Glasgow carries ABA pride to Bassmaster Classic

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Representing American Bass Anglers and weekend fishermen everywhere, Allan Glasgow challenged the best professional anglers and beat some of them in his inaugural appearance at the Bassmaster Classic.

Glasgow finished in 36th place during the Classic, held Feb. 24-26, 2012, on the Red River in Shreveport, La. He landed two consecutive five-bass daily tournament limits weighing 18 pounds, 9 ounces. Glasgow finished ahead of Denny Brauer, a former Classic champion, and several other perennial contenders.

“I’m proud of what I accomplished here,” said the Ashville, Ala. angler who fished the ABA Alabama North Division 1 in 2011. “I used this tournament as a learning curve to get ready for my next event. On Day 1, I was in the middle of the pack and felt okay with that. I thought I could catch another 10 pounds on Day 2. The fish were in there, but they just moved. Maybe, one day I’ll get a chance to come back.”

The Red River once slashed across 250 miles of northwest and central Louisiana before hitting the Mississippi River near Simmesport, La. About two decades ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers divided the once raging river into five pools, which now more closely resemble reservoirs. The rising waters also reconnected many sloughs and oxbow lakes with the main channel. These backwaters now produce excellent bass catches. Sometimes, anglers catch largemouths exceeding 10 pounds.

“I came up in December to practice before the cut-off,” Glasgow said. “I found about four primary areas that I wanted to check during the official tournament practice. Of the four primary areas I wanted to fish, I cut that down to two areas where I really concentrated during the tournament.”

He stayed in Pool Five, the northwestern most pool closest to the Red River Marina launch site on Highway 71 South in Bossier City, La. On Day 1, Glasgow brought in five bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces. He followed that with another five-fish daily tournament limit weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

“It turned warmer on Day 2 and the fish had spawning on their minds,” Glasgow explained. “They moved up shallow, but I didn’t go with them. I stayed on my primary location. I knew the area had a lot of fish and some quality fish. I caught 20 fish, but never could get a big one. I saw two four-pounders that chased my bait to the top, but didn’t bite.”

Glasgow didn’t go home empty handed. Everyone who fishes the Bassmaster Classic receives a check. Coupled with the $100,000 he won as 2011 ABA Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series National Champion, he enjoyed a good winter.

“To win $100,000 in the Bassmaster Weekend Series was a financial blessing to my family,” admitted the plumbing company owner. “That’s a lot of money for a weekend angler. Add that with the contingency money and my winnings from the Classic, it comes to about $175,000 for four months of work. My family is just overwhelmed. We’re tickled to death with the BWS. My wife supports me wholeheartedly.”

Although Glasgow never fished a tournament as big as the Bassmaster Classic before, he did fish against many of these pros in the past. He twice qualified for Southern Opens and won one on the Santee-Cooper lakes of South Carolina in 2009, the same place where he won the ABA BWS championship in November 2011 that propelled him into the Classic competition.

“Watching these anglers, how they work and how they practice, I realized that they are not any different from me or anyone else,” Glasgow reflected. “The only difference is that they fish 300 days a year while I might fish 150 days. I’m collecting a paycheck every week. Some of these guys on the tour are not getting a weekly paycheck. Each one of these anglers is an awesome person and very good at what he does.”

For more information, call ABA at (888) 203-6222 or see www.americanbassanglers.com. For complete Bassmaster Classic results see www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/2012-bassmaster-classic/leaderboard
-- John N. Felsher

About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

Home Page