It's a race to the finish line for anglers competing here in the Sooner State. The 2013 Bassmaster Classic "casts off" Friday. It's known as the Superbowl of fishing. Anglers will drop in at Grand Lake then drive 90-miles to Tulsa for weigh-in at the BOK Center.
Last minute preparations are underway at Grand Lake as the 53 anglers begin arriving to test the waters.
"It's been cold," said Yusuke Miyazaki, a first-time competitor at the Classic. "The first couple days of practice have been miserable."
Tak Omori, Bassmaster Champion in 2004 and Miyazaki are the only Japanese competitors. They expect thousands of fans when they launch at 7 a.m. Friday morning.
"People can watch from bank, the dock, or bring their own boat and follow us," said Omori. "That's normal."
They'll fish 8 hours each day, all over Grand Lake. Then they will haul their five biggest fish to the BOK Center for daily weigh in. 15,000 fans are expected to be at weigh-in.
"90 miles one way is a long drive after fishing all day, but that's what it takes to see the fans," said Omori.
The doors to the BOK Center will open at 3:00 each afternoon for the weigh in. Omori said he'll need to catch 18-20 pounds of fish each day to win.
The hometown favorites will be the three Oklahoma anglers who are competing in the Bassmaster Classic.
