March 12, 2019

Can Jordan Lee Win Three Consecutive Bassmaster Classics?

Mossy Oak Fishing Team member, 27-year-old Jordan Lee of Grant, Alabama, may rewrite the history of bass fishing at the 2019 Bassmaster Classic the week of March 15-17 at the Tennessee River on Fort Loudon and Tellico lakes. Lee is in that rare air that only two other bass pros have tasted - Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam – who both have won back-to-back Classics. If Lee wins the 2019 Classic, his fifth appearance at a Classic, he’ll be the only angler in the history of bass fishing to win three, consecutive Classics. Lee cut his teeth fishing local bass tournaments as a teenager and also won the 2014 Bassmaster College Series.  

Jordan Lee bass fishing

I’ve had a number of people ask me, “Can you have three wins in a row at the Classics?” 

My answer is, winning any Bassmaster tournament is extremely difficult, and winning the Classic is the most difficult of all. The biggest press corps of the year will be present at this event. Also, the largest fan base that competitive anglers see each year will be in the bleachers at the weigh-ins. The top other 51 fishermen from 2018 will be anglers against whom I’ll be competing in the 2019 Classic. No one has ever won three consecutive Classics. However, I believe if I can find the bass and stay with my game plan, I may have a chance to win my third consecutive Classic. 

I feel I’m fishing really well right now. I’ve had a good year so far in 2018 and at the other 2019 bass fishing evJordan Lee Classic Championents I’ve fished. So, I feel really confident going into this 2019 Classic. Confidence is very important when someone is competing at this high level of bass fishing. I’m very excited about going to the Bassmaster Classic this year and feel very fortunate to have qualified for it. I also know this may very well be the last Classic I’ll ever get to fish. Many professional anglers, including myself, have changed tours, so I may never have this chance again. If I win the 2019 Classic, that will be awesome. But if I don’t, my world won’t come to an end. I’m excited to be able to compete against the best bass fishermen in the world. 

To win the 2019 Classic, all the stars would have to line-up for me, and many intangibles would have to go my way.  To win, I’d have to have a great day of fishing – one of the best of my life – on that last day. Most Classics are won on that last day of fishing. To have a chance to win, I’ll have to go into that last day – hopefully in the top 5 or the top 10. I’ll have to fish very hard on the two previous 2019 Classic days to put myself in contention to win. 

I’ve also been asked what could cause me to lose. I always laugh and say, “The other 51 best anglers in all the world of bass fishing.” You must remember that tournament anglers don’t win tournaments very often because they don’t have the opportunities to win, due to the extremely high level of the competition. So, I hope on that last day I will have put myself in a position to win on the two previous days. On that last day of competition, I’ll need everything to go my way, so I can win.

I’m not the favorite in this Classic going into this tournament, but I don’t think I’ve ever been the favorite to win in any other Classic. I’ll have to do what I do, fish the best I can and then live with the results.

For more coverage of the Mossy Oak Fishing Team at the 2019 Bassmaster Classic, read:

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