Rouse Outdoors
Check out our social media
  • Home
  • Videos
  • News
  • Resources
    • Heated docks in Kansas
  • Contact Us
  • Partner Sites
  • Chatroom
  • Photos
    • Hunting Photos
    • Fishing Photos
    • Weather Photos
    • Scenery Photos

Texan Keith Combs among favorites for 2017 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe

3/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON CJONLINE

​
Keith Combs, a native of Huntington, Texas, has a bit more on the line this year than normal at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic.

​
This Classic, which will be hosted by the city of Houston for the first time in the tournament’s 46-year history, is set up to be one of the largest and most exciting tournaments yet.
“I know it’s going to be a big tournament,” Combs said earlier this week. “Just about everywhere I go, I don’t care if I walk into a Lowe’s or a Home Depot or something, somebody is bringing it up. I mean, literally, yesterday we went in there to buy a washing machine and like four people that I didn’t know stopped me and said ‘Hey man, who’s going to win the Classic?’ People in Texas are excited about it and I’m just excited about that, that everybody is behind this thing.”
​

Combs said he was “ecstatic” to be able to go fish in front of all the people he’s grown up watching and fishing against competitively, as well as his friends and family. He also has another reason to be ecstatic: the Texan won two Toyota Texas Bass Classics on the same lake — Lake Conroe — that he’ll be fishing on March 24-26 at the Classic. The earnings for his wins, which came in 2011 and 2014, totaled $300,000.

“The thing that sets Conroe kind of in a class by itself is that it’s not always easy to go out and put fish in a boat, but anytime you’re out there, regardless of how you’re fishing, you’ve got a chance of catching an eight- or nine- or 10-pound fish just because that’s what lives there.

“That’s going to make it exciting, because I don’t think anybody’s going to run away with the thing, and if you make it to the final day — I don’t care how far you are behind, you’re going to have a chance. Conroe can put out a 30- or 35-pound limit of fish, and that’s pretty cool. We’ve never been to a place like that for a Classic.”
​

In 2011, Combs experienced firsthand exactly how important each fish is on Conroe. Just after finishing up his rookie season on the Elite Series, Combs sat tied at the weigh-in with 2003 Classic winner Mike Iaconelli — with both anglers hauling in massive three-day totals of 76 pounds, 12 ounces. To settle the draw, Combs and Iaconelli competed in a “first legal fish” sudden death fishoff. Combs connected on a 15-inch bass with 15 minutes remaining before the 6:45 p.m. deadline to secure the victory.

Iaconelli, coincidentally, also had a remarkably close loss the year before at the TTBC, losing by just 1 pound, 4 ounces to Brian Snowden.

“Uhh, we’ve never talked about it,” Combs laughed. “If I hadn’t won, I would have probably never wanted to talk about that again, because it was exciting and it was cool but I’d hate to be on the losing end of that thing. You’re right there —either one of us should have won because we both were like 20 pounds over third place and we’re sitting there with a tie, so we had this crazy fishoff. But nah, we ain’t ever really talked about it, but I mean it was cool. For me, it’ll be one I never forget because it was so dramatic.”
Combs noted that the tournament, which he said paid $150,000 for first place, came at a “really good point” in his career and set things in motion for him to become a full-time professional angler.

“In fishing, it’s always a struggle to kind of break into it from a financial standpoint because fishing doesn’t pay that much,” Combs said. “You kind of have to align yourself with some good companies. I feel like the tie and the dramatic tournament and the big weights and stuff in that tournament really did help me a bunch.”

In 2014, Combs came back to Conroe and won the TTBC again in dominating fashion, putting up 62 pounds, 12 ounces of fish to best John Murray by more than 12 pounds. His largest bag of the tournament weighed 24 pounds, 8 ounces, to earn him the Leer Heavyweight Bag award.

“That’s what makes a good weigh-in, when you can come in with some giant fish,” Combs said.

Because of his level of success on Lake Conroe, many fans and commentators speculate Combs will be the guy to beat at this year’s Classic. However, Combs pointed out several differences between the tournaments he won in 2011 and 2014 and the Classic.

“Really, I think it’s not setting up to be similar as far as techniques or locations go,” Combs said. “Those TTBC wins were in the fall. They were in September and October. I’ll definitely consider some of the same stuff that I did in those tournaments, but this tournament here is right in the middle of the spawn so most fish are going to be a lot shallower than what I caught them in, they’re gonna be probably less out to bite reaction-type baits, which is what I won on using a crankbait.”

He said he would basically be “starting from scratch,” though he hoped that some of the experience he had gained on the lake would pay off for him.

“There’s definitely a lot of added pressure,” he said. “The main thing you don’t want to do is go out there and let that influence the way you fish, because the Classic is different than the rest of the season. If you flop in that regular-season event, it costs you a lot of points. But in the Classic, it’s just like those TTBCs. It’s a one-tournament shot. You’re not going to fall on your face in the points if you don’t do well.

“I think when you feel like you’ve got everybody looking at you, you don’t want to do bad. But in the Classic, you may have to take gambles to win. You may fish a pattern that is not getting you a lot of bites, but when you do get one it’s a big fish. I’m gonna do my best to not let the fact that I’m supposed to do good there influence any decision-making. I want to go out and fish to win.”

