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The Nomad 9: Darkhorses to watch at BASSfest

Brent Ehrler has won on every conceivable style of fishery. I like his chances on the fluctuating waters of Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Watch out for this hillbilly: Mullins is on a roll, and will follow up his Southern Open win with a Top 20. Photo by Joel Shangle.
“Boom Boom” seems to thrive when situations are weird. Texoma’s rapidly rising water qualifies. Roumbanis will be a Top 20 threat. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Texoma seems to set up pretty well for Crossed Industries Elite Rookie Jay Brainard’s style. Watch for Brainard’s first Top 25 this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.
2012 AOY Brent Chapman made a lot of noise early in the season, and has since drifted close to the “Mendoza Line” for Classic qualification. Texoma is the type of fishery he excels at, though. I smell another Championship Sunday for the Chap Attack. Photo by Joel Shangle.
There’s a rightful amount of attention being given to the deep-offshore hotshots (KVD, Combs, etc.), but Texoma’s crazy-high water will bring a whole lot of new shallow stuff into play. JTodd Tucker will benefit from that. Joel Shangle.
A lot of attention this week on Oklahoma anglers to do well at BASSfest, but nobody’s picking James Elam. Except me: Elam will be in the mix this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi oi oi! So far in his Elite career, Carl Jocumsen has proven to be super streaky (in a good way at Chesapeake Bay and Guntersville). There’s a Top 20 in the Aussie’s future on Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.
BASSfest sets up well for the Texas gang. James Niggemeyer will quietly put a Texas whoopin’ on Texoma. Photo by Joel Shangle.

DURANT, Oklahoma – En route to Durant, Oklahoma for BASSfest, and have been skimming Bassmaster.com’s Fantasy Fishing picks for the event. Some good choices by Kevin Hawk, Ronnie Moore and the gang about what might happen on Lake Texoma, but I see a lot of chalk in the popular selections of Kevin VanDam and Keith Combs.

We’re all about the darkhorses here, so I thought I’d offer up my Nomad 9: a nonuple (it’s a word, look it up!) of anglers who might just sneak into Championship Sunday at Texoma. Safe travels, everybody,  see y’all in Okie.
-Joel Shangle