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Wisconsin’s B.A.S.S Federation angler Jimmy Johnson fished in his second Bassmaster Classic on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Florida this past February.  He accomplished a fantastic ninth place finish with a three-day total of 41 lbs. 14 oz. and daily bags of 10 lbs. 3 oz., 17lbs. 13 oz., and 13 lbs. 14 oz. respectively.  Only four anglers had larger limits on day two, while on the final day Jimmy had the second biggest bag of the day behind a guy named Kevin VanDam.    

First, let me back up to the year 2003 where this journey actually began. It was rough beginning; he qualified zone with a 7th place club finish as a non-boater for the 2004 tournament.  Then, a couple anglers declined to fish—so he snuck in to the last boater position for the club.  The 2004 tournament was held on Castle Rock Flowage were he finished 29th, this finish earned him a non-boater position for the state tournament on the Madison Chain of lakes later that year.  At this state tournament he finished 2nd and qualified for the state team for an impressive seventh time.  The journey continued with a 2nd place over-all finish at the 2005 Northern Divisional at Lake Patoka in Jasper, Indiana. The final tournament stop on the road to the Classic was the Federation Nationals held at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida, where a come from behind final day catch edged out the nearest competitor in the Northern Division by a mere ounce.  Final destination: Kissimmee, Florida—The 2006 Bassmaster Classic. 

The following is an excerpt from a Q&A I had with Jimmy Johnson following his trip to the 2006 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Toho.

Question: With the Classic being only a month after Nationals, how did you prepare yourself for the next step?

Jimmy Johnson: I used the Internet as a tool to look at past fishing reports from local guides and researched the native aquatic vegetation. I also looked at past tournament wins and the patterns that were used in these tournaments and put them together with any available video coverage I could find to narrow down my pre-fish water. 

Q: Could you walk us through the two weeks leading up to the classic and what the average day consisted of for an angler?

JJ: We had three days to pre-fish February 14th, 15th and 16th prior to Classic with all anglers on their own for accommodations.  On Friday the 17th we switched hotels to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. These accommodations were provided for the anglers by B.A.S.S..  Friday night we attended a banquet where we were paired with two Junior Anglers, one from each age group (11-14 and 15-18).  On Saturday 18th we had a pre-fish day with the kids where we could teach them about the lake, patterns to fish, and baits to use.  That afternoon we went through a practice weigh in with the kids so they knew what to expect the following day.Sunday 19th was extremely busy! From 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. the Junior Anglers fished the Championship tournament.  We (the Pro’s) could not give them any advice they had to make their own fishing decisions and run the trolling motor themselves. I had a great time with the kids and they seemed to have a blast which is what its all about.  Family Fest followed the Junior Championship where there was an autograph session for the public. Monday 20th was a free day—my girlfriend Kathy and I went to Animal Kingdom.  Tuesday 21st there were meetings and orientation to attend.  We had to get our rods and tackle in the boats, which was limited to two boxes and ten rods.  From that point on we could not switch any equipment unless it was with another competitor. Wednesday 22nd was the official pre-fish.Thursday 23rd more meetings, media sessions, and a television walk through.Friday 24th, Saturday 25th  (field was cut to 25) and Sunday 26th was the Classic tournament.  Each day following the weigh-in was a media session.

Q: What was practice like?

JJ: The three days prior to Classic week were very tough as a cold front went through and the water temperature was only 52 to 58 degrees.  Each day got better as the water warmed.  I was constantly on the move and never went back to the productive areas I found that week.  On the official pre-fish day I found some bigger fish (caught one over 11 pounds) and narrowed my productive water to three key areas.

Q: What kind of structure were you keying on and what baits were you using?

JJ: Basically I was fishing hydrilla in areas with a hard bottom and deep-water access.  I utilized a combination of baits including a swim jig, buzzbait, senko and straight tail worm.

Q:  In classic Jimmy Johnson fashion you finished the tournament strong while others seemed to taper off…what adjustments did you make to accomplish this?

JJ: I stuck to the areas I knew had fish and just figured out how the fish were relating to the structure.

Q: What did you learn from this years classic appearance?

JJ: That I can compete at professional level!

Q: Is there something you wished you had done differently?

JJ: Not really – I only wish I had more pre-fish time.

Q: What was your most memorable Classic moment?

JJ: My family and friends were there to share the experience.

Q: In your mind, what does your top ten finish at the Classic mean for the federation?

JJ: It lets the federation anglers know that they can compete at the highest level.

Q: Is there any thought to taking your skills to the next level and going pro?

JJ: Yes, I’m just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.

Any potential sponsors out there??? I encourage them to take a look at this guy— because I guarantee he is going to make some serious noise at the next level. I would like to thank Jimmy Johnson for his positive representation of the state of Wisconsin and shining a little light on what Federation anglers can do when competing against the best anglers in the world.  I would also like to praise B.A.S.S. for keeping this avenue to the Classic alive.  We all grew up dreaming of fishing the “Super Bowl” of bass fishing and competing against our hero’s and Jimmy is living proof that this dream can be a reality, but it can only happen in the Federation Nation.  Little did I know when I went to New Orleans in 2001 for a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch my friend walk across the Classic stage that I would be back five years later cheering him on again. I have a strong feeling that I’ll be back to see him again.

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