Bassmaster Classic Champ Justin Hamner: A Deeper Dive

Once all the fish were weighed and Hamner was officially declared the winner, I saw the genuine, funny, very likable personality on stage—not that he hadn’t been showing that all along, but I finally recognized it. The outpouring of joy and relief and love for his family and this sport was pretty amazing to witness. Granted, my emotions and love of the sport were buzzing off of all the energy in that stadium, but I’ve been to final day Classic weigh-ins before. Hamner’s celebration was exceptional.

Then at the press conference following the weigh-in, we got a few very endearing stories that I kept thinking about the rest of the night.

He was asked to think back to a point, just less than five years ago, when he earned himself an invitation to fish the Elite Series but had a very short window to decide if he would accept because he would need to come up with the fairly high entry fees that come with the Elites.

In an emotional, near whisper, Hamner replied, “That was tough. I’ve never told this story. I was fishing the Opens. It was the James River, first year I was fishing them. Me and my wife just had our little girl. And I didn’t make the cut. I remember I had to dig for change under my truck seat to buy a cheeseburger so I could make it home.” His head dipped down as the tears welled up in his eyes. After a bit of encouragement from the crowded press room, he looked up and smiled. “I don’t even know if I answered your question.” More applause. You really could feel how much everybody likes this guy. I’ll include a video of some highlights from the press conference at the top of this article.

And finally, after all the “work” was done, anglers, fishing industry folks and the media gathered in a nearby hotel ballroom (much more intimate than the arena but still a couple hundred people) for the Champion’s Toast. When Hamner showed up in the doorway the room burst into cheers. As he made his way through the maze of people to the front of the room, his course led him past a long buffet table. With the oversized Classic trophy in one arm, he swooped in with his free hand, grabbed a cocktail shrimp or some other hors d'oeuvre and stuffed it in his mouth with a silly smile. I get the impression Hamner is very real which is something so many of us struggle with in our society. I’m a fan.