Strong Contenders to Represent Minn Kota at the 2014 Bassmaster Classic
OutdoorHub 01.21.14
Minn Kota Freshwater Pro Staff Manager Tim Price has a smile on his face when he thinks about the upcoming Bassmaster Classic to be held at Lake Guntersville, Alabama, February 21-24, 2014.
“We have some of the very best names in the industry representing us at the Classic and every one of them has a shot at winning,” said Price. “Our six pro staff qualifiers have done a great job all year in preparing for each event they have entered. That consistency and diligence puts all of them in a great position to be successful.”
Minn Kota trolling motor sponsored pros competing at the 2014 Classic include Keith Combs, Ott DeFoe, Bobby Lane, Chad Morgenthaler, Brandon Palaniuk and Terry Scroggins. Combs, DeFoe and Morgenthaler are also sponsored by Talon shallow water anchors.
The Bassmaster Classic has long been considered the top event of all competitive bass fishing tournaments. Winning or placing high in the tournament puts both the angler and their products in the spotlight.
“All of our qualifiers do a great job of utilizing the latest technologies and features we provide them through our products,” said Price. “They stay on the cutting edge when it comes to trying new techniques or approaches. They are the type of guys that can move the needle when they are successful.”
Here’s more on Minn Kota’s “Big Six” at the Bassmaster Classic.
This will be the third straight Classic appearance for Keith Combs. He had three top-ten finishes on the B.A.S.S Elite Series circuit in 2013, including a victory at Falcon Lake in Texas. In addition, Combs won the prestigious Toyota Texas Bass Championship at Lake Conroe in October.
Although he has 15 top-ten career finishes in B.A.S.S. events, Knoxville, Tennessee, native Ott DeFoe is making his first appearance at the Classic. This past season he finished third at the Elite Series tournament held on the St. Lawrence River and eighth at the South Open in Alabama.
One of the real veteran’s on the Minn Kota team, Bobby Lane has fished in 76 B.A.S.S. events, placing in the top-ten 23 times. The Lakeland, Florida, resident has more than $824,000 in career earnings. Lane had quite a year in 2013, placing among the top-ten in four tournaments.
Chad Morgenthaler was the last man to qualify for this year’s Bassmaster Classic. He secured the 56th and last spot in the field by winning the 2013 Bassmaster Wild Card event held at Lake Okeechobee in Florida. Morgenthaler also qualified for this year’s B.A.S.S. Elite Series events by placing in the top-ten at two B.A.S.S. Open events.
New to the Minn Kota Pro Team, Brandon Palaniuk is considered one of the true up and comers on the B.A.S.S. tour. The 26-year-old from Rathdrum, Idaho, will already be making his fourth Classic appearance and is closing in on half-a-million dollars in career earnings. He won the Elite Series tournament held on the St. Lawrence River in New York this past August.
The competitive fishing resume of Terry Scroggins is quite impressive with ten previous Classic appearances, 45 top-ten finishes and over $1.6 million dollars in career earnings. Always considered a Classic contender, Scroggins had three top-ten finishes on the Elite Series in 2013, including placing third in the tournament held on the Sabine River.
Several of the Minn Kota marketing team and pro staff will be on hand at this year’s Classic and encourage attendees to stop by their booth #702 at the Exhibit Hall during the event.
