In the comfort of his giant Evan Williams Bourbon “mobile home” – a completely wrapped motor home with boat-truck hauler behind it – Quinn greets friends and sponsors. His sleek, black SUV sporting blingy rims is parked nearby. All of his gear is contained in the hauler, in which his boat and truck fit neatly for transport similar to a NASCAR team’s hauler that carries race cars and equipment.

Quinn is among the 50 anglers in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic that begins Friday on Lake Conroe. The field competes Thursday in the U.S. Reel Pro-Am, has a final rules and welcoming meeting following it and then gets down to business on Friday. Chevy pro Dave Lefebre of Pennsylvania is the defending champion.

The full field will compete the first two days, with the “Tundra 10″ slated to compete on Sunday. Official takeoff each morning will be at 7 a.m. at Papa’s on the Lake (14632 Highway 105W). Friday’s weigh-in will be at 5 p.m. at Papa’s on the Lake. The final two days’ weigh-ins at the TTBC stage at Lone Star Convention Center beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to attend the Lone Star Convention Center grounds Saturday and Sunday for vendors, exhibits, fireworks and country music concerts featuring Tracy Lawrence and Blake Shelton (Saturday) and Jeff Allen and Montgomery Gentry (Sunday). Tickets are available online along with H-E-B and Academy Sports+Outdoors stores in the Conroe area (kids 17-under admitted free).

Tournament coverage will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports Net during a one-hour show on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. (check local listings).

Quinn is one of a few pros who has been with a non-endemic sponsor for more than a few years. He originally signed a small deal with Evan Williams Bourbon the week of the 2004 Bassmaster Classic, which was on his home lake. With the attention Quinn was receiving that week, Evan Williams wanted to stick its toe in the water. Since then, the roughly 230-year old company has dived in full bore with sponsorships and promotions.

They’ll be at the TTBC site this week games, prizes, special drinks and other fan-friendly activities. Saturday’s festivities are presented by Evan Williams Bourbon. Gates open at 10 a.m. each day. at the Lone Star Convention Center. The TTBC benefits Texas Parks & Wildlife, with donations to reach more than $1 million this year.

As for fishing, Quinn has done a little bit of that in the last few weeks while he’s been on the road. He’s ready to get after it this week on Conroe for a shot at the TTBC championship.

“My first two flips in practice Monday were 5-pounders, and then I sat down on one that I never turned,” he said. “It may be a little bit different this week from last year because of the weather. It was cooler last year and the water temperatures were lower than this week. I think they were in the 60s last year, and they’re in the 80s this week. The lake is lower, too.”

Quinn said the docks that were most productive last year were getting checked pretty hard in practice.

“It wasn’t difficult to figure out which ones were the good ones from 2009,” he said. “They were the ones with the most boats around them.”

But it will come down to a mix of strategies, he believes, to produce a winning catch.