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Forty years of Bassmaster Classics give us a pretty good perspective on fishing's greatest championship.

The Bassmaster Classic is a tournament full of tradition and lore. With the 41st Classic coming up this week, it's a good time to explore some of the old bromides about fishing's greatest championship.

Opens: Tougher than ever

Roland Martin has nothing to prove. Nevertheless, after nine Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, the man who finished second in ESPN's Greatest Angler Debate has registered to fish the Bassmaster Southern Opens in 2011.

If you've been around professional bass fishing for a few years, you may recall the ESPN Greatest Angler Debate of 2005. It started with a list of 35 anglers who had all achieved some success in the world of professional fishing.

William F. 'Bill' Hailey, 1930-2010

Episode 1 - Hood River, Oregon

Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona catch 5000 pounds of sturgeon in eight hours for WGFS

Ultraviolet technology in lures

Episode 12 - Grand Lake, OK

Do you think you could be the next Mark Zona?

Didn't yelp myself

Episode 11 - Clear Lake, CA

Episode 10 - Calabamich Cup, Part 2

Episode 9 - Calabamich Cup, Part 1

Episode 8 - Guntersville, AL