FOLSOM, Ca. - Sixteen-time world champion Ric Flair, one of the most iconic characters of the pro wrestling world, is famous for coining the phrase....”To be the man...you gotta beat the man”, signifying to all “up and comers” who wanted his championship belt, that they would have to come and take it from him.
And that moniker of being “the man” fits well within the world of bass-angling veteran Shane Pierson, who has, in his over 20+ years of tournament angling, produced quite an impressive string of both victories – and championships, to his credit.
The most notable of which are his back-to-back wins in the 2017 and 2018 Bass Pro Shops Open, in which he showcased his angling prowess on Folsom Lake by winning the event with two different partners, the first of which was with his father, Tom Pierson.
“Winning the 2018 BPS Open was incredible, as my partner Russ Graves, is a fantastic angler, and we used our combined knowledge to capture the win. But it is without a doubt that my most, satisfying and memorable victory - to date, was the win at the 2018 Bass Pro Shops Open, as I was blessed with the opportunity to fish it with my dad, who took me fishing when I was a kid, and actually inspired me to pursue the sport of competitive angling”, Shane noted.
- Father and Son team - Tom and Shane Pierson, won their first BPS Open title in 2017
And though Shane’s resume of accomplishments also includes a Future Pro Tour Classic Championship ring, Wild West Tournament Trail victories, and stellar performances in the WWBT’s Apex Pro Tour, he will quickly tell you – without hesitation, that winning a third title at this year’s version of the Bass Pro Shops Open (now the Walmart MEGA-CASH Classic being held this weekend on Folsom Lake), will be no easy feat.
For Shane is very aware that even with the help of his dad/partner Tom Pierson, Folsom Lake - in mid-May, can be anyone’s to win, as water temperatures and water levels continue to rise, bringing opportunities to catch BIG pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn females to just about every cove.
But please believe that veteran anglers such as John Maes, Chris Raza, Roy Desmangles, Corey Fenske, Ryan White, and Damon Witt, – just to name few, won’t let themselves be drawn into the “hype” or be concerned with someone’s past victories, and are in no way ready to concede anything to Shane, but will be working hard to solidify their own respective "game day" strategies, with the goal of derailing any delusions of glory this 2-time champion may have.
WalMart Mega-Cash Classic's - "Murderer's Row"
- (L-R) Roy Desmangles, John Maes, Corey Fenske, Damon Witt, Ryan White, Chris Raza - Just a few of the top anglers that will compete in this exciting event
“We have come really close to winning this event”, noted John Maes, General Manager of C&C Marine in Newcastle, who each year, has consistently been part of the event’s dramatic final-day storefront weigh-in reserved for only the top-ten finalists.
“We have a very good idea what these fish will be doing come game day, so any dreams Shane may have of notching three titles is simply not in the cards”, he added playfully.
So, there it is.
This weekend, the “doc talk” and speculation will become irrelevant and come to an end.
But until then, the simple question still remains... Can ANYONE the stop “the man” Shane Pierson?
We will find out come May 22nd..
Wooooooooooo! - (ala Ric Flair)