There is nothing in our sport quite like the Bassmaster Classic.
Between the Kevin VanDam talk of him going for three Classic wins in a row to the tough conditions, this year’s Classic on the Red River was a fun one to watch, as they all are.
In the end, Chris Lane notched his first Major win in the biggest tournament of the season, officially placing him among the elite in the sport in terms of reputation.
As for how he and the rest of the field rank after the event, now that’s a different story.
In the two-year Majors World Rankings, our standby, there wasn’t too much change at the top, to be honest. Kevin VanDam’s 2010 Classic victory had already dropped off prior to the event, dropping him to fourth (where he has stayed after his 11th at the Classic).
That again places Mark Rose at the top of the rankings. But, again, he won’t be there for long. A 2010 FLW Tour event on Table Rock is set to drop off on March 7, and when it does, we will have a brand new No. 1 angler in the world. We won’t spoil who it is, though you’re free to check out the event and try to figure it out.
Meanwhile, Chris Lane obviously helped his cause, jumping from 117th to 93rd in the rankings. Considering he has two wins in three events on the Major and Minor levels already this year, he’s obviously someone to watch going forward (more on that later in the week).
As for other notable rises, Greg Vinson (56th to 48th), Keith Poche (80th to 68th), Alton Jones (69th to 57th), Tim Horton (143rd to 134th), Dustin Wilks (86th to 73rd) and Bill Lowen (66th to 58th) all helped their causes with top 10 finishes.
Meanwhile, Shaw Grigsby continued his downward slide, slipping from 101st to 119th after he finished last at the Classic. Brandon Palaniuk entered the ranking in 79th, while Casey Ashley (74th to 99th), Ish Monroe (84th to 98th) and Terry Scroggins (46th to 56th) all had lack-luster finishes that hurt their rankings.
If you want to see a bit more shuffling, check out the one-year Majors World Ranking, as a number of Classic competitors are creating a log jam around the No. 20 mark.
