Eddie Plemons
By Eddie Plemons, President Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation
I was there, working for B.A.S.S., when the late Bryan Kershal [a B.A.S.S. Nation member] won the Classic. I drove him back the 50-mile trip the second day when he knew that he would take the lead. The excitement in that truck was amazing. He was beside himself, blowing his whistle.
The final day at the ramp, my job was to take the boats out in a certain order. Bryan was still in the water,
Bryan Kershal. B.A.S.S. photo
and Tommy Biffle was already out. Doug Hannon was checking the fish. He checked Biffle’s, then came down and checked Bryan’s fish at the dock. Hannon then declared Biffle the winner. So they put Biffle back in the water, and Ken Cook started interviewing Biffle about winning the Classic.
Meanwhile, Tim Williams, who was helping Doug, came down and told me that Doug was wrong — that Kershal would win.
At the stage, they weighed in Bryan first, thinking Biffle would be the winner to weigh in last.
Well, they weighed Biffle’s fish and, with much hesitation, had to call Bryan back to the stage and crown him winner of the 2024 BASSMASTERS Classic.
Dylan Nutt, the 2026 Classic winner, qualified to fish the Classic through the B.A.S.S. Nation. The Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation has had eight anglers qualify to fish the BASSMASTERS Classic
Dylan Nutt. B.A.S.S. photo
Dylan won a Nation Regional Tournament at Pickwick Lake, then came in third at the B.A.S.S. Nation National Championship to qualify for the Classic — not through the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation but through the Nation program.
Alabama’s highest angler, Zeke Gossett, came in fifth. We don’t have the kind of payouts to compete with some trails, but you can qualify to move on to another level and possibly make the Classic. You can also qualify for the Bass Team Championship.
Check us out! https://albassnation.org/
