Randy Howell had his ZTS package deal in place, with a Purolator wrap job to boot. One small problem: He was a longshot to make the Bassmaster Classic. But his big-time comeback at the Bassmaster Open Championship landed him in the Top 5 and put him in the 2006 Classic.

"I'm telling you, this is my 6th Classic, but it's probably the most excited

I've ever been about making a Classic," he said. "One, this is the biggest purse in Classic history. Two, it's the first Classic ever during the spawning season in Florida, which is a plus for my style of fishing. Three, it's just a big accomplishment because I've been let down so much the last two seasons – twice missing it by two spots in the (Bassmaster) Elite E50s."

He almost didn't get a chance to compete at the Open Championship, but the hurricane that postponed the Toho Southern Open worked to his advantage. If Toho wasn't postponed, he would have been home as his wife gave birth to a new baby boy. "As fate would have it, the hurricane changed that one tournament and I didn't have to miss it," he said. "Everything just clicked.

"Then, after the first day of the (Open Championship), I was in 39th place and didn't feel a lot of hope. But I went out and caught 14 pounds the next day. It was miraculous the way that happened. It was a great day."

He said he'll have his ZTS – which is a motor coach that pulls a 2-story trailer on display at the Classic Outdoors Show. "It should be finished and ready to roll by the end of January."