Future bright for Jordan Lee after Bassmaster Classic breakthrough
One week before he made his first cast at the 2017 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Conroe near Houston, Texas, Jordan Lee was on a conference call with Mark Copley, marketing relationship manager for Strike King Lure Co., when he said, “It’s just another tournament, only a little bigger.”
Little did Lee, one of eight members of Strike King’s pro staff in the field, know at the time he would end up being the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing’s champion and take home the top prize of $300,000 and suddenly become the face of his sport. Guess who picked Lee to win? Copley, that’s who, because he knew Lee was ripe for a win in his third Classic at the age of 25 and, even though he was pulling for all the Strike King participants, he knew Lee had the abilities to conquer what turned out to be one of the most demanding Classics in its 47-year history.
“The reason I picked him to win is (that) he is always the guy who is in contention,” Copley said. “He knows how to make things happen.”
Lee certainly knew how to make things happen on the final day at Lake Conroe.
Despite never having fished Lake Conroe before, Lee, who lives in Guntersville, Alabama, made one of the most dramatic comebacks in Bassmaster Classic history, coming from 15th place on the last day (he was No. 37 after the first day) to catch 27 pounds, 4 ounces on the final day for a winning total of 56-10, 25 ounces better than Steve Kennedy’s 55-1. Ironically, Kennedy is from Auburn, Alabama. Lee went to school at Auburn, where he excelled on the War Eagles’ 2013 bass team.
“Jordan is one of those anglers who not only knows how to find them but catch them,” Copley said. “He is a young angler that is going to be the future of our sport. We could not be prouder to have him as part of our pro staff.”
Lee was one of three anglers in the top 25 representing Strike King, which is based in Collierville, joining Kevin VanDam (10th) and Todd Faircloth (25th). VanDam, who is known by his legion of fans as KVD, earned $20,000 and Faircloth pocketed $13,000.
Ron Wong of Memphis, who has attended many Bassmaster Classics, said Lake Conroe, a 21,000acre reservoir on the San Jacinto River, proved to be frustrating for most competitors. A YouTube video featuring Lee being interviewed by Wong and Strike King pro staffer Debra Hengst at the Classic’s Media Day has had more than 1,500 views.
Lee said he looked at a map of Lake Conroe before the tournament and thought, “This lake looks like it’s a creek in Toledo Bend. Conroe is really not a big lake compared to where we usually go.”
VanDam stuck around Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros and the first major league ballpark to ever host the Classic weigh-ins. He wanted to see how things would turn out knowing that the two previous Classics had featured down-to-thewire final day dramatics.
On stage, after the final weighins, VanDam said to the audience, which was estimated at more than 10,000, “Let me tell you a little bit about Jordan Lee. I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. We have several sponsors in common — he drives a Toyota truck, he fishes Quantum (rods and reels) and he’s a Strike King pro. We talk a good bit and we do some shows together, too. He’s a great angler.”
First, he wins his first Classic. Then, he is praised by one of his fishing heroes.
Plus, Lee said, “I really thought there was no shot at me winning.”
It was a good Classic, too, for Tennessee angler Ott Defoe of Knoxville. He finished fifth at 48-12 and had the tournament’s biggest fish at 9 pounds, 9 ounces.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency: The TWRA is welcoming comments for its 2018 fishing regulations through April 23. Comments may be submitted by mail to: Attn: Fisheries Division-Comments, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, P.O. 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or emailed to FishingReg.Comments@tn.gov. Comments must include “fish comments” in the email subject line. This year the TWRA Fisheries Division will present the proposed regulations at the August meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission. The commission will set the regulations at its September meeting. There will be a public comment period on the proposed regulations between those meetings.
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks: The MDWFP Fisheries Bureau recently announced a proposed rule regarding the handling and storage of bait fish captured in dam spillway areas. The proposed rule requires that legal fish caught for bait with dip or landing nets, cast nets, boat mounted scoops, wire baskets, minnow seines and minnow traps must be placed immediately on ice or in a dry container. The spillway is the area immediately below a dam, and this rule applies to anglers fishing below Arkabutla, Enid, Grenada, Sardis and six other areas in the state. Dennis Riecke, MDWFP fisheries coordinator, said the rule is being proposed to prevent the spread of non-native fish species, such as the silver carp and bighead carp to new waters . ... Meanwhile, the MDWFP also is proposing new fishing regulations and the opening date of Lake Monroe near Aberdeen. Lake Monroe will host a youth fishing day June 3 and will open to the public June 7. Among the changes to regulations would include the daily creel limit at Olive Branch City Park ponds for bream (10) and crappie (5).
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