Sonoma State wins FLW College Fishing event on Lake Mead

5/9/2010 8:11:19 PM

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The Sonoma State team of Luke Haley, and Alex Christianson, won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Western Division on Lake Mead Saturday with six bass weighing 11 pound, 11 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. The win also helped them advance to the Western Division Regional Championship where they could ultimately win a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school’s bass club and $25,000 for the school they represent.

“Luke really got our mojo flowing early when he landed his first monster smallie about 8:30,” said Alex Christianson, a Junior Business major. “After that we realized that the fish were bedding and went from there. We stayed within two miles of the marina, which was pretty protected all day, staying in coves with grassy areas with sandy bottoms. We stayed pretty shallow – 1-5 feet was it.”

The team caught a mixed bag including the one kicker smallmouth weighing in at over 3 ½ pounds. The remaining five largemouth were all on beds; one was cruising and the rest were posted on the beds.

“This was my first tournament,” said Luke Haley, a Junior in Physics. “I caught my first smallie on a drop-shot and for the rest we just went sight fishing. Alex, was amazing.”

Rounding out the top five teams were California Poly – Scott Hellesen and Damian Bean., (six bass, 11-2, $5,000); University of Nevada, Reno – Seth Hofland and Ricky Nielsen, (six bass, 11, $4,000); San Jose State – Tyler Swasey and Anthony Lee, (four bass, 9-2, $3,000); Chico State – Thomas White and Allison Shaw., (four bass, 9, $2,000).