He said he was comfortable taking some of those gambles, however, knowing that he was fishing a strategy that made sense for the conditions and not overthinking things because of peoples’ expectations for him to do well.
​
“If I lose or I don’t do as good as I should have, I can tell myself, ‘Well, you did what you thought you needed to win the Classic on Conroe,’ ” Combs said. “Then I’m not going to have anything to regret.”
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Josh Rouse is an outdoor enthusiast from Topeka, Kansas. He is the Outdoors Editor for The Topeka Capital-Journal.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    August 2013
    April 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Abu Garcia
    Alabama
    Alaska
    All American Catfish Tournaments
    All-American Catfish Tournaments
    Angler Feature
    Apps
    Aqua Vu
    Aqua-Vu
    Arbogast
    Archery
    Arkansas
    ATVs
    Audubon Society
    Backlashers Bass Club
    Badger
    Bald Eagles
    Barbel
    Bass
    Bassmaster
    Bass Pro Shops
    Bear
    Benelli
    Berkley
    Big Bucks
    Big Cats
    Big Game
    Big Horned Sheep
    Big-horned Sheep
    Bird Watching
    Bison
    Boar
    Boating
    Books
    Booyah
    Bosnia
    Bow Fishing
    Bow Hunting
    B&P Jighead
    Brandon Palaniuk
    Browning
    Bullfrogs
    Burbot
    Business
    Buzzbaits
    Cabela's
    Calendar
    California
    Camping
    Canada
    CarbonTV
    Carp
    Catfish
    Catfish Chasers
    Catfish Weekly
    Chubs
    College Fishing
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Conservation
    Cougars
    Country Stampede
    Coyotes
    Cranes
    Crankbaits
    Crappie
    Crappie Masters
    Creeks
    Critters
    Culprit
    Cycling
    Daiwa
    Deer
    Dogs
    Doug Vahrenberg
    Doves
    Drum
    Ducks
    Ducks Unlimited
    Eagle Claw
    Education
    Elk
    Environment
    Europe
    Fall
    Fireworks
    Fishing
    Fishing's Future
    Fish Stories
    FleFly
    Fle Fly
    Fle-Fly
    Flint Hills Bass Association
    Florida
    FLW
    Fly Fishing
    Frogs
    Fur Harvesting
    Gander Mountain
    Gar
    Geese
    Georgia
    Government
    Great Plains Nature Center
    Grilling
    Gulf Of Mexico
    Guns
    Hawaii
    Health
    Heartland Bowhunter
    Heddon
    Henry Repeating Arms
    Heroes On The Water
    Hiking
    Humminbird
    Humor
    Hunters For Life
    Hunting
    Hunting Shows
    ICAST
    Ice Fishing
    Idaho
    Illinois
    In Fisherman
    In-Fisherman
    Insects
    Instagram
    Invasive Species
    Iowa
    Jackson Kayaks
    Joey Nania
    Kansas
    Kansas Crappie Club
    Kansas Crappie Trail
    Kansas Herpetological Society
    Kansas Wetlands Education Center
    Kayaking
    Kentucky Lake
    K State
    K-State
    Lake Of The Ozarks
    Lakes
    Lake Trout
    Lake Wheeler
    Lazy Ikes
    Lightning Photos
    Little Cleos
    Louisiana
    Lure Lock
    Lures
    Mackerel
    Mahi Mahi
    Mahi-Mahi
    Marcum
    Maryland
    Melvern Reservoir
    Memories
    Michigan
    Micro Fishing
    Micro-fishing
    Midwest Finesse
    Milford Nature Center
    Milford Reservoir
    Mille Lacs
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Montana
    Moose
    Mountain Lions
    Mr. Crappie
    Mushrooms
    Music
    Muskie
    Muzzleloaders
    Nace
    National Park Service
    Nature
    Nebraska
    Ned Kehde
    Ned Rig
    Neko Rig
    Nevada
    New Jersey
    News
    Newspapers
    New York
    Night Fishing
    Noodling
    North Carolina
    North Dakota
    Northern Pike
    NRA
    NWTF
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Old Reel Collectors Association
    Oregon
    Paddlefish
    Panfish
    Pennsylvania
    Pflueger
    Pheasants
    Pheasants Forever
    Pond Management
    Ponds
    Prairie Chickens
    Predators
    Pro Cure
    Pro-Cure
    Published
    Q&A
    Quail
    Quail Forever
    QUWF
    Rage Tail
    Ranger
    Rapala
    Reading
    Rebel Lures
    Records
    Redfish
    Reviews
    Rivers
    Roach
    Rose Kuli
    Safaris
    Safety
    Salmon
    Saltwater Fishing
    Sauger
    Saugeye
    Sharks
    Shimano
    Shotguns
    Slovenia
    Smallmouth Buffalo
    Smelt
    Snakes
    Snapper
    South Africa
    South America
    South Carolina
    South Dakota
    Species Feature
    Spiderwire
    Spring
    Spring Turkey
    SPRO
    Storm Lures
    Storms
    Sturgeon
    Sufix
    Summer
    Summertime
    Sutherlands
    Sweetwater TV
    Table Rock Lake
    Tackle
    Taxidermy
    Tennessee
    Terminator
    Texas
    Tightlines UV
    Toledo Bend
    Topeka
    Top Secret Jig Co.
    Topwater
    Tornado
    Tournament Fishing
    Trail Camera
    Trapping
    Trapshooting
    Trent Siegle
    Trilene
    Trout
    TTG Lures
    Turkey
    United States
    Upland Birds
    Varmint
    Veterans
    Vibe Kayaks
    Vibric
    Video Games
    Vintage Lures
    Virginia
    VMC
    Walleye
    Washburn
    Washburn Review
    Washington State
    Waterfowl
    Weather
    Westar Energy
    Westin Fishing
    West Virginia
    Wetlands
    White Bass
    Wild Game
    WILD Kansas
    Wilson Lake
    Winter
    Wiper
    Wisconsin
    Wyoming
    Yakima
    Youth
    YouTube
    YO ZURI
    YO-ZURI
    Zebco
    Z Man
    Z-Man
    Zoom

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly