and busy, but I also have the opportunity then to do something great and unforgettable.”
Watch “Elements,” featuring episodes with Ott DeFoe, Jordan Lee, Gerald Swindle, and others
