It’s every working man or weekend angler’s dream to fish in the Bassmaster Classic Championship.  The odds of winning the American Bass Anglers Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship are almost implausible.  Not only does the angler have to compete against some of the best weekend anglers, but continue to work to make a living.  The level of competition steps up a notch when you get to the top 10.  The pressure is mind boggling, if you have a metal-down, you’re history, and no one will ever remember a top 25 finisher.  Only the winner’s name will be forever remembered as the weekend angler who made it to the Bassmaster Classic Championship.

This year’s Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Champion is Darrel West from Drasco, Arkansas.  West’s journey to the Classic began with him fishing the ABA BWS Tournaments in Arkansas then on to the Divisional on Sam Rayburn in Texas where he qualified for the ABA BWS Championship.  West then went on to win the ABA BWS Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas, which automatically qualified him to fish in the Bassmaster Classic Championship. 

This past season, West’s go to lure has been a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap ¼-ounce lipless crankbait.  Early in the tournament season, West used a Red Crawl color pattern to catch his fish with and switched to Chrome/Blue in later in the fall.  West uses a G-Loomis 7-foot Senko rod or Falcon 7-foot Expert medium/heavy rod when fishing a Rat-L-Trap.  “The longer rods allow me to get more leverage and the soft tip is great for playing the fish,” explained West.  As for a reel and fishing line, West uses a Shimano Curado model 200 BSF with a 6.2:1gear ratio and 15-pound Seagaur fluorocarbon line or 10-pound Maximum depending on the situation. 

West is not your typical weekend angler, he has fished in bass tournaments all his life including some BASS Opens.  This experience plus having a travel buddy and fishing tournament team partner, Bassmaster Elite Series Professional Angler Billy McCaghren from Mayflower, Arkansas, will benefit West as he competes down on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Alabama, come February 19-21, 2010.  “Right now, I am trying to not to be intimidated by the other Pro’s, I have already fished against some of them in the BASS Opens; my goal is to make the cut and fish all three days and will be disappointed if I do not make the cut,” West continued, “making the Bassmaster Classic Championship has always been a dream of mine since I was a kid; I grew up in a fishing family reading Bassmaster Magazine.”  It has been three months since West won the Championship and now he is preparing for the Classic.  “I still own a small business that requires me to be there, but I have travel plans for a trip down to Lay Lake before the official off limits begins,” West went on, “the trip next week will shed some light on what I will be doing during the Classic but weather will be a factor that I will have to be able to adjust to during the tournament.”

Although he won the BWS Championship and $100,000 in cash, West continues to work full time.  He did have a new portfolio made up since winning the BWS Championship.  “Now is the time for me to get my foot in to some doors when it comes to sponsorship,” said West.  His list of sponsors right now is Bass Cat Boats and Mercury Outboards.  No doubt, a number of companies will be interested in sponsoring West with his reputation and fishing skills.

Right now, West has one thing on his mind, the 2010 Bassmaster Classic Championship.  “Being in the Classic has always been a dream of mine and winning the BWS Championship is the only way a real working man or weekend angler can make it to the Classic,” West continued, “it’s a needle in the haystack, an unbelievable dream, but it can happen to you too…it happened to me!”