Bassmaster Classic contenders’ boats are lined up on the concourse of Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons, site of Thursday’s Media Day before the 50th annual Bassmaster Classic.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The long wait for the first pitch, er, cast, was a few hours away Thursday afternoon for New Iberian Caleb Sumrall and 52 other Bassmaster Classic contenders dealing with Media Day at Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons.

They had been in the area for nearly a full week after three practice days starting Feb. 28, followed by off days Monday and Tuesday, a practice day Wednesday ending with the annual Night of Champions event, and the last warmup event Thursday before the 50th running of the Bassmaster Classic got underway at 7 a.m. today on Lake Guntersville at Civitan Park near Guntersville.

To say they were chomping at the bit, ready or not, was an understatement as each qualifier boarded his boat parked on the concourse to organize fishing tackle and make final preparations for the three-day world championship of bass fishing. Or tried to while fielding questions from a stream of print and electronic media, some 250-plus on hand to report on the Classic.

“Yeah, I’m ready, ready to go. I was one of the first qualifiers for this Classic. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. There’s been a lot of extra stuff you normally don’t deal with on tournament week,” Louisiana bass pro Darold Gleason said as he unspooled line on a fishing rod while sitting on the deck of his boat.  “I’m ready to quit thinking about it and I’m ready for it. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

The opportunity out there is a $300,000 first-place prize for the winner of the event that ends with the weigh-in Sunday at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham. The Many angler earned the opp by winning last spring’s Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend, where he is a bass fishing guide.

Gleason, a friend of Sumrall’s, said he was going to count on a few areas where he had more than one bite during the four practice days. If the bass didn’t bite in a timely manner, he was going elsewhere to fish for more “practicing” on Day One.

“I’ll catch what I can. I’m prepared (if the bass are uncooperative) to run. I’d rather go practicing than stayin’ and not catchin’,” he said.

The variable he couldn’t control was the wind direction and velocity. He said the wind was forecast to blow 10-15 mph out of the northwest after a major cold front roared through the region at midweek. He figured it’d be more like 20-25 mph.

“More is usually better in life except when you’re talking about wind and fishing,” he said, noting he tried to cover his bases and scout waters Wednesday that would be protected Friday.

Sumrall, the 32-year-old pro who hails from the heart of Cajun Country, was more than ready to fish another Bassmaster Classic. He also fished it in 2018 but missed it in 2019.

Coping with the weeklong hoopla was a must.

“I mean, there’s a lot of hype with it,” he said after talking to at least a dozen different media types, several from other countries, at his boat, either the last in the long row or the first in the long row, depending on how you looked at it on the first base side of the concourse.

“I control my nerves a little better now but the level of excitement is there. I’m ready.”

A little later, he showed the artificial lure he has been catching on. It was a reddish orange lipless crank bait.

Sumrall, who was scheduled to leave in the fifth spot in the first flight this morning, said he would target drains in pockets and the grass that connects with different kinds of grass. The underwater vegetation provides cover and warmer water.

Lake Guntersville is the site of his best finish as a Bassmaster Elite. He was fourth when the tour stopped there last year.

He stumbled out of the gate in this year’s opener at St. Johns River in Florida, where he checked in with a 48th-place finish. A few weeks ago he confided that that was behind him and he was ready to move on.

His wife, Jacie, drove up to join him this week on Tuesday. Their children, daughter, Clelie and son, Axel, came up with their grandparents on Wednesday.

Count, Mississippi bass pro Brock Mosley, who lives in Collinsville, among those ready to get on with the show. Mosley travels “a lot” on the circuit with Sumrall.

“I’m excited to be here like anyone else, full of excitement, full of nerves, all bundled into one. I’m kind of lucky they haven’t served any caffeine,” he said with a chuckle.

John Crews of Salem, Virginia, said he managed his time this week by getting his fishing tackle ready Monday. He spent seven hours in the garage at the home of Bassmaster Open angler Gerald Swindle.

“I knew it was going to be the only time I had to do it,” said Crews, who’s widely known as the artificial lure manufacturer who makes Missile Baits, which are proven soft plastics.

“Now I don’t have much to do … just pack a launch and I’m ready to rock.”

Sumrall, Gleason, Mosley, et al, would be fishing lake waters averaging 48 to 52 degrees today, for sure, with air temperatures in the middle 30s. There is no rain in the forecast for the remainder oF the Bassmaster Classic, which will hold its weigh-ins at 4:30 p.m. inside the Legacy Arena at the BJCC. The weigh-in site is 1:20 from the launch site at Civitan Park.