2010 FLW College Fishing National Championship under way

Top 25 collegiate angling teams in the country hit the open water of Fort Loudoun Lake in search of national championship title, $100,000

The 2010 National Guard FLW College FIshing National Championship is finally under way. Photo by Gary Mortenson.

April 10, 2010 • Gary Mortenson • Abu Garcia College Fishing

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – College fishing will never be the same. With Ned McWherter Riverside Landing Park marina jam packed with television cameras, reporters, bass-fishing fans, friends, families and well-wishers, the top 25 collegiate angling teams in the nation made a little bit of history today, kicking off the first-ever National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in style.

With crisp temperatures dominating the early morning hours and mist pouring of Fort Loudoun Lake, the full field of national championship contenders departed the marina shortly after 7 a.m. amidst a rousing applause, decked out in custom-wrapped boats and dressed from head to toe in school colors. The goal of these young anglers was quite clear: wrestle the inaugural college fishing national championship trophy from the most competitive group of collegiate anglers ever assembled.

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” said Hampden-Sydney College team member Charles Parrish of his team’s participation in the event. “At the (welcome) dinner last night they told us what was at stake so we didn’t get much sleep last night. No pressure, right? But so far they’ve treated us like kings. It’s a dream come true.”

The 25 national championship teams represent the top-five regional qualifiers from each of five National Guard FLW College Fishing Divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western – during the 2009 season.

However, to walk away with the FLW College Fishing National Championship and the top prize of $100,000, these young anglers are going to have to do what veteran tournament pros have done their whole lives – catch fish.

“We’re here Easter weekend and we got on something,” said Parris. “We’re going to make a long run today and see if it pans out for us. Over the past week or so the weather heated up pretty quick and then cooled down pretty quickly so the bite is a little tough right now. We’re planning to pull out in deeper water and try to go big.”

So what baits and strategy will come into play?

“Here you can catch fish on just about everything,” said Parrish, whose team qualified for the national championship by taking third place overall at the Northern Regional in Charlotte, N.C. “But we’ll probably use crankbaits and jigs the most – maybe skipping a worm here and there. We’ve got a good pattern right now. I think we’re probably going to stay away from smallmouth bass though because (keepers) have to be 18 inches and you don’t want to waste too much time going after them. I think a lot of people are going to have problems (weeding) through the smaller fish.”

Finding quality fish won’t be the only hurdle facing these anglers. For the first time in their lives, these young men and women are going to have to figure out how to handle the immense pressure of fishing for $100,000 and representing their school in the biggest tournament of their careers.

“I’m trying to put all of this pressure in the back of my mind but it’s tough,” admitted Parrish. “I can hardly even talk. I think this is the first time I’ve been speechless in my life.”

Tourney format and event logistics

The entire FLW College Fishing National Championship field will compete for two days with the top-five college teams advancing to the third and final day of competition based on their overall accumulated weight. After the conclusion of Monday’s weigh-in, the tournament title will be awarded to the college team that has recorded the most combined weight over all three days of national championship competition.

The national championship winning team will receive $25,000 cash, a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school’s bass club and $50,000 for the school they represent – for a total prize package valued at $100,000.

However, a tournament trophy isn’t the only thing at stake this week. The winning team in the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship also will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup – one of the most prestigious bass-fishing championships in the nation which boasts a top prize of $600,000. The winning team member with the heaviest total weight in the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship will compete in the pro division and the other member of the winning team will compete in the co-angler division of the Forrest Wood Cup.

Each morning at 7 a.m., college teams will depart Ned McWherter Riverside Landing Park located at 1648 Riverside Drive in Knoxville. Daily weigh-ins will be at TRECS Plaza on the University of Tennessee campus located at 2106 Andy Holt Ave, Lot 20 in Knoxville.

Country music star Lee Brice will be performing Sunday, April 11 at 3 p.m. at TRECS Plaza prior to the weigh-in. Along with the concert, FLW Outdoors will be hosting the College Fishing Festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 10 through Monday, April 12 with activities including the National Guard Challenge, climbing wall and paintball. All activities including the concert are free and open to the public. Fans can also register for cash prizes presented by US Bank.

Bass-fishing fans take note

Want to watch the inaugural national championship weigh-in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern time to watch live streaming video and audio of today’s opening-round weigh in.

Vital statistics:

Sunrise: 7:10 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 38 degrees

Expected high temperature: 73 degrees

Wind: From the east-southeast at 4 mph

Maximum humidity: 45 percent

Day’s outlook: Mostly sunny