Gerald Swindle:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically -I got up every morning at 6:30am and got on a tread mill for 2miles. Then rode a bike for 6 miles. Later in the day I ran with my fiancée. I also worked outside daily. This is something the general public doesn't realize. There is lots of lifting, bending and standing for long hours. It's like boxing-If your legs aren't in shape your can't fish all day. And its hard to make good decisions when your tired. Mentally-I just tried to think of places I will fish and steps to take if I need to adjust. By the time you get to this level you're pretty much OK mentally. I just try not to get too psyched up with all the other stuff going on around you.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
When I get through in an area; If I haven't caught any fish, I make up my mind to come back or not come back. Usually I'm convinced to not come back and I won't be afraid to keep looking. I will get my maps out and keep looking for areas. There is nothing to loose so I keep moving.

Clark Wendlant:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically - I worked out 2 to 3 hours daily playing tennis. Mentally- I put a lot of thought into what I might do under various situations. I have been thinking about this one for a long time.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
I would never return to an area I had a bad practice. If I eliminated the area I would keep looking for a new area

Rick Clunn:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically- I hiked in the Ozarks in the middle of the day. This involved a lot of hot humid hiking in the woods. Mentally- I keep fishing to stay in the "tournament mode". Like any sport you don't want to over think it. You have to pace yourself mentally. I simply try to explore all my options. Its like going through a mental check list. You go over water by going over maps of places you fished in practice . You review things that happened and the pace you go through on the water. You develop options if things don't go right. The worse thing an angler can do is come to the end of his options. I also do meditative exercises were I envision certain aspects of the tournament. Athletes have done this for decades. I guess it arranges your mind in a positive format.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
If an area isn't producing fish you can't be hard-headed. If you haven't developed a pattern your still practicing, possibly til the tournament is over. Hopefully, you have somewhat of a pattern you can expand on the next day. Most of the time I need 2 days to find and fine-tune a pattern. This is one event we use practice differently than other tournaments we fish. The first day we visit the confidence areas we have and see if the fish are reacting the same way they were a month ago or see if we need to start from scratch. Usually start over in an area you are fishing and re-establish what the fish are doing. When this fails then you need to start over and find a new area.

Roland Martin:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically- I get up and run/walk for 3miles in the hot weather. I run 200 yds then walk 200 yds. for 3 miles. The heat is not that much of a factor right now. Mentally- You constantly psych yourself into being more efficient-being better. You have to thing your way through each strike before it happens. Being in the right position, paying attention, and when the strike comes you HAVE to boat the fish.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
If I had no clue that the area had a potential to produce fish I wouldn't go back. I would start the tournament day practicing and not go back to the area.

Kevin VanDam:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically- When at home I work in the yard. I like to hunt and I have been working on food plots and scouting for deer. I'm a real active person and I have really never had to work out.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
In the Classic its different than most tournaments. It's not about points or placing. 2nd thru 45th is all the same. I know there are a lot of guys here that know that the way they're fishing, they don't have a chance to win if they don't stick their neck out - because they don't want to pull in the Superdome without one in the box. Me, I'm not here to catch a limit that weighs 5lbs. I'm here to win. After what I saw last month and yesterday(in practice), in my mind I haven't found what I need yet. So, I'm going to make educated guesses til I do.If I don't catch them I'll just chalk it up to a learning experience. This is my 11th Classic and I've failed 10 times so if I don't win I'll just try to make it back next year and win that one.

Dean Rojas:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically- The last 1 & 1/2 weeks I have worked in the yard in jeans and a t-shirt. Texas its 100 degrees and I have been sweating like a pig out there in the yard. I know that down here in New Orleans it could be the same here. I knew I needed to be physically ready. Mentally- I have stack of info on the Delta that has been a good guideline. I just refresh and go over in my mind what I am going to do.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
If you had a bad practice and changing areas is what you feel is what you need to do I would move. I pay attention to my gut feeling. I it tells me I need to get out of there then I go--I trust that. Once you get that one bite you figure out what kind of key structure the fish are on, were they are and the pattern. Then you can go to different areas and repeat the scenario. Pay attention to the current, wind and other external conditions.

Jay Yelas:

What did you do to prepare Mentally and Physically for the Classic?
Physically- I fished 4 days a week staying in the heat and getting my body used to the heat. Mentally- I spend time making sure in my mind my game plan is sound. I've been doing this 12 years - this is my 11th Classic. Hopefully I've developed a sound game plan to win the Classic. I know what it takes to win. You may not have time to find new fish. You have to fish were you found them a month ago. You can't go out wasting time just trying to catch a limit of fish. You have to go for big fish from the start. It requires a different strategy from the beginning. Unlike regular tournaments were you want to place or be consistent for the whole season. Here you need to put yourself in the position to win.

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
You need to keep moving to find a new area. Realistically if you catch 4 to 5 lbs of fish in an area one day you are not going to catch 15 lbs the next day there. If you are a good fisherman and you are not catching fish you should move because you are not around fish. If you are an amateur you just may not be doing the right things. If you have been fishing a number of years and are not catching fish you need to move to new water.

Randy Howell:

What do you do if you have had a bad practice day in one of your confidence areas? Do you stay and fish it more thoroughly or move to a new area?
That's a good question. That's what I am faced with now. I only got to fish my main areas one and a half hours in yesterdays practice. The tide is real crucial here and I could have been fishing the wrong tide. I will still fish the same area in the 1st day of the tournament tomorrow. I will try it a little while before I give up on it. That is what the Classic is all about--making the right decisions.