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by bassnomad

Bracket busting! Who will win on the Niagara River?

Bagley Baits pro Drew Benton might have the biggest Round 1 task of all with Kevin VanDam, but don’t be surprised if the Florida rookie pulls the upset. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Carhartt pro Jordan Lee has a hot hand going into the Classic Bracket. Expect him to do well. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Gander Mountain pro Dean Rojas is Bass Nomad Chris’s choice to bust the bracket. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Mercury pro Brett Hite is Bass Nomad’s pick to win it all this week. Photo by Joel Shangle.
At this point, does it make any sense at all to pick against Strike King pro Keith Combs? No, it doesn’t. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Livingston pro Jacob Powroznik is the most interesting X-factor in the bracket. Photo by Joel Shangle.
Minn Kota pro Koby Kreiger has the most to gain this week: a Bracket victory is likely his only way into the 2017 Classic. Photo by Joel Shangle.

BUFFALO, New York – First, a confession: you say the word “bracket” and I automatically regress 20 years into Joel the Former Sportswriter. I start thinking about matchups and scenarios and things that would determine the outcome of an NCAA basketball game.

Maybe not such a bad thing when picking a winner of this week’s Bassmaster Classic Bracket on the Niagara River. While handicapping a bass-fishing competition might seem a far cry from choosing the winner of Duke vs. North Carolina,some similar principles apply. It’s still head-to-head competition, and there are certain competitive trends that transcend sports.

And so, without further ado, let’s take a look at the eight bracket busters who will be facing off this week on the Niagara River. Read closely: our intrepid Classic Bracket choice will be explained tomorrow.
-Joel Shangle