As soon as the weigh in got underway for the 2010 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, it became apparent that predictions of tough fishing and low weights would prove to be wrong. In fact, the field of talented collegiate anglers absolutely lit up the leader board with sack after sack filled with hefty Lake Lewisville bass.
On a day when it took 16.62 pounds just to finish in the top 10, Chip Porche' and Mark Johnson of Oklahoma University hauled 20.30 pounds to the scales to outdistance the rest of the field and claim the day one lead. The pair expected a strong early bite that never materialized. However, later in the morning they caught several big fish from three key areas and a total of 9 keepers throughout the day." We only saw boats on one of our three key spots," said Johnson. "Based on our practice, we caught more than we expected today. We may need to change up our presentation to catch another big sack tomorrow though."
David Stephens and Andy Southard of Western Kentucky University took full advantage of the shad spawn early then moved out deeper later in the day. The team caught a total of 6 keepers and lost a good one. Their five best tipped the scales at 19.68 pounds which was good enough for second place. "I'm concerned that the bite may not hold up for us tomorrow," stated Southard. "There are lots of other competitors in the area; but if we get the bites we'll have another big sack."
Claiming third place with 18.34 pounds, Ben Cleary and Bo Page of the University of Georgia like their prospects for tomorrow. "It's a slow bite but we're catching good quality," commented Cleary. The team caught a total of 6 keepers throughout the day from medium depth points.
Rounding out the top 10 is:
4th - Tarleton State Univ. - John Anderson & Brandon Foard - 18.22
5th - Midwestern State Univ. - Caleb Carmichael & Stefan Scott - 17.74
6th - Univ. of Arkansas-Fayetteville - Clay Ramey & Kyle Billingsley - 17.45
7th - Texas A&M Univ. - Andy Shafer & Matt McArdle - 17.15
8th - Georgia College & State Univ. - Matt Henry & Walker Smith - 17.11
9th - Univ. of Tennessee-Chattanooga - Robby Crosslin & Brandon Lester - 16.86
10th - LSU-Shreveport - Zach Caudle & Joe Landry - 16.62
The full field of anglers will takeoff from Sneaky Pete's at safe light tomorrow and return for the final day weigh in beginning at 3:00. The national champions will be determined based on the highest combined weight from days one and two.
