Bass Madness: Bigmouths, Big Money, and Big Dreams at the Bassmaster Classic

Competitive bass fishing has come a long, long way. Back in 1982, then staff writer for Field & Stream Ken Schultz was in a boat with Rick Clunn at the Bassmaster Classic, which was deemed so unimportant that Schultz's magazine neglected to cover it for the next two decades. It was a time when fishing was considered by many to be a contemplative, not competitive, activity.

Those days are long gone. In Bass Madness, Schultz, America's foremost fishing authority, goes behind the scenes of the colorful 2005 and 2006 Citgo Bassmaster Classics—the so-called "Super Bowl of bass fishing"—to explore just what has transformed this unassuming championship event into full-blown theater—a place where players, spectators, cameras, action, and intense drama converge in a spectacle unlike anything seen before in the sport's history.

Schultz presents a riveting new perspective on the growing hero-worship of the competitors, examining what drives the sport's rabid fans to follow people who drive fast boats in order to catch small and relatively few fish, and who gather in huge numbers to witness takeoffs and weigh-ins. He also analyzes whether the remarkable success and marketing of this iconic event is undermining the sport itself.

Schultz takes us along for the ride as he covers the Classics, observing elite anglers such as self-made superstar Mike Iaconelli, the hyperactive, breakdancing 33-year-old bass pro who yells at his fish and whose temper tantrum resulted in his disqualification from round one of the 2006 Classic, as well as less demonstrative and therefore less televised performers. He brings the event to life in rich detail—from the thrill of the first castoffs, to the art of controlling the motors and boats, to the results broadcast, to thousands gathered in front of the Jumbotron, rock music blaring in the background.

Schultz then turns a gimlet eye on ESPN's coverage of the Classic, noting how the network tends to favor its appointed stars over some of the best performers, how the commentators skip over breaches of ethics and sportsmanship, and how ESPN's ownership of the Classic and ties with sponsors influences its broadcasts. He also examines how the timing and setting for the 2005 Classic was less than ideal—and the timing and setting for 2006 perhaps too ideal.

Throughout, Schultz relates the history, legends, and lore of this beloved tournament. You'll discover the strategies and secrets of the pros, learn about the heated controversies—who knew catching bass could be so contentious?—and see just what it's like to be a competitive bass fisherman in the frenzied, intense, and glamorous world of bass madness.