Starting from scratch
Ohio State can’t fish their day one hotspot today—can they duplicate their pattern elsewhere?
MURRAY, Ky. – If you looked hard enough, you could see a bit of frost on rooftops and low-cut fields near Kentucky Lake this morning, the first morning of November and the second day of competition in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Regional Championship.
The leading team heading into today, 
Kevin Moeller and Casey Hammann of Ohio State University, may have been wishing that November would’ve held off just a few days. Yesterday, Ohio State led the tournament with five bass-one fish less than both the second and third-place teams. Quality was the key for them, and all of those quality fish were caught in a bay that was fine to fish yesterday, but is legally off limits starting today through early next spring. The bay is set aside as a sanctuary for waterfowl at this time, and fishing it is prohibited.
Much of successful competitive angling revolves around quickly making the correct decisions when adapting to ever-changing situations. Ohio State definitely has a game-changing situation on their hands. 
“Last night, we sat down with a map and tried to find other areas on the lake where we could possibly duplicate yesterday’s pattern,” Moeller said. “If that doesn’t work, we’re just going to put the trolling motor down and start covering some water.”
Without revealing too many specifics, Moeller and Hammann did appear rigged and ready to cover water today, as they had an array of reaction-style baits on their deck, including spinnerbaits and topwaters, and that seemed to be the case with most anglers this morning. 
Steve Miller and Kalem Tippett with Murray State University, the hometown team sitting in second place on the second day, could be seen (with the aid of a telephoto lens), rigging a topwater popper and a crankbait. Hollow-belly swimbaits, responsible for a pile of big cashed checks in many pro-level tournaments over the last couple years, were another common sight in several boats.
Ohio State does have a comfortable, if not substantial, 3-pound, 5-ounce lead going into today. Just making the top five seemed to be their primary concern. “I’d feel real comfortable with three keepers today,” Moeller said. “I think that should keep us in the top five no problem.”
The top five FLW College Fishing teams from each of the four regular-season Central Division tournaments gained automatic entry into the 2009 Central Regional Championship at Murray State. They are competing for a top award of $25,000 plus a 177TR Ranger wrapped in school colors and powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard engine.
Teams slated to compete in the Central Regional Championship are Arkansas Tech University, Eastern Kentucky University, Henderson State, Indiana University, Kansas State University, Murray State University, Ohio State University, Central Michigan University, Southern Illinois University, Truman State University, University of Arkansas at Monticello, University of Central Arkansas, University of Iowa, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin – Stout, Western Kentucky University and Western Michigan University.
Logistics
Collegiate bass anglers take off tomorrow, Nov. 2, at 7 a.m. central time from Kenlake Marina in Hardin, Ky., for the final day of competition. The final weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. in front of Roy Stewart Stadium at Murray State University. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free to attend and open to the public.
Murray State University will also host the Reel Life Festival in conjunction with the Central Regional Championship. The free festival, featuring the National Guard Warrior Challenge ropes course, rock-climbing wall, paintball range, geocaching and a variety of other activities, kicked off with a tailgate party on Saturday. Today and tomorrow, the Reel Life Festival will run in conjunction with the tournament weigh-in from 4 to 7 p.m. Reel Life Festival visitors can register to win an iPod Nanosand (today) and a MacBook Air, which will be given away tomorrow. Murray State students also receive a free meal starting at 4 p.m. tomorrow as part of the festivities.
The top five teams from each of the five National Guard regional championships (Western, Central, Northern, Texas and Southeast) will advance to the National Guard National Championship April 10-12, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn. The winning team at the national championship will qualify for the prestigious 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.
Sunday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:17 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 41 degrees
Expected high temperature: 58 degrees
Water temperature: 59-61 degrees
Wind: NNE at 2-6 mph
Max. humidity: 69 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny